The Saudi female professor, Dr. Salwa Al-Hazza’a, head of the department of ophthalmology at King Faisal Specialist and Research Center in Riyadh is the acting president of The Association of Friends of Saudi Arabia with its headquarters in Washington D.C. Recently she received an award from Forbes Magazine (Arabic edition) as one of the 50 most influential Arab women. She was also cited by the Arab League in 2005 as a distinguished Arab woman. Her medical qualifications are equally impressive: A Saudi residency in eye disorders and surgery, a US residency in inherited diseases and a UK residency from the University of Edinburgh. Last year she became the first Arab to be selected as a participating professor at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in the US.
You’ve been appointed acting head of the Association of Friends of Saudi Arabia. Tell us something about the organization.
It is not a governmental entity. It consists of Saudi men and women, along with some non-Saudis, whose aim is to correct the image of the country that developed as a result of 9/11.
What are the association’s objectives and future plans?
The association seeks to improve the image of the Saudi nation and of Saudi woman. In addition, we take advantage of cultural occasions to focus on both historical and cultural matters rather than political ones. We plan to hold a conference soon dealing with art in our country to which we will invite Saudi artists and other experts in the field. This is one way in which we try to improve the idea people have about Saudi Arabia.
You have been selected several times as an outstanding Arab woman. What advice do you give to other Arab women?
To Arab women, I say always look forward. There are many obstacles that you will find in your way and there are also pressures, both positive and negative. You must learn to choose the positive in order to reach the end of your journey and to set aside the negative pressures since they will drain your energy and wear you out.
You have written many books and articles dealing with the eye. The most famous is The International Encyclopedia of Inherited Diseases in Saudi Arabia. Does that title suggest that inherited diseases in Saudi Arabia are different from those in other countries?
In fact, I was surprised to learn that the number and knd of inherited diseases in Saudi Arabia are greater than what I saw when I was in the US. This is because of our Saudi custom of marrying relatives. I was asked to compile an encyclopedia that dealt with inherited diseases and I spent about 3 years doing the work. The encyclopedia is now available and is updated on an annual basis. Along these lines, I will soon give two lectures in Italy and another in Dubai on the subject of inherited diseases. What is interesting is that Western scientists became aware of these inherited diseases fairly recently — in the last 150 years. The Prophet (pbuh), however, evidently realized the problem 1400 years ago as is indicated by his advice that we should choose our husbands and wives from distant places.
Why is the encyclopedia called “international” when it deals only with Saudi Arabia?
The diseases mentioned in it are found in many other countries and it is a resource for doctors all over the world.
You included treatment for AIDS using a small capsule. Tell us something about that.
AIDS is among the diseases that can lead to blindness. And there are AIDS cases in Saudi Arabia, especially among children with hemophilia, who became infected in the early 1980s by blood transfusions.
You have also specialized in retinal problems and disorders in infants. Why did you choose a speciality that not only requires great dexterity to treat but is also very difficult to diagnose?
In the case of infants, many clinics and even big hospitals are unable to diagnose the problem. My weekly schedule includes checking on and following up on infants whose weight is less than 400 — 450 grams: in other words, less than half a kilo. It’s a delicate area to specialize in and most doctors avoid it because it needs follow up, perseverance and patience.
Many Arab women are very concerned about improving their image in Western media while, at the same time, the Arab woman still hasn’t got her rights.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid the Arab woman is ignorant of her rights so how can she call for them? I think that if she knew her rights, she would be able to ask for — or demand — them but if she doesn’t ask, she will get none of them. Rights are taken, not given. Arab women — and in particular Saudi women — don’t have their rights because they haven’t asked for them and that is because they don’t know what they are. It upsets me a great deal when I hear about women blaming men for this. I don’t blame men or the state but women themselves for not demanding their rights.
When we try to change the image of Saudi women, it must be on the basis of fact. To tell the truth, when I meet Saudi women in various fields, I realize how far they have come and how much they have achieved. We have reached places where Western women haven’t but our problem is that we always and unfailingly compare ourselves with others. We shouldn’t compare ourselves with American or European women since we’re a country that is young in terms of work and education; after all, women’s education only began here about 40 years ago. Most of our mothers were illiterate because there were no schools for girls when they were young. Yet even with many of our mothers being illiterate, we have become professors, doctors and businesswoman. There is no other place in the world where this has happened.
Because you are a woman, do you feel you have had more difficulties than a man in reaching the position you are in today?
Of course. Just like any woman — Saudi, European or American. A woman has to work harder than a man in order to succeed; there are many difficulties that can stand in a woman’s way which men never encounter. Our difficulties as Saudi women are perhaps greater than others, especially since we are controlled so much more by tradition and culture than by religion. Saudi women often find it difficult to maintain their positions but she does usually get support from her spouse, her family and her children.
Has your husband been a support?
Of course, he has. I have received a great deal of support from my husband, Abdullah Al-Hamoud Al-Obeidallah. It’s often said that behind every great man there’s a woman but I also believe that behind every successful woman there’s a great man. In the beginning there was my father, but after marriage there was my generous husband Abu Misheal, the father of Misheal, Nayef and Halah.
It’s a great thing to have a husband support a wife. Do you consider his support to be vital?
Definitely. I consider a woman’s success or failure is often linked to a man —whether father or brother in the beginning and her husband in the end. If it weren’t for a man standing by a woman, she wouldn’t be able to atttain her aims and goals. I am a working wife and mother and when there is a conflict between the two, my husband backs me up, making things much easier for me and for our children.
How much time does your work take from your family responsibilities?
There is no doubt that work takes up a lot of my time. And I always say that a person should organize himself and his day so that he can work without interference or worry. I’m the sort of person who works at least 15 hours per day and I consider myself a woman who is a workaholic. I try to divide my time and try to be at home when my children finish school and to be with them when it is time for them to go to bed. After that I go to my private clinic since I work at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center during the day.
What advice would you give to Saudi girls?
I always tell girls that they should fill their outlook with optimism. When I remember the obstacles in my path and the size of them, I could write about them for pages and pages but the important thing is that they didn’t stop me. Rather they pushed me forward, driving me to continue. A girl must stand strong before the challenges facing her and not fight so much with those around her as struggle with what’s within.
