JEDDAH, 20 May 2007 — A common tactic among women who are stopped by Saudi authorities for begging or other infractions is to strip naked. While this tactic might simply add another infraction to the rap sheet (public indecency) in most countries, in Saudi Arabia it has been known to cause some officers to get the heebie-jeebies and back off — some officers, that is. The daily Al-Watan reported yesterday that a woman attempted the old “Strip and Dare” maneuver on officials from the Anti-Beggary Department to no avail. Instead of getting freaked out by a crazy naked woman, the officers simply did what most cops would do in this situation: Detain the naked woman, cover her in a blanket and push her into the back of a patrol car for booking.
Man Abandons Phone After TV Calls
SANAA — A Yemeni man got fed up with constant nuisance calls on his mobile phone that he decided to turn it off on Fridays after he was flooded with calls from people wanting to speak on a TV show, a press report said yesterday. The man’s problems started when his mobile number was erroneously aired on the screen of the country’s only TV station. Saeed Al-Haddad said his number have since appeared again and again on the same program, with the presenter of the live show telling his audience to call him on that number. These calls started in April 2006 and have never stopped. Tired of trying to point out his plight to the channel’s officials, the man now doesn’t answer his phone when the show, that interviews Yemenis abroad and their families at home, is airing. (Khaled Al-Mahdi)
Clothed Ruby Not as Popular
CAIRO, 20 May 2007 — Egyptian singer Ruby is planning to make an international trip this summer to promote her latest album “Mashayt Wara Ehsasi” (“Pursuing My Senses”) which reportedly did not make the expected sales in the domestic markets.
The poor rate of sales was attributed to her new conservative look in the album contrary to the expectations of her fans. They expected her to appear in her familiar provocatively sensational manner.
Her former tempting style had even prompted a local Egyptian television channel to boycott her programs. Such reactions from the conservative circles prompted Ruby to perform with more clothes on.
Unfortunately her changed style proved to be a business disaster as her fans ignored her latest album. According to a Gulf newspaper, Al-Raya, the singer protested and threatened in March to sue music director Yasser Sami who produced a video clip for another artist featuring a scene in which a little girl turned off a television program of Ruby’s music videos because the girl was preparing to pray.
The song called “Ithajabi” (“Wear the Hijab”) was sung by a new Syrian singer Hussam Al Hajj. Ruby had said the scene was damaging to her professional image, though Sami refuted her charges.