London’s The Times reports on the death of female Saudi blogger Hadeel Alhodaif. It notes the role she played in promoting women’s rights and freedom in general in the Kingdom, not only through her blog, but her plays, stories, and media appearances. I confess I’d not read her blog Heaven’s Steps much in the past. That’s my loss.
Arab News also reports.
Hadeel Alhodaif, leading female Saudi blogger, dies aged 25
Michael TheodoulouThe Saudi blogosphere is in mourning after the sudden death of a young female web-diarist and author who battled for a freer media in the restrictive kingdom.
Hadeel Alhodaif died last Friday after failing to emerge from a coma she fell unexpectedly into last month, just two days after her 25th birthday.
Her death made news in Saudi dailies today, while many distraught online admirers offered prayers for her soul and condolences to her family.
“Saudis from all ages and backgrounds – liberals and conservatives alike, those who knew her closely or from a distance, and even those who did not know her at all – are mourning the bright, skinny girl with high dreams and hopes of better future for all Saudis,” Arab News, an English-language Saudi daily, said today.
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May:19:2008 - 16:12
STANGE ! ! !
May:19:2008 - 16:12
I mean strange…May God rest her soul
May:19:2008 - 17:02
O.k. I have a few words to say as I don’t want to dwell on depressing things.
First for whatever reasons she died it is polite culturally not to pry too much so I respect that but I like I have said repeatedly “too many mysterious young deaths in this country”.
Anyways, she wrote in Arabic so I can’t say I understand what she her message but what I read about what she achieved is that her life although it was short lived was well lived. Thus, a woman may reach her eighties and wish everyday from the time she is 25 that she would die yet be forced to live everyday a miserable life. I would rather die young or early than live to 100 achieving nothing and wishing everyday I would die yet be forced to live another day.
So to make me feel better about this young girl passing away before her time, I am going to mentally say she lived a great and full life well into her nineties. My condolences go out to her family….
May:20:2008 - 08:27
I have been wondering since the beginning of her illness how strange it is that somebody just falls into a coma at home, and nobody knows why?
It is a very strange thing! and also that nobody has ever mentioned the weirdness of it all. At least not on the english blogs.
I still haven’t read anything about her affliction. And i don’t like to ask on blogs of her friends.
I agree that she has achieved a great deal, and is a great loss to many.