Journalists are a pain in the butt: that is something all of us know. They are the ones chasing people coming out of courts for interviews, chasing officials into buildings to take a quote or two, and they are always asking questions and trying to find answers.
But ask any decent journalist in the world what he does for a living and the answer will come: “Seeking the truth.” However, seeking the truth and reporting the facts, as we journalists know, comes at a cost. Mostly that can mean being hated by officials. At other times it can mean being criticized for writing something that would be considered too bold for others to handle. But being a journalist or writer in Saudi Arabia, especially for a major Saudi English newspaper read worldwide, comes at double, if not triple the cost.
Though I knew that all along, it was only when I started writing about Saudi society and speaking about it candidly that I realized that self-criticism in Saudi Arabia is sometimes considered unpatriotic. Why? Because as a Saudi writing in English, my writings, which criticize what I believe is wrong in our society, are considered by many here — especially the conservatives — as giving free ammunition to our enemies. In other words, instead of thinking of my critical columns as a force calling for change as others have, because I write it in English, many think that I am just airing our dirty linen before Westerners or foreigners.
“Free ammunition to our enemies” — Those were the exact words that were thrown at me by another Saudi. After congratulating me on my last piece, he said that he saw me on a program called “Meet the Press,” broadcast in the US. A Saudi government official was a guest on the show and was asked to respond to what I and other critical Saudis had to say about the need for reforms and the need to examine ourselves after the terrorist attacks in Riyadh.
It was unfortunate to know that this person immediately answered by denying that radicalism does exist in our midst and that we have failed to deal with it. He could have answered by saying that Saudi journalists and our local press are progressing and are now debating issues that concern our security and welfare. He could have said that after the terrorist attacks in Riyadh, more Saudis are coming out of their shells and are asking us to examine ourselves, our upbringing, our degree of tolerance for other religions, and our education.
Instead, he became defensive and accused me of giving free ammunition to our enemies by saying things that are critical of my country. That is the extra cost I have to pay for being a Saudi writer who speaks truthfully about my society in an English newspaper.
Had this person who accused me known, there are people from press agencies all over the world working in Saudi Arabia who translate what our local press says. They live here in Saudi Arabia. And that is their only job. Had he also had access to cyberspace, he would have known that most Saudi newspapers are online, and can be accessed all over the world.
So according to the logic of this person, I guess we Saudis — journalists or non-journalists — should stop writing anything critical about our society in our newspapers. We should limit our roles to publishing sweet talk about officials. We should also forget that what we Saudis say in our newspapers is our voice, the voice of the public, the people of Saudi Arabia. Instead, we should lie to ourselves and to our leaders and pretend that we are comfortable with what we witnessed in Riyadh last week.
I am sorry to disappoint you.
I am a journalist like my father and my grandfather before me. Journalism runs in my blood. I am also a Saudi citizen who is patriotic and loves his country. You or others might criticize what I and others say in the local press, but I remain defiant. No country in the world can progress or develop without being self-critical. It is unfortunate that we Saudis have to learn that the hard way.
Arab News Opinion 21 May 2003
