Blogger ‘Coolred’ of Coolred’s Rant has asked that I pass on her request for assistance. After 23+ years in Bahrain and a shattered marriage, she’s trying to bring her children to the US and could use some help.
Read the details here:
It’s Over People….the Fat Lady Has Sung. About Freakin’ Time
A press release from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announces that it will be helping Saudi Arabia develop its first War College through a contract with the US Military Training Mission (USMTM). The Saudi war college will be functionally equivalent of its American counterparts, though the release does not say exactly which one. In the US, there are half a dozen or so, focusing on the specific services as well as more general themes. They are post-graduate schools for military officers and a few civilians from the federal government.
War colleges in general train officers in academic areas that ‘expand the box’ of military thinking, allowing them to think outside the narrow, and sometimes too rigid, discipline associated with the military. A fully-developed war college helps move a military to a professional level of competence and planning.
SAIC to Support U.S. Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia
Company to Help Establish Saudi War College
SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) today announced it has been awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Military Training Mission (USMTM) to support the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) by establishing a Saudi War College (SWC) that meets educational and administrative standards of US War Colleges. The contract has a one year base period of performance, three one-year options and a contract value of more than $11 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The USMTM to Saudi Arabia is a joint training mission and functional component command under the military command of the U.S. Central Command. The USMTM advises and assists the SAAF through security assistance efforts by developing, training and sustaining capable deterrent and self-defense forces for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to facilitate regional security. Under the contract, SAIC will help establish an SWC to assist in preparing and educating Saudi leaders to face domestic and global challenges. SAIC will help establish a state-of-the-art educational institution, and develop and implement a flexible curriculum that will enable the SWC to adapt to future Saudi mission requirements. SAIC will also recruit, hire, and retain fully qualified Saudi instructors, develop and implement a quality assurance plan, and establish a career and mentoring program for SWC instructors.
“SAIC is honored to support the SAAF by helping establish a world-class SWC. We believe that SAAF, teamed with SAIC, has the prerequisites for creating a prestigious military institution for the education of strategic leaders,” said Charles Zang, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager.
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King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) will formally open on September 23. Before that, on Sept. 5, however, students will start their studies. The first entry class will have some 400 men and women taking their places in their classrooms, according to this piece from Saudi Gazette.
KAUST set for grand opening
Mish’al Hasan Al-HarbiTHUWAL – The first students at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology will walk through the gates of the campus for their first day of tuition next week, marking the unofficial start of the completion of a royal dream that goes back several decades.
Some 400 male and female students will sit down to study on Sept. 5 ahead of the university’s official opening on Sept. 23 in what is promised to be a grand event to be conducted personally by King Abdullah.
The opening of the university in Thuwwal, 70 km to the north of Jeddah, comes two years after the King laid the first foundation stones for plans projected to cost SR10 billion.
The town of Thuwal itself has undergone a transformation in preparation for the official opening with the plantation of palm trees and flowers along the major thoroughfares approaching the university.
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When I first went to Thuwal, the site of the University in October, 2007, there was little to see beyond construction equipment and some building foundations.
KAUST 2007 (Credit: The NY Times)
Today, the structures are essentially complete with the interiors being finished and lab equipment installed.
Note: I had originally linked to a page featuring a slideshow of KAUST. I’m informed that KAUST would prefer that that page remain under wraps until the opening and I see no reason to not cooperate. Instead, I’ll offer the picture below:
I will be attending the opening on Sept. 23. I’ll be taking my own photos and interviewing members of the faculty and administration. If there’s something in particular you’d like me to look at, let me know through a comment and I’ll see what I can do.
While many pilgrims are going on with their plans for Umrah and Haj, others have changed them. Arab News reports that hoteliers in Mecca are seeing a drastic drop in bookings, with some hotels having only 10% of the number of guests they had estimated from past years’ attendance. Some of the hoteliers, naturally, are seeking government compensation, though I fail to see how the government can be held responsible for swine flu!
Makkah hoteliers suffer heavy losses due to cancellations
MAKKAH: Hotels and Umrah companies in Makkah are expected to suffer heavy losses this Ramadan as many prospective foreign pilgrims have canceled their trips fearing swine flu.
As a result businessmen operating in the Umrah sector have called upon the Haj Ministry to present their case to higher authorities for financial compensation.
Walid Abu Sabaa, chairman of the Hotel and Tourism Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and owner of a hotel group, said cancellation of hotel bookings had reached 50 percent.
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The early 20th C. American journalist and wag once remarked that “A puritan is someone possessed of the all-pervasive fear that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.” That certainly seems to be the attitude reported in this piece appearing in The Washington Post‘s ‘On Faith’ section that reports on how summer activities in Saudi Arabia have been reduced. The blame for cheerlessness is being laid at the feet of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice as they stop musical performances at festivals, cancel film festivals, and cast the hairy eye at innocent sideshow attractions. Clearly, the phrase ‘lighten up’ doesn’t translate well into Saudi Arabic…
Saudi religious police crack down on summer festivals
Asma AlsharifJEDDAH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s religious police is cracking down on summer festivals that the government hopes will promote domestic tourism, in the latest battle between liberals and conservatives in the world’s biggest oil exporter.
The Saudi government is trying to promote internal tourism but restrictions on singing, dancing and mixing of unrelated men and women by the powerful religious establishment has complicated the effort.
Conservative clerics backed by some powerful members of the Saudi royal family oppose efforts to liberalize the country of 25 million, where women are also forbidden from driving.
“These acts contradict the faith and must not be done, taught, spread or encouraged,” religious police spokesman Abdullah al-Mashiti told al-Watan daily this week, referring to circus acts such as fire-eating and lying on beds of glass that he believes is a form of magic outlawed by Islamic Sharia law.
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This Arab News article reminds us that TV viewing over Ramadan isn’t just a matter of the satiric ‘Tash Ma Tash’. Indeed, the airwaves are dominated by religious programming, reaching out to Muslims who follow a variety of religious traditions. With more than 60 religious channels available, though, one ought to be able to find one or two that speak to the viewer in terms he or she will understand and appreciate. Various channels agree that they are not in competition, but I suspect their directors check viewing statistics nonetheless…
Islamic channels vying for Ramadan viewership
Fatima Sidiya I Arab NewsJEDDAH: More than 60 religious channels broadcast across the Middle East vying for viewers in the blessed month of Ramadan. Each of these channels broadcasts programs that reflect the particular viewpoint of the group that runs it.
Some of the channels feature modern dawa preachers, some focus on Islamic songs and others air Qur’an recitations and Hadith lessons. Regardless of the goals and visions of these channels, they all compete in drawing audiences and televising a list of top crowd-pulling sheikhs. Large audiences lead to more interaction, resulting in more phone calls and SMS messages.
The types of programs broadcast are reflective of the different understandings of Islam, whether conservative or lenient; these understandings are often in accordance with one of the four schools of fiqh. Some channels, such as Al-Majd and Al-Nas, prohibit women and music. The administration at Al-Majd even refused to speak to a woman reporter.
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The journal Perspectives on Terrorism has an interesting piece on how the terrorist narrative—the explanations and story-telling used to justify terrorist actions—can be best countered through the words of former terrorists. This piece is just one of many to be found at the site that deal with the framing of the battles against terrorism. I think the site is one worth bookmarking.
Terrorist Drop-outs:
One Way of Promoting a Counter-Narrative
Michael Jacobson
AbstractThe answer to the question whose voice is most effective in terms of delivering a counter-narrative to al-Qaeda’s Single Narrative depends on which audience one wants to reach. Arguably, the terrorists themselves (as opposed to segments of their envisaged constituency) are the most difficult audience to reach. However, there is one group that might have special credibility with them – former terrorists. This article explores, by way of examples, how former terrorists and extremists could contribute to reducing terrorist violence.
As the United States continues to fight militarily to disrupt the efforts of al-Qaeda and its affiliates, the U.S. government has slowly come to the realization that military force alone cannot defeat radical extremism. Countering the ideology that drives this extremism has become a critical element in the effort to prevent and defeat the violence that emerges from it. Focusing on the “softer” side of counterterrorism has become a new and necessary approach of U.S. and its allies alike. One of the main foci in this new battle is the recognition of the importance of the so-called “battle of ideas.” Al-Qaeda’s ideas and those of like-minded groups must be challenged with a counter-narrative of stronger appeal.
As the United States and other parties have attempted to begin crafting their own narrative to counter that of radical groups in this “battle of ideas,” it has become clear that in order to develop an effective message, it is necessary to better understand the radicalization process itself for the factors that cause people to choose this path must be properly understood. If this is not the case, it will be impossible to figure out which messages will resonate among terrorist recruits and which might be effective to counter the radicalization process.
An examination of the reasons why, and the processes by, which individuals are radicalized, has made clear that, as one British government official stated “there is no single path that leads people to violent extremism.” The same official noted that “social, foreign policy, economic, and personal factors all lead people to throw their lot in with extremists.” Consequently, there might also be more than one ‘single narrative’ to persuade an individual to join the extremist cause. While al-Qaeda employs a global narrative centered on the West being at war with Islam, Hamas and Hizballah have different narratives to build their following – narratives that rely heavily on their track record of providing needed support to local populations.
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For years now, the Saudi Ramadan TV series ‘Tash Ma Tash’ has pushed the envelope of social criticism through satire. This year is no different. In an episode of this year’s presentations, the question of religiosity is raised as the subtext of a story on educational reform—both of which are hot-button issues, of course. This year, as in the past, the series perturbs the religious and social conservatives.
The program took a break last year, apparently to allow the writers and producers to regroup their strengths. After the rest, they’re back with gusto:
‘Tash Ma Tash’ sparks heated debate again
Saudi Gazette reportJEDDAH – Monday’s episode of the long-running and occasionally controversial Saudi comedy series Tash Ma Tash returned heated debate to the public sphere after taking on the subject of reforming the Kingdom’s education curricula.
Saudis flocked to internet forums and circulated thousands of mobile telephone text messages following the episode, entitled “Development,” in which Nasser Al-Qasabi, one of the show’s two main stars, portrayed the role of an educational official charged with improving the curriculum and putting in place a program which would “open the way to the future with an open mind.”
In the scenario, Al-Qasabi is confronted by comedy partner Abdullah Al-Sadhan in the guise of a forceful objector to the moves who insists on keeping the current program in place and rejects any such “development” suggestions as the ideas of Saudis who “have traveled or been educated abroad,” regarding any change to religious curricula as a “violation of the Islamic religion.”
The tale follows Al-Qasabi as he finds himself in a variety of comedic situations born out of his frustration at being blocked at each juncture, until he finally resolves to resign, a move that the minister of education rejects out of hand, saying he “must continue to develop the curricula, whatever opposition there is from extremists.”
In the episode’s subplot, a young Saudi seeking work as a teacher is turned down for a job, despite his outstanding qualifications, on the grounds that he failed to display “sufficient religious piety” in his interview.
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In its coverage, Arab News provides an array of comments from viewers, including those who believe the show is blasphemous and should be banned. Others, of course, support the program, explaining why the program has become ‘must-see’ television in the Kingdom for 17 years. When it comes to stirring the social pot, there are few programs that do a better job than ‘Tash’.
Tash does it again, testing the limit of tolerance
Hassna’a Mokhtar | Arab NewsJEDDAH: After a hiatus from broadcasting last Ramadan, the popular Saudi comedy series “Tash ma Tash” is back, once again pushing the buttons that trigger controversy about whether the show goes too far in its humorous sketches of Saudi life that keep millions glued to their television sets after sunset.
The third episode of Tash, entitled “Development”, boldly addressed the issue of how some officials resist educational development in Saudi Arabia under the pretext of defending the fundamentals of Islam against Western incursion.
“The episode was on the barriers that stand in the way of development. It also shed light on some bureaucrats who are no less dangerous than religious extremists,” said Yahya Al-Amir, a journalist who wrote the script for the episode.
Naser Al-Qasabi, one of the show’s stars, played the role of a project manager assigned by the education minister to develop the curriculum. During his meetings with the ministry staff, he was confronted with several arguments regarding the celebration of Saudi National Day.
“We’re talking about the country and you’re talking about the nation. We’re talking about Saudis and you’re talking about Muslims,” said Al-Qasabi in response to some of the conservatives depicted in the episode.
Tash is no longer just a serial, says Al-Amir. “It has become an important cultural event as a result of ongoing discussions between Saudis,” he said.
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The Saudi government has released more details on the 44 men arrested last week on terrorism charges, as relayed in this Saudi Gazette/Okaz report. The description of the men runs counter to the popular narrative that those involved in terrorism are the lower echelons of society, with nowhere to turn other than to terrorism; many in this group were professionals, with secure jobs, often government jobs.
The piece notes that there seems to be a change in tactics in Al-Qaeda-linked attack plans. Rather than using suicide bombers, this group came up with sophisticated triggering devices based on cell phone technology. It also appears to have borrowed techniques used in Iraq for the use of roadside bombs. The piece also reports that anti-terrorism efforts have taken on a regional aspect, with the Saudis sharing information with Kuwait and Bahrain.
Professors, businessmen among 44 arrested in KSA
Abdullah Al-OraifijRIYADH – The 44 members of Al-Qaeda whose arrests were announced last Wednesday included among their ranks university professors and local businessmen whose links to the terrorist organization went back several years, sources have told Okaz newspaper.
According to the sources, the 44, who were detained between July 9 and Aug. 2 of this year, had an over seven-year association with the organization and had met with
Al-Qaeda leaders Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri in Afghanistan as well as other members of the group killed in the Kingdom such as Abdul Aziz Muqrin, Turki Al-Dandani, Yousef Al-’Ayeeri, and Yemeni national Khalid Al-Haj.
Between 20 and 30 of the arrested were reportedly holders of doctorate degrees and some of them worked as university professors specialized in science fields such as electronic and electrical engineering and computers, as well as fields of Shariah Law including theology and comparative jurisprudence.
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Child marriage pops up again in the Saudi media. Here, Arab News reports on a ten-year-old married to an 80-year-old man when the girl’s older sister (age undisclosed) chose to continue her education rather than marry. While permitted under Saudi custom and Shariah law, child marriage is an offense against international charters and treaties to which the Saudi government has subscribed itself, as a human rights advocate notes in the piece.
Child bride turned over to 80-year-old husband
AL-LAITH: A 10-year-old bride was returned last Sunday to her 80-year-old husband by her father who discovered her at the home of her aunt with whom she has been hiding for around 10 days.
A local newspaper said the husband, who denies he is 80 in spite of claims by the girl’s family, accused the aunt of meddling in his affairs. “My marriage is not against Shariah. It included the elements of acceptance and response by the father of the bride,” he said.
He added that he had been engaged to his wife’s elder sister and that this broke off as she wanted to continue with her education. “In light of this, her father offered his younger daughter. I was allowed to have a look at her according to Shariah and found her acceptable,” he said.
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Appearances can be deceiving, as this Arab News story relates. But avoiding situations which can readily be misconstrued is a pretty good idea, too.
A group of Filipinos—men and women—were rounded up by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice last week for ‘improper mingling’. It turns out that they were a human rights group working for the protection of Filipino workers in the Kingdom and thus had a legitimate purpose. But by mixing men and women, the group violated Saudi law which prohibits exactly that. According to the story, the Embassy of the Philippines was able to get the group (most of them) off the hook… this time. The next time, they will not be given the benefit of the doubt.
Police drop immorality charges against Filipino workers
Ghazanfar Ali Khan | Arab NewsRIYADH: Charges against 18 Filipino workers for mingling with unrelated members of the opposite sex and engaging in alleged immoral acts were dropped by the Riyadh police on Monday following intervention by the Philippine government.
This has led to the release of 10 men and two women workers, while four runaway women workers, who have also been absolved of the charges, will be deported since they are not in the country legally.
… Asked why the Riyadh police took a U-turn in the case, Roussel Reyes, vice consul at the Philippine Embassy, said the Saudi police dropped the charges after embassy officials convinced them that those apprehended were members of a legitimate organization and were not involved in any immoral activities.
He said the gathering was part of a rights and welfare assistance program wherein distressed workers are given advice before referring their cases to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh.
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Still at Asharq Alawsat, I found this piece on the importance of politics in establishing policy. The writer, Abdel Monem Said, Director of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, points out that in the Arab world, there’s really very little discussion about policy: it comes from above and people put up with it. They lack any channel through which they can state their own positions or seek to influence the ways policies develop.
Said’s analysis of the US health care debate is, in my view, somewhat mistaken, but as he says, that’s not really the point of the article. Do read the whole thing.
The Policy of All General Policies
Abdel Monem SaidI went to Washington to learn about how the Americans intend to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict, but I found that nobody was interested in this issue, or should I say nobody except a small group of Jews and Arabs who have made a profession for themselves in the press and within research centres and television stations out of the never-ending conflict. I was thinking about whether it is possible to understand the wars going on in Afghanistan and Iraq and whether the war on terror still existed. All I could find was a small group of bureaucrats who were sick and tired of these conflicts. Nobody could remember when they began let alone think about how they would end. There was a strong belief that the Middle East region was experiencing a wave of state failure, because if the collapse of Somalia has led to the emergence of piracy, then the collapse of Sudan, Yemen and maybe even Iraq would provide terrorists, pirates and organized crime groups with unlimited bases for provisioning, training and for carrying out violence. But as frightening as it may seem, nobody is buying this. Perhaps that is the attitude of people who like the idea of the failed state. The conclusion is that those who were in Washington during August were not willing to add the issues of the Middle East to the heat, humidity and rain that they suffered from over there. But when was the Middle East ever a nice a place?
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