One Step Forward ...

And two steps back.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has vowed to crush the "scourge" of al-Qaeda, in his first televised interview since becoming king.

Great, assuming you buy it. That's real progress. However, in the two steps back department:

... the king said Saudi women would one day be able to drive.

Wonderful, I can only imagine what the peripheral vision is for some gal in a burka. And I thought old oriental ladies were bad. And people with Volvo's should be run off the road. You know they drive like dipsticks for people who are suppose to be feeling so freaking safe. I bet a lot of them wear sandals, too. Steel has the story on the Saudi King.

Comments

[Aruba is for liars]

Never mind the king I drive a Volvo & Id run you off the road anyday

[Imamama]

me too, I love volvo's...
and guys in sandals ;)

[Dan]

You people are sick.

[YouKnowWho!]

I can't believe you used the insensitive and insulting "oriental" word. That is a new low even for you, Dan. "Oriental" refers to objects such as rugs, vases and ginger jars, NOT HUMAN BEINGS! The correct term is "Asian" as anybody with a fifth grade education knows. Must be your New Jersey background again.

Sure hope no Asians see this. What next, using the "N" word to go along with your other ethnic slurs?

[farmgirl]

did the King happen to mention when he going to ban the custom of genital multilation?

Yes..nice word for what they do.

Let me tell you..I had opportunity ...horror moment to SEE first hand what this means.

Think of a womans vulva completely gone..cut off, clitoris cut out all of her gentalia just like you would use a sharp knive to scoop it all out..and then the skin sewn back with a small hole for urination..

In child birth this has to be cut away for birth and THEN the doctors stitch it back up..

Reason I saw this the doctor was so disgruntled , disgusted at the mulitlation that he had me look for myself..disguised as his asst..

the vulva is smoothe as a baby's butt..except for the scar..

I didnt' even ask how sex is for these women..too gross to think about..but somehow the sadistic men manage to impregnate the women.

Makes one wonder about the men who insist on this multilation as a custom.

The woman..her remarks to questions were that had her family NOT done the multilation then her husband's family would not have accepted her and she would have been outcast in her class...

Its a fact its done and its still done by Arabs here in the US..

Its barbaric..

So when the king addresses this issue..then I will think there going to be change.

In the meantime I know that wearing a vail and not participating in outside society is not the worst thing that happens to these women.

And You Know what..if oriental is so offensive why is it still used as descriptin of food and design? I have "asian" God children..yes..not Buddists..converted Christians..and they are Oriental...If you spend your time looking at insults you certainly can find them in this world.

And as long as I deal with Black people who call themselves and each other Nigger..Yes..ban me...I typed that word..I don't see how that can be offensive..if you use it kids here it if kids here it they use it..

Its offensive to me..but evidently not to them.

Get a grip..

[spitinyoureye]

Never mind the king I drive a Volvo & Id run you off the road anyday

Posted by: Aruba is for liars | Oct 14, 2005 11:46:59 AM

I don't drive a Volvo, but I'd run over your toes any day if I caught you in sandals. And good morning to you, too, you Volvo-driving snot. Hope you spill your latte on your Birkys.

[farmgirl]

spelling gone to south and back..yes I know its veil and and hear instead of here..

I have much more then 5th grade ..but I also have had it with people who want to find insults everywhere..

Oh on the above..I have known three India Indian women who had this done to them as children..they discussed it with me in detail and the cultural reasons and the feelings they harbor about it..

If the marriages for their daughters are arranged in India they will have it done as well..

[farmgirl]

My son bought his first car..a used Volvo and then saved forever for his first new one..Loves them..says they great cars..

He grew up carpooled in Mercedes and BMW's..wanted a Volvo.

Oh, and he wears birkenstoks...so do I..

What the deal here..is it degenerating to the point that we have to abide by a "dress/car code" or be at risk?

Might as well join a street gang and hve to wear colors and get the right jail house tattoo..

[Not a Hand Wringer]

Lyrics by XTC:

King for a Day ( by XTC )

Everyone's creeping up to the money god,
Putting tongues where they didn't ought to be.
On stepping stones of human hearts and souls,
Into the land of "nothing for free."

Well the way that we're living,
Is all take and no giving,
There's nothing to believe in,
The loudest mouth will hail the new found way,
To be king for a day.

Everyone's licking up to the new king pin,
Trying to get way up with a smile.
Sing for your supper boy and jump to a finger click,
Ain't my way of living in style.

[Sgt. York]

ABDULLAH AL-SAUD, THE DICTATOR OF ARABIA

Let's stop using quant "King" and "Prince" terms from the Middle Ages... when a dictator's son takes control of a country he becomes the new dictator.

King Saddam and Prince Uday? My ass. A damn dictator is a damn dictator; puting lipstick on a pig doesn't change that.

===========================

[Not a Hand Wringer]

Sgt York,

While all dictators are absolute rulers, they are not all necessarily tyrants.

[$0.02]

Jeez Dan, you are really showing your true colors today. I mean I expect ignorance from a farm girl but not a fellow Jerseyian (unless you live on the Penn border). Regardless if someone takes offense to it or not, "Oriental" is for things (yes really) and "Asian" describes the people. Many Asians understand that people don't know this and just move on with their quest to take over the world.

Now the N word is a different story. Eventhough the word is used freely among young AAs and in the hip hop community, older generation AAs cringe at the mere mention of the word. Not because young AAs freely use the word among each other does that mean you have to be stupid too.

$0.02

[Imamama]

Guess our sisters getting the "right to drive" is a pretty big deal after all; and while the report below relates to directly Pakistan - it happens all over in the Orient and Africa and Asia...

"In a recent report by Amnesty International, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan found that in 2000, a woman was raped every two hours, and that hundreds of women were victims of honor killings, domestic violence, burnings and murder in Pakistan. The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences reports that over 90% of married Pakistani women reported being kicked, slapped, beaten or sexually abused when their husbands were dissatisfied with their cooking or cleaning, or when the woman gave birth to a boy instead of a girl."

from "Off Our Backs"