I’ve a review of John Paul Jones’ memoir, If Olaya Street Could Talk, based on his nearly 25 years’ experience as a hospital administrator in Riyadh. I liked the book, though found some things to criticize, and recommend it as an interesting insider’s view of how Saudi bureaucracy works (or doesn’t) and how the Kingdom has changed between 1979 and 2003. Jone’s interest in the beauty of Saudi Arabia, its natural life, and historical and geologic sites is infective.
January:03:2008 - 16:10 | | Permalink
8 Responses to “Review of If Olaya Street Could Talk”
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10:33,
Mr. Burgess –
Many thanks for reviewing my book. We both experienced life in Saudi Arabia, over very different eras in the Kingdom’s development. As your website says, there is good and bad there, at some level not a very remarkable comment. I feel the same way, and realize that it is truly remarkable when held in contrast to the relentless negative portrayal in the Western mainstream media. At one point in my book I mentioned reading every article concerning Saudi Arabia in the Wall Street Journal over a 21 month period, looking for just one sentence that might indicate there was something positive about the Kingdom, and I was never able to find it. So in deciding to present a far more accurate, and realistic portrait of the country, I eschewed abstract political theories like the “clash of civilizations†and “Salafism,†and told the story through a series of anecdotes about daily life in the Kingdom, as experienced by one American, and his family. Overall, it was a very positive experience, which included learning how to handle some of the negative aspects of life there.
I don’t believe we met while there, though our paths may have crossed, as you said. In particular, your path may have crossed my daughter’s, who went into the Al Hamra compound after the terrorist attack, to see her friend, while numerous official Americans were there conducting their investigation. Furthermore, the reason we live in Albuquerque today is the result of one of your colleagues at the Embassy. The year was 2000, and we were sitting on the bench at the Arizona compound, watching our sons play roller blade hockey. He knew that I was planning on leaving, but didn’t know where we would settle in the United States. He said: “Why don’t you look at Albuquerque� We did that summer, and he now lives less than a mile from me. He is a generous, open-hearted kind of American, who facilitated our relocation here. Our views on America, however, are also at variance.
When you said that my book focuses too much on the negative aspects of American behavior, it is perhaps an accurate comment. It is an issue that concerned me when I wrote the book. So, in several places in the book I made comments like on page 114: “Is it any surprise that the “Alden Plye’s†make the biggest impression on foreigners while the good intentions of the majority of Americans are forgotten?†It is this negative behavior that so rankles non-Americans, and is so counterproductive to achieving a peaceful and more prosperous world. When Americans look at the world, perhaps the first step should be to look in the mirror, and truly see ourselves as others so often do. For example, when we want to deplore the actions of Iranians in 1978-79, and the seizure of our Embassy, with the staff being held hostage for those famous 444 days, perhaps the first step is to start with 1953, and the CIA’s overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran. Clearly there might be some cause and effect between those two actions. Americans should ask themselves how they would feel if Savak had overthrown the democratically elected government of Dwight D. Eisenhower all because they wanted cheaper wheat.
Did I loose touch with America while living in Saudi Arabia? In Thomas Friedman’s assertion: “Did I live in Saudi Arabia way too long� My opinions of America were not shaped solely by the Arab media. Thanks to perhaps the greatest invention of my lifetime, the Internet, I also consistently read American (and yes, European :-)) periodicals. Returning to the States has evoked mixed emotions. I still experience exhilaration in traveling the wonderful expanses of our country, and am often reminded of the decency of ordinary Americans. But I never thought that current, and aspiring American governmental leaders would openly advocate torture, and the denial of basic human rights at Gitmo remains a deep stain against our country. The recent results in Iowa affirm that many decent Americans desire change.
To the various Saudis who have read my book I always ask two questions: “Was I accurate� and “Was I fair� So far, I’ve always received affirmative answers to both questions. Of course the second question is the more difficult – “fair†meaning did I choose the right balance of incidents to reflect the reality of a quarter century experience. But as various Saudis must now be tired of hearing, the book was not written for “them,†it was written for “us,†Americans and other Westerners who desire a realistic portrait of the Kingdom, and seek to change our current policy of endless war. And to those Americans, I would ask the same two questions about the portrayal of their own behavior.
Finally, I would again like to thank you for your thoughts and review. Your website is an excellent one, bringing together much useful information on the Kingdom. It is a model for mine, and I hope to eventually achieve a site that will complement your own.
- John Paul Jones
http://www.tazapress.com
12:10,
Of course opinions and experiences will differ. I meant no great disregard concerning yours, only that your take on America is different from mine, even though we had many similar experiences. While not in the military, for instance, I spent 3+ years in SE Asia–Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam–as a civilian, sometimes working for the USG, sometimes not. My experiences there (as my experiences in the Middle East) convinced me that media is extremely unreliable, no matter whose media it is. I simply saw too many things that were reported in ways that had little if anything to do with what I saw and the people I knew. Whether this was intentional, accidental, careless, whatever, it taught me that I needed to go beyond what the media was reporting if I wanted to learn something closer to the actuality. I find that for a variety of reasons, most very legitimate, that this is hard for most expats to accomplish. The deficit is not restricted to places like the KSA: I see it perhaps even more in places like the UK.
I think you book is valuable as an information source about the realities of Saudi Arabia. It serves to fill a gap that needs to be filled–and constantly refilled. It was certainly enjoyable to read, a major plus when it comes to education!
10:49,
Shame on us that American writ for us instead of a real Saudian writ real facts and go to the world to publish the book every where he\she go instead his travel for tourism or his own Pleasure.
The Media with Hollywood always show us as idiot or vampires, we are human and maybe we should go to the human rights to ask them to not forget our humanity too!!
Some time I get to some American chat rooms, they ask me Omg are you sneak out here! are you not afraid from the government and police to cut you and by the way do you really “THER” have Internet?!
Well, yes we just like you and maybe better, we are in safe in our streets and homes more than you “by the records of crimes, Rapes, etc”
The media in America like a Mafia, looking good but it is very bad from inside.
I remember the Oprah’s show when she host Rania al-Baz, they cut down every good words about Saudi Arabia and show just the bad said and in the end Operah said thank God we American .. God bless America, without any respect to us, she loose 7millions Saudian watch her show not counting the other Arab.
As a saudian we ask you to stop think with our problems from your view (women, Islamic teaching in schools…etc) because you will never know that is Our community not yours and you will never know that we have a complete perfect system we believe it mad by God not human mad and ask you to care about your problems with all Nations and your great media.
Thanks the writer, you really do what we all should do.
11:02,
Thanks for your comments. I agree that American media (and most Americans) have a poor impression of Saudi Arabia and that this is, mostly, undeserved.
I do note, though, that Rania Al-Baz has said she has no complaints about the Oprah program you criticize. In an interview with Asharq Alawsat, she was asked about the program:
11:31,
That is right Tagreed God Bless America. I have lived in both places and lived as a Saudi and as AN AMERICAN and after the experience I came out and come out saying Thank God I am an American
I would suggest Saudi Arabia to start keep tighter records too!
I swear to God I am safer in America than Saudi. You are going to ask me how. A friend’s son was taken into a car while he was walking down his own street at 10:00 a.m. He was 10 years old with a wagon carrying groceries for his family because his father had two wives and couldn’t always be there to bring groceries when they needed it. The man pulled the boy into his car and pulled his pants down and tried to rape him. He held a knife to his neck. He had pretended that he was asking for directions. He was a Saudi because the boy was half American and half Saudi and pointed him out as being Saudi. Luckily a car pulled by and the man pushed the kid out of the car and sped away. Now the mother and older sisters weren’t even permitted to walk the streets to go to the “bakala” small grocery store. Streets in Saudi aren’t even safe in broad daylight. My husband forbade me to walk the streets at any hour of the day. About five minutes away there is a grocery store. I disobeyed him one day because I needed bread. I was stalked in the grocery store and followed home. I was very frightened and it takes a lot to get me scared. I was completely covered my face and everything. I live walking distance from the King’s palace so my neighborhood isn’t so bad exit 12 near the highway.
Point is last week (I am in America now) I was walking home at 1:30 a.m. and a car was pulling out of a bar and a man only said, “Hey Baby” and I had my cell phone in my hand and I said, “Hey Baby I got 911 on speed dial” cause that is how fast the police would be there for me if I needed them. So please revaluate your situation because it isn’t going to change until you recognize it for what it is and change you make efforts to change it. Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA!
12:05,
Also if Saudi is so safe why do people have bars on their windows even the third floor?
Too bad the muttawa are banning dogs. My dog would tear you apart if you came near me or tried creeping around my house. He even barks when I go to the bathroom at night. He is a guard dog just like the people in the Cave in the Quran had. A woman tried picking up my daughter at the park and my dog didn’t know her so he bit her hand and drew blood.
13:51,
Engineer Tagreed seems to be one of those Saudis who think there is nothing wrong with their society. After all, he even said it is a perfect, God made society.
I doubt his mother or sisters would think the same thing, nor would those in Saudi society who are forced to live without money or wasta. To them it would be exactly as it is, a nation run by greed, fueled by corruption lead by a royal family that is, in their actions, about as far from Islam as you can get.
I have known Saudis like this before who think Saudi is a heaven on earth and there is nothing you can do to convince them of anything else.
Saudi and the USA have their issues, I just wish people like “Engineer” here would be open and honest about the faults in his own society without making it out to be heaven on earth. By saying it is perfect and God created he is doing nothing more than trying to shut off all debate. After all, if God created it, then who can complain?
20:40,
Speaking on Rania Baz…Her husband is on youtube talking about why he nearly beat her to death. He said he has learned his lesson and now he will only beat her by marrying another one. What a beating? I just can’t believe she went back to him.
What a perfect system?
I suggest people to listen to Wajeha Al Huwaider. She speaks the truth. The truth hurts…but we can always change it.
She is speaking at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9m14BI3A5w&NR=1