N.O.R.F Posted April 23, 2007 ^^How many Islamic book shops on Edgware Road? Maybe Ngonge knows Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ms DD Posted April 23, 2007 ^^ Better ask him..how many sheesha joints are there Northner..I have never been to Saudi and yet I am so fascinated by them. I'd hate to generalise but Saudis I met werent very nice and they thought they had more right to Islam than an African or a convert. Long story! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ibtisam Posted April 23, 2007 ^^That is because it is mainly the rich, spoilt silly brats that come over, not the average down to earth, poor civilian. Asians also think they have more rights to Islam than Blacks (they always ask you are you Muslim even if they see you at the mosque!) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted April 23, 2007 I have fond memories of my birth place. I went back for the first time last April and loved the place. I didnt like the slums of Jeddah but we were treated with the upmost respect. I do believe the state is overdoing it with regard to women and their so called protection measures. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ms DD Posted April 23, 2007 ^^ So you were born there? People who go back love the place cos of its Islamic links. MY uncle whose lived Jeddah for 30years has moved to UK few weeks ago. Now he insists of taking his Home Office letters in his pocket when he is out and about. Every few seconds he checks his back pocket to see if he still has his 'sharci'! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NGONGE Posted April 23, 2007 Originally posted by Northerner: ^^How many Islamic book shops on Edgware Road? Maybe Ngonge knows There are a couple of book shops but I'm not sure if you could call them 'Islamic'! They sell all sorts of Arabic books (many are Islamic). As for the shiisha joints Ms D, well, there are more than five (for now). Though I have to admit that I got sick of shiisha whilst on holiday Anyway, they'll all close in July. New draconian laws you see. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ibtisam Posted April 23, 2007 If you went to an Arab Country i am not suprised! I hated Shisha when i got back, they has it fo breakfast, dinner, lunch, Shisha at 11.00am shocked the hell out of me in my first week! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-Lily- Posted April 23, 2007 Cambarro, since you are fascinated by the KSA, I think you might find this book interesting, it was recommended by an old uni prof (he was an Egyptian)...the book is called Rise, Corruption and the Coming Fall of the House of Saud by Said K. Aburish (also called House of Saud). You will be amazed with the day light robbery & amount of corruption that the royal fam have gotten away with and are still getting away with, not to mention the effects their policies have had and still have on neighbouring Muslim countries. As for the author of the book you mentioned, I think if he was serious he should have tried to write specifically for a Muslim audience, and thus should tone down his sucking up. I can agree though that unfortunately you can now practice your faith a lot better here than in some Muslim countries. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ms DD Posted April 23, 2007 Cheers Lily. I will get it inshallah. I would like to explore this bit more deeply. Many orientalists put the blame squarely on Wahhabism for this level of corruption. I prefer to think that isnt the case.. or at least not the whole story. What do you think? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-Lily- Posted April 23, 2007 ^^^ I don’t think corruption is a uniquely Saudi thing, but it’s just amazing because it’s on such a huge scale. To be honest, I'm not sure I quiet understand what Whabism is. How is it different from being an ordinary Sunni? What the Saudi establishment has done is smartly project Islam as its own unique sacred Arab identity, thus making others feel they need to have a certain special ‘arabness’ to feel or be Muslim, which frankly is bulls*hit. I, too, find it very annoying when some Somalis try to adopt certain elements of Arab culture, we have always been Muslim or at least for a very long time and still remained Somali. This shouldn’t have to change. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fabregas Posted April 24, 2007 Strangely enough, i didn't read anything about anybody engaing in "Jihad" or any "British Jihadis" seeing the "light". All i read was the life story of a young passionate man inspired by the utopian ideals of "political islam", but found gross contradictions in the way people conducted themselves in the "Islamic Kingdon of Saudi Arabia". Clearly he hadn't done his homework about life in Saudi Arabia. Then, he somehow made the conclusion that " wahabism" was threatening th entire human race. Is the "wahabi" Qatar a threat to the entire planet? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted April 24, 2007 ^Good summary Geel_Jire. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allamagan Posted April 25, 2007 What light he saw? I dont get it, however waxaanu wax kabadanee ninka ma nagtii ayaa these frustrated janjawids (the saudis) ka kufsadeen. Many of the things he mentioned are true tho. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Complex Posted April 27, 2007 A saying goes along the lines of, "In Arabia, I saw Muslims but not Islam, in the West I saw Islam but no Muslims." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
