Three different events have made me think of all the changes we are going through in Saudi Arabia. The events posed puzzling questions as well.

The first was actually a group discussion about a Saudi novel called “Terrorist Number 20”. I attended the function where the author talked about his book and the message he wanted to convey.

The book, which I was told was being sold in Saudi bookstores, discusses about how terrorists are created, how some groups use religion to attract young people, filling their heads and hearts with hatred for everything around them.

The author explained the title of his book by saying that his hero could have been the 20th terrorist in the Sept. 11 attacks had he not started questioning the fanatic group and its ideas. It’s not just people, misguided or not, who play a role in brainwashing some youths, the author said; the education they receive too plays a part.

When I started reading the book, I could not contain my surprise and happiness that this book is being sold in Saudi Arabia. Finally we can begin to read our writers without having to smuggle their works inside our luggage when coming in from abroad.

It didn’t matter if the book was well written or not. What makes all the difference is that people inside the Kingdom are free to purchase and read the book.

But the book is a worthy read, because it addresses an important challenge, one that is not going to go away quietly just because we refuse to acknowledge it.

The author expressed his happiness that control of information was becoming more and more difficult due to the great advances in technology.

“I have all the hope in the new technology; it’s hard to maintain the same control with all the satellite channels and the Internet available,” he said.

But he also warned that Saudi youths still faced the same dangers as the hero of his book did. Wrong ideas and the poison of intolerance can still reach them through other channels, from teachers to summer camps to self-appointed advisers.

The second thing that set me thinking about Saudi society came in the form of a report published in a local paper. A survey revealed that 88 percent of Saudi women are against women driving in the Kingdom. The study surveyed 400 women of various ages and backgrounds.

Those interviewed also opposed women going abroad for studies without having a male guardian to accompany them. They also rejected women working alongside men; and they dismissed the idea of women uncovering their faces in public.

The survey implied that a lot of Saudis engage in activities that are viewed as unacceptable by large segments of the population. While these people have every right to have their own views on what is proper or acceptable conduct, what does this mean for people who have different ideas about how to live? Does it matter if the people in the latter group constitute only a minority? Do the views of other women regarding driving, employment or modest dress deserve to be ignored or dismissed as immoral? How can we reach a situation where we live together respectfully without rejecting each other’s ideas as long as we abide by the law?

What about the third event? Oh, it is still unfolding. This newspaper published a story the other day that the first Jeddah Film Festival has commenced. It is taking place with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Information. The festival will screen 16 films, we are told.

The man in charge of the festival assured the paper that the festival has official clearance, and that a separate area has been set aside for “families” (in Saudi Arabia this generally means a separate section for women and children) and he added that the films chosen conform with our values.

Now this in itself is a major development. Even if the festival shows only children’s movies, it is still a positive step. I hope to see more of these festivals featuring Saudi productions. And I fervently hope theaters come next.

What do these events have in common? That we are changing. That our society is opening up a little bit.

They also tell us that there are areas that society is afraid to tread, and women seem to be at the center of these issues. In a society that has sidelined women for a long time, maybe we should start asking more questions, and press for more changes, so that women become comfortable with themselves and step out of the shadows with confidence and pride.