Amnesty International has been campaigning for a significant amount of time now to protect the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi from the 1000 lashes he has been sentenced for insulting Islam.
Sadly the supreme court in Saudi Arabia has upheld the punishment.
Just when I was feeling hopeful that the Middle East might find room to change.
Lucky
As I am in a country where blogging is legal and freedom of expression largely allowed I thought it sensible to blog about this.
It is hard when people express things that you find hurtful or insulting, but the better impulse is to try and hold back from a violent response.
Much as I would like to slap Frankie Boyle in the face for some of his so-called comedy, so far I have just verbally fumed and turned the TV off, and if I had gone chasing after him with a baseball bat after the things that had offended me I wouldn't have allowed him enough room to express some of the cruel wit that actually holds some legitimate social commentary.
I could certainly be better in the area of non violent opposition to things, but I think that it is important that I and everyone else attempt that road for the future.
Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts
Monday, 8 June 2015
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Wadjda
Wadjda is a delicate story by Haifaa Al Mansour (a female Saudi director) about a girl that is trying to buy a bike in Saudi Arabia.
The film explores the difficulties of living in a devout society through the eyes of a young girl.
The girl's dilemma
Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) is a bit of a tomboy.
She wants to buy a bike so she can race Abdullah (Abdullrahman Al Gohani) in a different tribe to her.
However, her mother won't buy her the bike because a woman riding is a practice that is frowned upon.
A chance
A school competition offers SR1,000 for a perfect recitation of the Qu'ran.
Thus, so it is that the less than devout Wadjda enters a competition to recite verses from the Qu'ran.
Surprisingly light
I first thought because of the subject matter that this film would be painfully depressing.
In fact it is surprisingly heart warming and funny, yet still manages to tackle some difficult subjects about faith and femininity and the ending has a similar mix of dark and light.
I would recommend this film to anyone.
The film explores the difficulties of living in a devout society through the eyes of a young girl.
The girl's dilemma
Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) is a bit of a tomboy.
She wants to buy a bike so she can race Abdullah (Abdullrahman Al Gohani) in a different tribe to her.
However, her mother won't buy her the bike because a woman riding is a practice that is frowned upon.
A chance
A school competition offers SR1,000 for a perfect recitation of the Qu'ran.
Thus, so it is that the less than devout Wadjda enters a competition to recite verses from the Qu'ran.
Surprisingly light
I first thought because of the subject matter that this film would be painfully depressing.
In fact it is surprisingly heart warming and funny, yet still manages to tackle some difficult subjects about faith and femininity and the ending has a similar mix of dark and light.
I would recommend this film to anyone.
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