It is a little early to do a
reflection for the week but I went to a really interesting event yesterday and
wanted to write about it while it was still fresh in my mind. Presented by the
foreign service sorority at AU, prince Turki Al Faisal spoke to a bunch of students and professors in
the SIS Founders Room. The prince was formerly the Saudi Arabian ambassador to
the U.S. and spoke about Saudi Arabia’s development and successes, as it
becomes what he deemed a more modern nation. I found it interesting that he
focused a lot on the improving education system in Saudi Arabia, because the
education system is something we have talked a lot about in our country briefs
on the nation. He also stressed the importance of vocational training and expressed
a desire for youth the look for jobs not only in the government but also in the
private sector. The prince said that though Saudi Arabia is not a completely
modern state, it is well on its way to becoming one. He acknowledged the
problem of unemployment and Internet connectivity in the nation, but seemed to
dismiss the problems as of lesser importance than they are in reality.
He also completely ignored the problems of human
rights violations and women’s rights in the country until the audience was
allowed to ask questions, and a student asked about the very low ranking that
Saudi Arabia has when it comes to women’s rights and their employment. The
prince countered this question but arguing that Saudi Arabia is greatly
improving the chances for women to become educated and employed, stating that
the employment rate for women in the country has risen from around 5% ten years
ago to around 15% now. Though this is a large improvement, the rate is still
disturbingly low. Faisal also said that Saudi Arabian women should seek
employment because a woman in the work force is desirable by suitors – a statement
that enraged many women in the room, including the friend I attended the event
with who is from Saudi Arabia and studying here at American. My friend told me
after the event that the prince’s words were completely untrue and that many
men in the country seek wives who are unemployed and uneducated because they
are easier to control.
Overall, the event was super interesting and
listening to the prince speak was a lot more worthwhile because of the prior
knowledge I have about Saudi Arabia as a result of working on the country
briefs this semester. It was really fascinating to talk to my friend after the
event about how she felt about some of the more controversial things Faisal had
said. Though he provided some interesting information, the event was also a
great display of government censorship and sugarcoating.
I also have a friend from Saudi Arabia, and after hearing what she has said, as well as what you mention, I can come to the same conclusion that the Prince was ignoring some of the facts to make his country appear more equal than it is. While I applaud that the country is making improvements, it has a long way to go until I consider it gender equal. My friend has told me multiple stories of men coming up to her or her father asking if he would take a large number of camel for her marriage. While camels are very expensive/valuable in Saudi Arabia, one must remember that women get sold into marriages for money, simply based on looks. These men saw my friend as attractive, and did not seem to want anything more than a pretty wife. Growing up in America, I do not agree with this cultural practice. I would like to see a change in Saudi society, where women can gain more respect as a human being.
ReplyDeleteI also attended this event and reached the same conclusion: that Prince Turki was a great speaker in the effect of censoring and sugarcoating the country's policies. He completely avoided truly answering questions about women's inequality or the ban of freedom to protest, which were questions I really wanted to hear an answer too. It was an incredibly interesting event, perhaps more for us due to our country brief team, but I was hoping for a little more in terms of substance. He spoke of great strides being made in Saudi society among education, employment, and modernization- and I hope the country will soon be benefiting and noticing these reforms of which he spoke.
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