Why do contradictions color every aspect of our life? Why do we pay so much attention to what others say regarding our behavior? And why do we take fatal decisions based on other people’s opinion and then fear the criticism of these very people?
Contradiction is apparent when raising and dealing with our children. They never agree to what has been prohibited or rejected without understanding the reason first. Then suddenly they become adults and become resistant to society’s traditions and customs.
Usually we do not find an answer to why any issue is forbidden or prohibited, except the fact that the thing in question is not liked or accepted by society. This may be the case even though religion may be fine with the issue. It is true that we need to teach our children to respect our culture, but the problem arises when, instead of just respecting culture, we begin to worship it. It means that individuals become a force that prevents human beings from living their lives freely as granted to them by a balanced and well-organized religion.
Recently, I read a report in a local magazine discussing the immigration of Arab youth to foreign countries. What attracted me the most is that there are citizens in the Kingdom who would like to emigrate. From what I know, the main reason for emigration is to earn a living and improve one’s income and future.
Although unemployment is a huge problem in the Kingdom, I never thought the problem was so acute that people would actually want to emigrate.
When I read the reasons some of the Saudi youngsters gave when considering immigration as an option, I realized the meaning of living in a society that suffocates one with its rules and regulations. The majority of the reasons mentioned were about seeking personal freedom and privacy and wanting to feel one’s identity. These are nothing further than logical and legal requests.
The youth are rightfully entitled to have the type of personal freedoms that every individual is entitled to. We only have to put certain regulations in place to govern this freedom and teach the youth what it means to be responsible and enjoy freedom. Young people deserve a type of privacy that does not aggressively interfere with their minor and big details. They also deserve to feel important as entities of this society and feel confident and respected.
The tone of frustration I read between the lines of the article occupied my thoughts as a mother first and then as a columnist. The youth is a reflection of us — their frustration is due to us not teaching them the meaning of how tough life can be. It is not a disaster that a young man cannot find a job easily; it is a crisis that he feels oppressed living in his own country even if his feelings are based on false notions. It is enough that he feels that he does not belong and that emigration is the way out.
