Stuff Happening in My "Neck of the Woods"

Woods. What woods?!! Sand. Desert. There are no woods, here.

Seems a bit harsh. This punishment of two months in prison and 60 lashes "to be applied in three equal batches." Supposedly for threatening to burn an 18-year-old Saudi girl's face with acid and for threatening to publish her picture. The young man is a 23-year-old Yemeni. Important that we know that. The young man and the young woman were in some sort of "illegitimate relationship for three months," and when she tired of him and tried to break it off he threatened her. Doesn't she have some responsibility here? She has admitted to being in the relationship but she has, apparently, been absolved. As well as her family. They have been reprimanded by the court and she has taken a pledge "never to enter into such relationships again." Phew. The young man's version of the events are slightly different than what he is being accused of. No! He says he had her picture so that he could show it to his family as he was planning on marrying the woman. The woman, on the other hand says that he "started to blackmail her through mobile messages" and he says that his threats were only made verbally and "that he had no intention of harming her." Was there any proof otherwise on her mobile or on his mobile? I'm sure that doesn't matter. A "he said she said" case. With the end result being that the man is getting a far more severe punishment. The girl's family must be so proud. [I do find it disturbing that there was the threat of acid being used to burn her face - whether it was verbal or via mobile text messaging. There is that old saying, "Children learn what they live." It isn't like we don't know that this kind of thing doesn't happen in certain parts of the world...]

Are these one and the same? The facts are slightly different. [What a surprise!] In one report "two brothers and two sisters" have been arrested "for killing their sister and burying her body in the desert." This says that the young woman that was killed was 18-years-old and that it is believed that "the brothers took turns in beating" their sister to death after which they tied to hide the evidence in a "shallow grave." This says that "a man and his sister" have been arrested for beating their 20-year-old sister. It also implicates the beating-sister's son as one of the culprits: "The woman, the main suspect and assailant, confessed during investigations and guided the police to the location where she and her brother and son had buried the body." Good grief. What did the poor girl do to deserve this kind of treatment at the hands of her own brother and sister and nephew - or sister and two brothers depending on which version of the report you are reading? And, where are the girl's parents? They didn't realize she was missing? If they are still around and know that she met with such a horrid fate, should they not be held responsible, too? With no mention in either article as to the nationality of those involved, we can be certain...

With three simple words - said three times - a marriage can be done and over with. Of course, only the man is allowed to initiate a divorce as the woman has no right or say in the matter. What happens when your husband divorces you and you don't know it? An Egyptian woman was divorced a year and a half ago from her Saudi husband - who never bothered to inform her. Something isn't quite right about this, though. "The woman left the marital house a week ago when by chance she found the papers stating that she had been irrevocably divorced." Huh? What, she walked outside and found them stapled to a tree or something? The article seems to indicate that she had no idea that she was divorced and a judge "who has asked for anonymity said that if is proved the two had xes during that period, then the husband is guilty of adultery and must be punished..." How can you be in a relationship with someone that has divorced you eighteen months ago and not know? Nah. Like I said, something is not quite right about this.

Interesting albeit contradictory article about "Young Saudis willing to accept low paid jobs" here. It says they are willing to accept jobs such as "cashiers, tea boys, salesmen, waiters and taxi drivers." On young man, 22-year-old Abdurraham Al-Mohandis, says that he is "proud to earn some money during his free time so he can gain some experience and amass savings to be used in realizing his dream of becoming a pilot." Good for him. On the other hand, Mohammed Al-Tayyar says "I could never work as a taxi driver; this is unacceptable in our society." It is? Why? Umran Marghalana says that "his social status does not allow him to work in low-paid jobs. I'm educated, I will not accept a job that does not suit me or my family." Telling, isn't it? He is a 23-year-old business management student who obviously thinks that he is going to be a CEO as soon as he graduates. Let us know how that works out for you.