A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a friend. The e-mail was about an article in an American publication that had bothered her. In the article, the writer mentioned several things that American women enjoy doing which Saudi women are deprived of. Driving, working in a mixed environment and having lunch with male colleagues topped the list. Other activities the writer included were dying her hair with different colors, watching soap operas and reading bedtime stories to her children.
We read or receive many similar articles that do nothing but criticize our religion and way of life. Most of what is said against us is false, exaggerated, or at least misinterpreted. It’s only on the odd occasion that some of these statements actually hold true.
No matter how hard we try to correct all these misconceptions, it seems that the Western community is too ignorant to absorb any information other than its own stereotypes. It was this that discouraged me from responding to that writer. I decided it was pointless to pay attention to a shallow woman who thought that dying hair and watching TV was a privilege that only American women enjoy.
Weeks later, I was watching my favorite TV show, “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” The special guest was Ben Affleck who had just returned from a trip to the Gulf. He excitedly talked about the wonderful job the soldiers were doing in Baghdad. He then went on to explain some funny things that had happened to him while he was in the Gulf. He talked about how he was recognized by an Arab while he was in a restaurant “in a country called Bahrain.” The Arab asked if Affleck could take a photo of him and his wife, who was completely covered from head to toe. Affleck agreed only to discover a second wife, a third and finally a total of nine wives, all wanting to have their photos taken. “They looked like those Russian dolls,” Affleck said. “Just think of the dinner bill.”
As I heard those words I was not sure whether I should laugh or be angry. Should I laugh about how desperate his attempt was to sound funny by making up a silly story like that? Or should I be angry about the endless cruel remarks about our culture?
A superficial writer believes her life is better than that of Saudi women because she is able to dye her hair and drive to work. Then along comes a naive actor who claims he talked to an Arab married to nine women. Ben Affleck may be big in Hollywood but not at telling stories.
It is ironic how Americans call for tolerance when most of them can’t stand people with different cultures and religions. It is even more ironic to encounter people who don’t even bother themselves with simple fact finding, yet give themselves the liberty of offending other nations with hackneyed ideas.
I fail to understand what sort of freedom they enjoy when they are incapable of opening their minds to new prospects. They are so content with what they already know about women not driving, the veil and polygamy to make judgments about us neglecting our progress and growth in other areas.
Well, I choose to laugh at their ignorance and so I did.
