Anita du Rand, Havana
Jeddah is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. One could be persuaded into believing that a desert is ugly and barren, and that there is nothing to write poems about, but Jeddah is a rare and beautiful flower in full bloom in the Saudi Arabian desert. It is not the dusty empty place I imagined it to be.
The city is clean and well maintained, the buildings on both the inside and the outside, exquisite. Marble floors and beautiful tile works grace wonderful old buildings and at a glance you know where a lot of the oil money is invested.
One of the most awe-inspiring sights is definitely the King Fahad fountain which was intended to be the highest in the g world, but which is surpassed by the Geneva fountain and, of course, one in the United States. The first time I saw the fountain, it was evening and with the wind blowing a spray like a woman's veil, the lights shining on it, it appeared more like a light blue door to another dimension,another world. (This description; a clear indication of my affinity for science fiction). I gaped in fascination.
Photography being impossible without prior permission from the state department, I immediately over- compensated with a collection of postcards, Some of the most interesting sights were the super modem statues in and around the city. I saw no statues of human figures, but rather objects. Examples of these being a whole fleet of boats ranging from small to large in a circle, another is a pile of motor cars cemented into a block, again in the middle of a circle. Little statues that looked like a small city, no taller than a three-year old child, another, bronze sunflowers with a fountain squirting against them. Many of these statues were placed in the middle of a circle and I would have been forgiven for thinking that by some miracle, I had landed in Welkom with its numerous circles.
I, as a Christian Afrikaner girl, had had absolutely no exposure to the Moslem beliefs beforehand and suddenly found myself submerged in a different culture and religion. The song says, to know me is to love me, and this is exactly what happened to me where Saudi Arabia and the Moslem religion are concerned. I always classified myself as a good Christian, but you have a rude awakening when you see the true dedication the Moslems have in their religion and their adherence to its laws. Granted, I didn't always like those laws to be applied to little-ol' me, but I kept asking questions and from time to time realized why they were imposed on both foreigner and national.
I have no problem with "prohibition", and not being a "drinker", the lack of liquor had no effect on me. Mankind though, is resourceful and they have found a way to produce drink in a "dry" country. The classic drink "Sadici" which is highly illegal, is 100% pure alcohol, watered down to 50%, which one could then drink like scotch (on the rocks) or with a juice or coke. The first time you have some, it smells like ... hospital, but after the 2nd glass, you don't smell anything. Quite effective! One cannot drink too much of this at a time however, and part of the reason for it being so illegal is the number of deaths it could cause. After all we are talking about 100% alcohol only being watered down! Wine, also an illegal drink, is made from pure grape juice and although not in the same category as KWV, is nevertheless a good substitute.
Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia and given the number of jokes about women drivers ... oops, I am now really trying to crucify myself. No, I did not always agree with that law, but being a guest in another country and not having a car in any case, I was not really bothered by that. I do, however, have sympathy for the women being transferred there, because they are forced to organize other methods of transport. What I did find both illogical and funny is the rule that a woman, riding in a car, may not sit next to a man in front, if he is not her own husband. Wandering hands: You know’. A proper woman is supposed to sit in the back seat, on the right and side, out of reach of the rearview mirror and flirting, wandering eyes. On this same subject, no human contact may exist between a man and a woman not married to each other. Imagine if you will, taking fingerprints of a male without contact. I had to improvise by letting them take their own prints in my presence, sometimes only getting it right the third or fourth time.
As mentioned, ladies both young and old, married or not, aren't permitted to have conversations with men who are not their own. No contact whatsoever is acceptable, and the prohibition of entrance of ladies into a video shop is in part through their own doing and I guess ... part rebellion. After it was discovered that some young ladies would go around flirting with their eyes and leaving little notes in the empty cassette boxes for men to read and answer, it was added to the already long prohibitive list.
I really started to feel restricted standing on my balcony, watching my male colleague walking to the Gym, knowing that he could exercise, but that women were not allowed. Apparently the whole problem started with the photos taken of Princess Diana while exercising. On the other hand, I would also have enjoyed a languor in the pool, which, needless to say, was also forbidden and to which I couldn't really object, considering the bathing suits now in fashion. It did however make my stay in the hotel room all the more restrictive. In the ten weeks that I spent in Saudi Arabia, I left the hotel grounds on outside visits approximately seven times. I spent my days working in the office, reading books, writing my article and pacing the open spaces in my bathroom and room like a lion in a cage. Up and down. Sometimes barely controlling the urge to send books and computers flying off the balcony.
So much can be said about a situation that is both different and frustrating, but an equal amount of my time was informative and enlightening. Being in the country during the month of Ramadan, gave me an insight not only into the differences between their religion and my own, but also into the various similarities. I, for instance, didn't know that their religion also included Abraham, and Ismael with his mother being left in the desert or that although the Coran doesn't read in the same way as the Bible, (in my opinion more like poems), it carries the same messages, like love thy neighbour, do not kill, etc.
All TV programmes were cut during the month of Ramadan and because of that, I was privileged to see what really transpires in the mosques, especially the beautiful Holy mosque of Mecca. No person from another religion is even permitted into the Holy city, and there I was, watching through the magic of television. I now know so much more. I know that the Bible as we know it, and the Holy Coran, carry some of the same messages and characters. That having another religion does not necessarily mean that we do not serve the same principles and ideas. During the month of Ramadan it is expected that all Moslems fast from sunrise to sunset. In order not to insult the Moslem people, we received our meals in the privacy of our rooms/offices. Although this sometimes seemed to coincide with unexpected visitors which had to wait in another office until we had finished our conversations or business with the visitors, we nevertheless chose not to offend, but to respect.
The difference of not being in a crime ridden country, like our own unfortunately is at the moment, and where the value of life is measured at a very high price, was obvious. The peace and tranquility experienced in Saudi Arabia could, to some people, seem to come at a high price, but nevertheless has merit. I could neither condone nor criticize the practice of beheadings for crimes such as murder and rape, of the stoning of people guilty of adultery or the chopping off of hands for stealing, but I could see the obvious effect it had on crime or possible crime in that country. I am sure that any prospective criminal would think long and hard before going into action.
The "Habaya" (clothing as seen on the photo with the previous part of this article) which I was so frustrated with sometimes, became second nature, and although it sometimes was hot and hindered me, I came to like it so much that upon leaving the country, I hesitated to take it off until just before landing in London. I missed it, and felt naked without it. Climbing stairs I would reach down instinctively to lift the hem, only to find that I wasn't wearing it anymore. Even when I got back to South Africa, it still seemed quite natural wearing it, even if it only was to parade around in my living room. It was basically just like wearing a uniform, and it kept me out of trouble (prison).
On the television, CNN was broadcasting news on the nearing month of Ramadan. The typical sounds of the call from the mosque announcing prayers were clear in the background, and as if in a dream, in a flash, I was back in Saudi Arabia, looking over the calm waters of the Red Sea, the sun orange on the horizon. Back on my balcony, taking in the sea breeze and listening to the words I now recognized and through which familiarity had bred content.
Published in the Meintjeskop Courier, Volume 1, 1996
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