Read Online Princess Sultana's Daughters by Jean Sasson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jean Sasson
Tags: women in the middle east, islamic women, jean sasson, women in saudi arabia, muslim princess, islam and women, saudi arabia royalty, women of middle eastern, islam and gender studies, womens rights in the middle east, womens rights in saudi arabia
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can be exposed other than the face and hands.
3. No two people can eat from the same dish,
or drink from the same cup.
4. There can be no fast body movement. (It is
suggested in the contract that if a female is used, she has to sit
or stand without moving at all.)
5. There can be no winking.
6. Kissing is taboo.
7. There can be no burping.
8. Unless it is absolutely necessary to sell
the product (it is suggested) there should be no laughter.
When the normal is forbidden, people fall
into the abnormal. That, I believe, is what happened to my
daughter.
In my country it is prohibited by religious
law for single men and women to see each other. While inside the
country, men socialize with men, and women with women. Since we are
prevented from engaging in traditional behavior, the sexual tension
between those of the same sex is palpable. Any foreigner who has
lived in Saudi Arabia for any length of time becomes aware that
homosexual relations are rampant within the kingdom.
I have attended many all-female concerts and
functions where quivering beauties and suggestive behavior triumph
over heavy veils and black abaayas. An orderly gathering of heavily
perfumed and love-starved Saudi women festers into spontaneous
exuberance, bursting forth in the form of a wild party with singing
of forbidden love accompanied by lusty dancing. I have watched as
shy-faced women danced lewdly with other women, flesh to flesh,
face-to-face. I have heard women whisper of love and plan
clandestine meetings while their drivers wait patiently in the
parking lots. They will later deliver these women to their husbands
who are that same evening being captivated by other men.
While the conduct of men is overlooked, the
behavior of women, even with other women, is often carefully
guarded. This is made apparent by the various rules and regulations
governing females. Some years ago I clipped a small item from one
of our Saudi Arabian newspapers to show to my sisters. I was
particularly irritated by yet another foolish restriction placed
upon women. A ban on cosmetics had been announced in a girls’
school. Recently I ran across this clipping while throwing out some
old papers. This article reads:
--
Cosmetics Ban in School
The director of Girls’ Education at Al Ras,
Abdullah Muhammad Al Rashid, urged all students and staff of the
school under the directorate to refrain from using cosmetics,
dyestuffs, ornaments, and other makeup inside the school
compounds.
The director added that some staff and
students were noticed of late to have been using transparent
garments and cosmetics as well as high-heeled shoes; hence, such
adornments are prohibited. While the students must keep uniformity
in dress, the teachers should set good examples to the students.
The authorities would not hesitate to take punitive measures
against violators of school regulations, Al Rashid added.
--
I remember well what I said to my sisters at
the time. I waved the clipping angrily under their noses, raging,
“See! See for yourself! The men of this country want to regulate
the wearing of our shoes, the ribbons in our hair, the color of our
lips!”
My sisters, while their anger did not equal
mine, sullenly complained that our men were obsessed with
controlling every aspect of our lives, even that part of our daily
living that was supposedly private.
In my opinion, the control fanatics who
govern our traditional lives had driven my daughter into the arms
of a woman! While I was greatly distressed and did not condone my
daughter’s relationship with another woman, I understood, in view
of the harsh restrictions she had inherited by the mere fact of
being born female, how she had come to seek solace with one of her
own kind.
Knowing the problem, I now felt more capable
of seeking solutions.
Kareem feared that Maha’s character was now
marred by her experiences. As a mother, I could not agree. I told
Kareem that Maha’s wanting to share her darkest secret with those
who
3. No two people can eat from the same dish,
or drink from the same cup.
4. There can be no fast body movement. (It is
suggested in the contract that if a female is used, she has to sit
or stand without moving at all.)
5. There can be no winking.
6. Kissing is taboo.
7. There can be no burping.
8. Unless it is absolutely necessary to sell
the product (it is suggested) there should be no laughter.
When the normal is forbidden, people fall
into the abnormal. That, I believe, is what happened to my
daughter.
In my country it is prohibited by religious
law for single men and women to see each other. While inside the
country, men socialize with men, and women with women. Since we are
prevented from engaging in traditional behavior, the sexual tension
between those of the same sex is palpable. Any foreigner who has
lived in Saudi Arabia for any length of time becomes aware that
homosexual relations are rampant within the kingdom.
I have attended many all-female concerts and
functions where quivering beauties and suggestive behavior triumph
over heavy veils and black abaayas. An orderly gathering of heavily
perfumed and love-starved Saudi women festers into spontaneous
exuberance, bursting forth in the form of a wild party with singing
of forbidden love accompanied by lusty dancing. I have watched as
shy-faced women danced lewdly with other women, flesh to flesh,
face-to-face. I have heard women whisper of love and plan
clandestine meetings while their drivers wait patiently in the
parking lots. They will later deliver these women to their husbands
who are that same evening being captivated by other men.
While the conduct of men is overlooked, the
behavior of women, even with other women, is often carefully
guarded. This is made apparent by the various rules and regulations
governing females. Some years ago I clipped a small item from one
of our Saudi Arabian newspapers to show to my sisters. I was
particularly irritated by yet another foolish restriction placed
upon women. A ban on cosmetics had been announced in a girls’
school. Recently I ran across this clipping while throwing out some
old papers. This article reads:
--
Cosmetics Ban in School
The director of Girls’ Education at Al Ras,
Abdullah Muhammad Al Rashid, urged all students and staff of the
school under the directorate to refrain from using cosmetics,
dyestuffs, ornaments, and other makeup inside the school
compounds.
The director added that some staff and
students were noticed of late to have been using transparent
garments and cosmetics as well as high-heeled shoes; hence, such
adornments are prohibited. While the students must keep uniformity
in dress, the teachers should set good examples to the students.
The authorities would not hesitate to take punitive measures
against violators of school regulations, Al Rashid added.
--
I remember well what I said to my sisters at
the time. I waved the clipping angrily under their noses, raging,
“See! See for yourself! The men of this country want to regulate
the wearing of our shoes, the ribbons in our hair, the color of our
lips!”
My sisters, while their anger did not equal
mine, sullenly complained that our men were obsessed with
controlling every aspect of our lives, even that part of our daily
living that was supposedly private.
In my opinion, the control fanatics who
govern our traditional lives had driven my daughter into the arms
of a woman! While I was greatly distressed and did not condone my
daughter’s relationship with another woman, I understood, in view
of the harsh restrictions she had inherited by the mere fact of
being born female, how she had come to seek solace with one of her
own kind.
Knowing the problem, I now felt more capable
of seeking solutions.
Kareem feared that Maha’s character was now
marred by her experiences. As a mother, I could not agree. I told
Kareem that Maha’s wanting to share her darkest secret with those
who
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