Comments on: The Sheikhs of Araby

By: Usama

Usama — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:20:01 +0000

Rightly said Anas, my experience as a visitor to different midlle-eastern countries was similar. Majority of Indian/Pakistani/Bangali expats remain discontent over strict procedures for ‘citizenship’ yet die trying to get one.
The stringent laws for citizenship in these countries are plausible as they dont want another ‘East India Company’ or ‘Israel’. Most of all, the rulers of these countries are committed to working for the betterment of their masses unlike sub-continent countries where the masses only serve the purpose of nurturing the enterprise of their ‘elite’ politicians and military without having anything good in turn.
This article is very biased and written by someone who perhaps has never been there.Yes Saudia and all mid-eastern countires may turn out to be a cruel place for you if you are a drug-dealer, criminal, or theif masquerading as labourer.
After all, the 1400 century code that according to the writer Saudis adhere to has practically reaped great benefits for the commoners there who at least live in a peaceful place. Way better than our feudalistic democracy that only breeds corrupt and self-centered rulers.

By: Anas

Anas — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:58:29 +0000

Im from India. I have been in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for more than 11 years now.

Comparing lives of foreigners in Saudi Arabia to the South African Apartheid is preposterous and appalling. Surely Mr. Hanif has no clue of what he is talking about. He must be basing his argument on pakistani expatriates bitching about saudi arabia. This is what people from India and Pakistan do best. They live comfortable and luxurious lives in a country and then grumble and slander about it. Almost everything is based on here-say and very little on actual events or facts.

I am not denying that certain acts of racism, bias, prejudice and oppression do not occur in Saudi Arabia. But this is common to every place in the world. Its just relative. period.

The saudi ruling family and the elite are a bunch of scoundrels and thieves. This is a fact. But let us not generalize and paint the whole of saudi arabia with the same brush. Most Saudis are religious and cultured people. Good and bad people exist everywhere. The Pakistani elite are not far behind their Saudi counterparts.

What Mr. Hanif fails to mention is that the Saudi ruling family was put in place by the British. King Abdul Aziz was on the payroll of the British, similar to Mr. Hanif, who is now working for the BBC. Therefore, they will do as their masters command.

Mr. Hanif’s focus on frivolous things, just goes to prove his immaturity of thought and understanding of Islam and saudi culture. Maybe he seeks to get some mileage by writing articles which are pleasing to his bosses at the BBC.

By: Farooq

Farooq — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:57:14 +0000

As Naddem F Paracha puts it that Pakistanis would have hailed the drone attacks had they come from the Saudis who are our brothers and we their camels

By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:44:03 +0000

Opulence begets avarice in a very hungry world! As the oil supplies dwindle it also begets bitter hatred for cutting supplies and marauding American militarists looking for a way to increase flows: witness Iraq and its opulent leader. The Saudis hold a unique and precarious and temporary position in an ever-changing world. Asians are a hungry lot and the Asians are watching through gun sights as the rest of the world parades by. Beware the Red Dragon, for he shows contempt for the status quo, does not recognize even the American patent laws and seeks out anomalies of richness to devour! 1.6 Billion hungry Chinese are hard to resist and then there’s the Indian population, soon aware of Saudi riches and hungry for them! Americans grow short on cheap oil each day, too! and they have the greatest military clout in the world! – Poor Saudis have little in their defense save for what Americans allow them. As the world turns fortunes change. Beware the follies of the Arab Princes.

By: Zulfiqar Raza

Zulfiqar Raza — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:41:38 +0000

Having grown up in Saudi Arabia as a Pakistani expatiriate I can say all that is written is entirely true.

By: Hamza

Hamza — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:06:43 +0000

Excellent article. As Mike mentioned earlier, writing about Saudi Arabia in anything less than glowing terms is rare in the Pakistani media. In all fairness, the hypocrisy of the Saudi elite and the discrimination meted out to South Asians is not unique to Saudi Arabia. It happens in nearly every singly oil-rich Arab state, particularly places that are heavily reliant on inexpensive immigrant labour.

By: m.h.kayani

m.h.kayani — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:28:53 +0000

He is confused man, I don’t believe a word.

By: ammar

ammar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:51:40 +0000

the doors of Khana Kaaba are opened for all the heads of muslim states, and also for prime ministers, and other civil or millitary officials depending upon their position and the role they play and secondly the relations they share with the ruling saudis.
as far is Azaan on the roof of Khana Kaaba is concerned, i am of the opinion that it isnt disrespectful or blasphemous because Hazrat Belal and other Companions would do the same during the time of the the Prophet Muhammad.
however if Musharraf has had the privilleges, braging about them doesnt speak very high of him; specially when he applies Islam to his self very broad-mindedly (alkohol and etc).

but indeed the Kingdom of Saudia seems to follow a very biased rule; they would highly favor and rich and important, drive american GMCs with pride, buy their weapons, sell them oil on credit, provide them with investments, and still be oliged to them. on the other hand thee poor pakis and bangaliis etc are taken and refered to as low grade people who dont have the rights or in a more mocking way that they dont deserve to have the rights. the story and the detail of reality is grim, yet we Muslims feel the respect and hope all is fixed and becomes just as our feelings and emotions are, about the holy land.

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:06:44 +0000

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By: Muhammad Asif Razzaque

Muhammad Asif Razzaque — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:02:11 +0000

Definitely a refreshing and updated perspective on the real Saudi Arabia and the difference between reality and face value. Good read for an average Pakistani with average religious view about Saudi Arabia.

However attacking an individual’s, Ex-President Musharraf, cherished memory seemed irrelevant and politically motivated. ANY Muslim of whatever religious scale, would feel exalted to go inside the Khana Kaaba and/or say Azaan.