[nasional_list] [ppiindia] We Are Changing or Are We?
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 19:46:34 +0200
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Friday, 14, July, 2006 (18, Jumada al-Thani, 1427)
We Are Changing or Are We?
Lubna Hussain, lubna@xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Lubna Hussain?" asked the unfamiliar accented voice. German?
Swiss? Scandinavian? I couldn't place the speaker and instead of
second-guessing him, I confirmed my identity.
"I hope that this is not a bad time," he continued politely,
"but I am from a European radio station and I was wondering if you would be so
kind as to participate in an interview about Saudi Arabia."
The request was simple enough. I have never declined an
interview more out of a sense of self-preservation than being magnanimously
obliging. Working for a news network I have had more than my fair share of
rejections and I know what that feels like. So we agreed to meet in the lobby
of a famous hotel chain the following evening.
For no reason in particular I was in a buoyant mood and had
been experiencing quite significant bouts of optimism with regards to the
progress and reform that dominated the headlines with increasing regularity and
were impacting upon my professional and personal life. "This is what I am going
to expound upon," I thought to myself as my car pulled up. "I will be
reasonable," I repeated as a mantra to remind myself of the significant changes
that had been made in our society.
I looked around the crowded lobby unsure of whom it was I was
trying to spot and resorted to calling the gentleman's mobile to alert him of
my arrival. He had been sitting right in front of me, immersed in a book as a
result no doubt of acclimatizing to Saudi standard time for appointments and
sprang to attention. Several pairs of eyes focused upon us.
"Please take a seat," he gestured and I had anticipated that
he would spend some time putting me at ease by asking a few introductory
questions, telling me what the focal point of the subject was, but he had done
his homework, was running late and switched on his recording device immediately.
About 15 minutes into tape, I noticed a presence that lurked
to the side of us and watched a man in a suit staring in my direction and
slowly and methodically shaking his head from side to side as if to disconcert
or chastise me. I stared back in defiance and tried to focus on the next
question.
"Your articles are really quite bold and outspoken. Do you
feel that attitudes toward women have changed?" he asked with the earnestness
of a physician.
"Definitely. Compared to what women faced a decade ago, there
has been significant progress made," I replied with absolute conviction.
He was just about to begin his next question when the man in
the suit strutted over and waved his hand authoritatively at the device.
"Who are you?" he demanded of the gentleman.
"I am a journalist from the radio," he answered not quite
understanding the nature of the probe.
"Where is your permission?" he demanded gruffly.
The poor man looked bewildered and fumbled around in his bag
for the paperwork.
"I am sorry to interrupt but you can't just sit here in a
public place with," pointing at me as if I were a mute, "a Saudi woman!"
The poor journalist, flustered at his inability to find the
letter of invitation extended to him by the Ministry of Information, began to
apologize profusely explaining that he didn't know he wasn't allowed to conduct
the interview in public.
"And who is she?" Mr. Suit asked.
I stared at him in disbelief and hissed my name at him.
"Afwan, Madam, but who do you work for? I need your ID card
and your business card please."
"What for?" I counter-questioned feeling my blood pressure
beginning to rise quite significantly. "Because I am a woman?"
"Madam," he continued conspiratorially, "I am sure that you
are most aware of the implications of being seen like this in public."
"No," I disagreed barely disguising my disgust. "What do you
mean 'being seen like this'? I am seen like this all the time. The guy is
interviewing me! It's so obvious. Look at his machine! What's more is that he
hasn't entered the Kingdom illegally but has been invited by the ministry," I
argued.
"Well, I am sorry but I have to think of the consequences for
the hotel. I am afraid that I will have to ask you to move. We will find you a
suitable spot," he concluded waiting for us to get up.
We were placed in a corner away from the gaze of public
scrutiny, although I found it hard to regain my composure and am certain that
whatever I attempted to say subsequently must have rang hollow. I can well
imagine the effect that the incident must have had on the attitude of the
journalist and was highly offended that yet another neutral individual would be
persuaded that in spite of all the grandiose talk of progress little was
changing on the ground.
The irony of the whole situation is that whereas other
countries in the process of reinventing themselves do their utmost to schmooze
with the media and impress them with whatever message it is that they are
trying to convey we always seem to do the exact opposite. Instead of allowing
the outside world a glimpse into the tangible changes that are being made, we
shoot ourselves in the proverbial foot by allowing such acts of idiocy to
prevail. We seriously need to understand that incidents like this will tarnish
our image and reinforce the hapless stereotypes we have spent tons of money and
effort trying to rid ourselves of.
* * *
(Lubna Hussain is a Saudi writer. She is based in Riyadh.)
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