Switch on an Arab satellite television station and you find Saudis debating their country’s domestic issues. You hear one talking about reform, a second discussing the rights of Saudi women, a third unemployment, a fourth Internet charges, a fifth Saudization.
No one seems interested in discussing one extremely important issue that continues to affect almost every Saudi home: Excessive dowries and the high cost of marriage.
I find it strange for Saudis not to debate this problem on television while we are all aware of its negative impact on society. It is true our local television aired some programs on the issue, but that was long ago and the matter was sent into oblivion after the Shoura Council refused to fix a tag on dowry and left it to bridegrooms to pay what is required of them to pay for the wives.
Having said that, while it is all right for people to debate their problems, the way this is being conducted is wrong. It has gone too far, with women including writers, doctors and professionals joining the open debate. It is true that like any other country we have problems, but we are not the only people facing unemployment, terrorism, poor services, misuse of public money, women’s rights and other issues. We could still discuss all these issues openly and frankly, but it is important for such discussion to take place inside our home and not in public.
This rush from our side to lay bare our problems in the foreign media has a psychological dimension and is a natural reaction to the long silence we have been maintaining all these years. It was an unhealthy phenomenon, but that does not justify what we are doing now.
We need to open all avenues leading to healthy discussion, but this has to be conducted through the local media. To do this we need to break the psychological barrier and start by removing censorship on the media. There should be no restrictions on people discussing pressing issues that face their society, and this calls for open debate between intellectuals and decision makers.
We shouldn’t focus only on the shortcomings and failures at the public level but must also address shortcomings and misconduct at the individual level. This covers the misconception governing the relationship between religion and local customs and traditions and the influence these customs and traditions may have on our thinking and behavior.
Arab News From the Local Press 13 July 2003
