The Plight of Saudi Women ...

JEDDAH: The Reconciliation Committee in Makkah has arranged marriages for 96 women inmates in various shelter homes in the Kingdom. They were all convicted of violating moral regulations but later repented and learned to memorize the Holy Qur’an, Al-Madinah daily reported on Monday.

Executive President of the Reconciliation Committee Nasser Al-Zahrani said various courts in Jazan, Makkah, Madinah and Tabuk had sentenced the women over the past five years.

Al-Zahrani added many of the women were driven to violating morals as they had been deprived of their rights by male relatives such as greedy fathers.

“Many women are past 40 because of parents not allowing them to marry if the dowry is not high enough. Tribal customs that consider marriages outside a tribe as taboo is another reason. Several suitors come to the shelter home seeking their hands (in marriage) but the women cannot accept them because of the tribal customs,” he said.

Al-Zahrani also blamed fathers for marrying and divorcing several wives, which he claimed had a damaging impact on how their daughters were raised.

“Many girls grow up in homes where they do not get a good upbringing or moral education. On the contrary they live in situations promoting corrupt moral practices away from Islamic values,” he said. He also warned of the evil impact some television channels have on children.

Driving in Jeddah: A cry of a TCN

Saturday 12 September 2009 (22 Ramadan 1430) Driving in Jeddah Driving in Jeddah is not easy as in other Gulf cities. Drivers are rude and no consideration is shown to other drivers. They overtake vehicles ignoring all traffic rules. If you are on the left track in moderate speed, vehicles on your rear flash their lights, sound horns and abuse you if you don’t move to the other lane. It looks as though you can only drive the way others want you to. Roundabouts pose another problem. I don’t see any driver following the right of way policy there. As per rule and safety, a driver must yield the right of way to the vehicle inside the roundabout. Rules are either violated or most of the drivers have no idea of what they should do in a roundabout. Traffic police have to watch what is going on the roads. It would be a good idea to launch a traffic awareness program through media. V.P. Rasheed Kaipuram, Jeddah published 12 September 2009

Swine Flu Fears Reduces Number of Visitors to Madinah

MADINAH: The 320 hotels in the central area around the Prophet’s Mosque have reportedly incurred losses of more than SR500 million since the beginning of the Ramadan Umrah season with occupancy rate not exceeding 15 percent, owners and operators of a number of hotels and furnished apartments told Al-Eqtisadiah daily in a report published recently. The hoteliers claim they could lose considerably more through the Haj season thanks to swine flu concerns keeping pilgrims away either because they choose not to come or because some countries are preventing them from coming.

Some have claimed that contracts with Haj tour operators are down to 10 percent what they were last year, though the report did not seek confirmation of these figures with outside sources.

The hotel operators, most of whom were not named in the report, blame the Ministry of Health for not doing enough to calm H1N1 fears. Fouad Al-Khamri, an owner of a hotel chain, said a number of contracts signed with tourist companies for the accommodation of pilgrims were revoked.

The DRUG market in Saudia is booming?

THE DEMAND IS HUGE, AND SUPPLIERS ARE TAKING RISKS !

RIYADH: The security forces have apprehended 113 drug dealers who were attempting to smuggle large quantities of forbidden drugs into the Kingdom, the Ministry of Interior announced Sunday.

“The drugs included 3,044,926 Captagon pills, over three tons of hashish and 10,626 grams of pure heroin,” Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said.

He said 57 of those arrested were Saudis and the others were of varying nationalities.

Al-Turki said great efforts are needed to guard the vast land and sea borders of the country and prevent the entry of prohibited goods. He stressed that the security forces had comprehensive strategies aimed at countering narcotic smugglers who come both by land and sea. “Those involved in smuggling the forbidden items tried to resist the police in a few cases which resulted in causing slight injuries to two policemen and three smugglers,” Al-Turki said.

“At King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah an expatriate was apprehended with 3,749 grams of heroin in his shoes along with another individual who had concealed 818 grams in his abdomen,” the spokesman said. He added that the security forces were able to implement their program at the airport because of effective cooperation from the customs authorities.

Al-Turki said that the Ministry of Interior would continue to fight the narcotic dealers and smugglers. “We will bring the arrested criminals to justice and make sure that punishment is given according to the law of the land.”

Giving an instance of their audacity, Al-Turki said in one case, the smugglers tried to bring in 1,414 kilograms of hashish into the Kingdom by boat through waters in the Gulf.

“We have also foiled three attempts to smuggle a total of 891 kilograms of hashish through the Kingdom’s southern borders,” the spokesman said. “There were six attempts to smuggle 939,118 Captagon tablets into the Kingdom.”

Al-Turki praised security officers for their vigilance in preventing drug smuggling and trafficking into the Kingdom. “The smugglers had used professional methods to hide prohibited drugs as they were kept inside cars, various equipment, refrigerators, batteries and beverage bottles,” he said.

He commended the cooperation of customs officers in foiling the smuggling of 1.34 million Captagon tablets and 4.57 kilograms of heroin.