social conservatism in Saudi Arabia


Saudi Arabia has been catapulted from the a country of nomads into modernity. Over the course of about 50 years the country has undergone a transformation that took centuries in Europe. Now Saudi Arabia is stuck between tradition and modernity. This doesn't always make life easy for young people like Mohammed Fausan. He listens to music in his car, and that alone is considered immoral.

Mohammed is meeting friends for tea. They plan on watching U.S. television series that show women without veils on their faces. The taboos and restrictions that shape life in Saudi Arabia are evident in the architecture too. No house is without a perimeter wall. Even the upper stories of the house have to be blocked so others cannot peer in, out of fear that a neighbor might catch a glimpse of the women of the household. This mentality is amplified by the continual adherence to a very strict and conservative interpretation of Islam. This mixture is very difficult to reconcile with the rapid change that has accompanied the prosperity arising from oil revenues. More and more problems are emerging when it comes to taboo topic of sexuality.

Strict separation of the sexes means that shopping centers are one of the few places where men and women can move in public with a modicum of freedom. However, anyone who gets caught showing themselves unveiled risks being taken away by the state-authorized moral police. Romance is often reduced to a quickly typed text message or a brief phone call.

So what does one do in the evening in a country where concerts, opera and theater are forbidden? Billiards maybe? Yes, but only for men. One thing's for sure, the Internet is booming. For millions of Saudis the Internet is the gateway to a world they can only dream of. Those with a car and money can drive a few kilometers to the north. This bridge leads to another world, the tiny island of Bahrain lies on the other side. Here, Saudi citizens can leave the taboos that are so strictly enforced in their homeland behind them. This small kingdom has far less oil than its powerful neighbor, but it does have a far more relaxed approach to religion and tradition, although Bahrainis are also conservative Muslims.

This country relies on revenues from tourism, and the Saudis are big-spending customers. If you pay, you have the say. Here it's no different to anywhere else, and so Bahrain is becoming the weekend playground for the well-heeled Saudis who want to taste a bit of freedom - the kind they know from American TV series.
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