Saudi Arabia is victim to danger of the single story
We have heard and read all sorts of horror stories about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
So repeated has been the narrative that the world community is almost sold to the idea that Saudia is no place to visit or work in.
Surprise, the Kingdom is no strange place, only different. Saudia is monarchy, and yes, it is under the firm grip of a dynasty spanning years of tradition, intrigue and plenty.
Saudia has a strong Muslim tradition, as it is home to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Owing to that, and to a complex mix of religion, tradition and culture, It is often perceived as unfamiliar.
For instance, visitors need to know that its government is a family affair, with no room for elections and the like.
There is neither talk of democracy nor political dissension because homage to the King is a paramount.
But there are prohibitions underpinning principles of public decency. Boys and men wear a traditional robe called thobe and women wear abaya, a long black maxi dress with a hijab or headscarf.
Enforcement of the dress code is ensured through public decency laws whose violation can be costly.
It is not possible to get drunk in Saudi Arabia because alcohol is prohibited; in fact, alcohol can never be sold to someone traveling into the Kingdom.
Also prohibited are gambling, eating or selling pork, public display of affection between people of the opposite sex, same sex relationships, use of drugs, taking a Bible or crucifix into the country, taking photos of government buildings, eye contact with women when you are a non-relative male, walking unaccompanied when you are a female, failure to observe prayer times, eating during fasting hours of Ramadan and so on.
Unlike many countries, it has in place the ‘religious police,’ who will ensure none of these haram things happen.
However, a sojourn I made into the Kingdom between 2016 and 2017 gave me a different experience.
On my arrival day, my host was nowhere in sight to meet me, but someone walked up to me, shared pleasantries and offered me a ride to my address 40 minutes away without a charge.
The following day, this good Samaritan had commitments, but remembered to send his brother to be at hand in case I needed him.
There were several gestures of this kind in the days to follow. Walking along the road for instance, people pull up just to check on you, asking if they would be of help.
One hot summer day, a police officer offered me a ride to the store, waited patiently outside, and helped me with my little luggage all the way home.
On our way back, he informed me I didn’t have to buy grocery each day because ‘free grocery items’ were usually available in my neighborhood.
Actually, you will find fridges filled with water and free food outside family homes in many towns.
Though Kenyans are now familiar with reported cases of persecuted housemaids in the Kingdom - with some returning in coffins - Saudi people are remarkably hospitable, kind and generous.
The well-behaved majority endeavour to espouse the brotherhood of their faith in their daily lives and in their interactions with other people.
That is not to declare Saudi Arabia “free” because it is not. You are free in Saudi Arabia when you respect their faith, culture and traditions, which is very much the principle elsewhere in the world.
Saudis express their brotherhood with strangers through generous “gifting”.
And contrary to what people think, Saudis do not bother with non-Muslims living in their country even when religious police will reprimand a Muslim who fails to do what is expected of their faith. Saudi sense of brotherhood is simply overwhelming. — The writer comments on topical issues
