Comments on: Saudi R&B

By: Chiara

Chiara — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:26:12 +0000

Never too late is a great anti-suicide song. It covers a variety of methods, and targets the audience most at risk: young, alienated, using drugs. It conveys to me a clear message that faith in Allah and disregarding the judgments of others will protect one from depair and suicide, and that it is never too late to live a good life.

Very well done, and I liked the music and visuals well enough, to.

By: Sparky

Sparky — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:53:16 +0000

Daisy concerning my post 9 in which I said, “Maybe that message is anti-islamic” was sarcasm. That is hard convey in writing only

Suicide is forbidden in Islam, and I have read that the person who does is doomed to repeat it again and again in the hell fire.

People care a lot about reputation here for all the wrong reasons.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:25:10 +0000

I can remember standing outside music stores waiting for the men in the group to go in and buy what we wanted.

John, I don’t think dishes are illegal anymore. I can’t remember when it shifted- but it seems I remember hearing about it. And until that time, people were smuggling in dishes, you couldn’t buy them legally. Now with Orbit and Showtime, having offices everywhere, and selling their subscriptions and sending out their technicians to install and maintaint the dishes- I don’t think it could possibly be illegal anymore.

We also now have a big Virgin Records in town which is nice.

By: Daisy

Daisy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:56:04 +0000

yes, but royal families, especially Saudis, don’t seem to be that “traditional” in their personal lives. I recenly read a news about one Saudi princess that she had an IDL and was all set to drive if only the ban was lifted – and her photograph from nowhere showed her as traditional. But, They invoke tradition when it serves their public or political need.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:44:31 +0000

Don’t forget ‘tradition’ as one of the brakes on progress!

By: Daisy

Daisy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:41:23 +0000

I think you are right – it has more to do with the royal family’s reputation than its Islamic validity or a legal issue, though rather than saying it is a matter of reputation, they may project it as a religious or legal issue. That’s a typical behaviour of the royals anywhere in the world.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:12:17 +0000

Daisy, No, I can’t clarify! I only know what was in that piece, which also quoted an Israeli paper.

I don’t think there are good, coherent arguments against his performing or his music. It could be a profound theological issue, but it could also be, “I don’t want my son being some tawdry public performer! Next thing you know, he’ll be on drugs with hundreds of women hanging off his arm…’

In Saudi Arabia, father always knows best, unless grandfather disagrees.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:03:17 +0000

As to the ‘how much’ question, the answer is likely ‘not a lot’. During the early 80s, there were efforts by the religious police to shutter stores selling cassette tapes and women were banned from entering those stores. As cassettes have largely gone by the wayside and internet purchasing is big, I think influence has probably stopped. But technically, satellite TV dishes remain illegal in the Kingdom.

By: Daisy

Daisy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:22:24 +0000

Sparky,
Why do you call it anti-Islamic? I thought suicide was anti-Islamic and he is helping people to come out of such negative tendencies, have faith in God and go for positive actions. I thought this video was in line with Islam because it spoke against suicide. How is this message anti-Islamic?

John,
How have his musical aspirations been treated exactly? The news report says he may not be able to record his 2 songs because singing is forbidden and suicide is taboo. But as I said he is speaking against suicide and is singing banned or is it just considered wrong by the salafis? If it is banned how is the music industry flourishing there? If Rotana can operate there how can a prince not record his song? Can you please clarify?

By: Sparky

Sparky — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:24:50 +0000

Let me add this Prince would have been a somewhat overt exemption but the covert exemption continues.

Btw, my kids got food poisoning at a place that was exempt from inspection and licensing because of it being owned by a princess. I always say payment is always extracted in one form or another and it has been so extracted.

I am sooo satisfied I wouldn’t exchange the experience if I could. I want to thank the people who refused to call to accountability and did the cover up. I am forever grateful because it has turned me into even more of an activist who will not stop until my last breath on my death bed. It awakened me to the suffering of the common man and shed light on so many issues!