JEDDAH, 21 November 2002 — Lubna Al-Tahlawi, a Saudi female newspaper columnist who has been nominated to partake in the first documentary on Saudi women for the BBC, is likely to turn down the offer — for social and family matters.
Lubna spoke to Arab News about how she felt honored to be picked by the BBC, which is researching its first ever documentary about women in Saudi Arabia. A camera crew was expected to accompany her at work and home showing her meeting with family, colleagues and friends.
"I was picked by the BBC after they read translations of my articles in the local press section of Arab News," she said yesterday.
"I got call from the BBC office in Riyadh asking me to take part in a documentary about Saudi women, and I felt very proud that, as a Saudi woman, I would make an impact with my writing on social and female issues."
However, Lubna told Arab News that she may not be able to accept the role in the documentary because of her husband’s disapproval and social traditions in Saudi Arabia which restrict the appearance of women on TV.
"I didn’t accept the role because my husband was not encouraging of the idea. He is a very open-minded person, and he always supports my work, but I totally understand his reasons as I would also feel uneasy about appearing on TV".
Asked if her refusal may give a bad impression of Saudi women in the international media, she said: "Not at all. First of all, I am still negotiating with the BBC about the possibility that they may use my voice.
"And more generally, we are very proud of our traditions here. Each country has the right to preserve its traditions and values, and I believe any civilized society will respect that fact."
Lubna, who has a BA in psychology and is a former columnist for Okaz newspaper, now writes for the Riyadh-based Al-Jazirah. She writes on women and social issues, and has a huge following.
