I was talking with a Syrian classmate/friend of mine this morning, and he assured me on some viewpoints I had in mind for a while but I wasn't sure about.
When someone visits Riyadh for the first time, he could be fascinated with how a huge city this is. A city that was built to be XL at everything; huge streets, two high skyscrapers and one of the biggest universities in the world. However, deep down, Riyadh is a weirdly divided city. When you get to know people and experience the lifestyle of this city, which is unstylish at all, you will come to understand what my earlier description was all about.
Before going into some details, I want to make it clear that whenever I use the word "conservative" in this post, I don't use it as opposite to the word "liberal" but as opposite to who I like to call "anti-conservative". Anti-conservatives are people with no traditions; no principles, no values, and all what concerns them in life are the little stuff. Those people who I'd like to call "empty souls".
The majority of population of Riyadh is extremely conservative. This is no wonder if we kept in mind that this city was the starting point and the main center of Wahhabism. Those people are in control of almost everything in the city, from shopping malls to social events.
In contrast, the remaining minority is extremely anti-conservative. I don't know how this kind of people could grow up in such an environment and educational system, but they exist, despite all the odds. And yes, they are minority, but you can easily recognize them.
In this city, you have the chance to run into the extremist fundamentalists, and the in the same time you have the chance to run into the empty souls; the smuttiest boys and the sluttiest girls. Sure, there are some people in between. But to me, these people are not interesting enough to write about. They are just so... ordinary.
My friend, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, agreed with me on the above, but he was arguing that some freedom could be dangerous to this city. He says that if the conservatives loosen up a little, the chaos and confusion will be overwhelming. Maybe, but freedom does not come without a price, and I think no matter how expensive it is, it will be worth it. # »
When someone visits Riyadh for the first time, he could be fascinated with how a huge city this is. A city that was built to be XL at everything; huge streets, two high skyscrapers and one of the biggest universities in the world. However, deep down, Riyadh is a weirdly divided city. When you get to know people and experience the lifestyle of this city, which is unstylish at all, you will come to understand what my earlier description was all about.
Before going into some details, I want to make it clear that whenever I use the word "conservative" in this post, I don't use it as opposite to the word "liberal" but as opposite to who I like to call "anti-conservative". Anti-conservatives are people with no traditions; no principles, no values, and all what concerns them in life are the little stuff. Those people who I'd like to call "empty souls".
The majority of population of Riyadh is extremely conservative. This is no wonder if we kept in mind that this city was the starting point and the main center of Wahhabism. Those people are in control of almost everything in the city, from shopping malls to social events.
In contrast, the remaining minority is extremely anti-conservative. I don't know how this kind of people could grow up in such an environment and educational system, but they exist, despite all the odds. And yes, they are minority, but you can easily recognize them.
In this city, you have the chance to run into the extremist fundamentalists, and the in the same time you have the chance to run into the empty souls; the smuttiest boys and the sluttiest girls. Sure, there are some people in between. But to me, these people are not interesting enough to write about. They are just so... ordinary.
My friend, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, agreed with me on the above, but he was arguing that some freedom could be dangerous to this city. He says that if the conservatives loosen up a little, the chaos and confusion will be overwhelming. Maybe, but freedom does not come without a price, and I think no matter how expensive it is, it will be worth it. # »
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