GURAYAT, 25 March 2007 — Talk about a good way to preach to thieves. A man who attended a funeral recently stole a mobile phone during the somber ceremony. While playing with the phone, he discovered a trove of digital video clips and sound files from Islamic scholars preaching on the evils of theft. According to a report in a local daily yesterday, the man then returned the phone to the cemetery’s manager and explained that he had an epiphany moment and realized stealing isn’t the path to righteousness. This perhaps marks one of the few times the video contents of a mobile phone had a positive connotation.
Parents Pay for Fancy Graduation
RIYADH, 25 March 2007 — A private girl’s high school in Riyadh decided to hold a lavish five-star graduation ceremony and asked parents to fork over SR2,300 ($615) for each student to cover expenses, the daily Al-Riyadh reported yesterday. A father interviewed by the daily said that he reluctantly paid for his two daughters out of concern about embarrassing them by opting out. He did, however, complain to the Ministry of Education.
When Polygamy Goes Wrong
UMLUJ, 25 March 2007 — Yet another story of polygamy going wrong because of the husband’s attempts to hide a second wife has appeared in the media. The daily Al-Madinah reported yesterday that a wife torched her husband’s new luxury sedan after discovering that he not only secretly took a second, younger wife, but also gave her a new car and driver. After seeing that his new sedan had lost that wonderful “new car smell” (thanks to the arson) he pressed charges against his first wife. However after family intervention, he dropped police charges against his wife. The wife still insisted he divorce his new formerly secret second wife. Instead, he divorced his first wife. This goes to show that, even if multiple wives are legal and morally acceptable, a man must be honest with his first wife when he decides he wants to get a “newer second model” wife.