Passing the Buck: the Saudi Foreign Minister told Channel 4 in London that he personally believes Saudi women should be allowed to drive. He then said that the matter is not in the hands of the ruling family, but that it depends on the families! He explained that it was a social issue, not a political one. So, if a woman goes out to drive in Riyadh, the police will not stop her, but everyone will give her nasty, maybe lascivious, looks? What about the mautawwa'een squads?

I expect that Saudi women will start driving, if only because the costs of paying and maintaining Asian drivers are going up. Once women start driving, the rate of accidents will increase sharply- not just because women will drive recklessly (some do), but because it will take men some time to get used to the idea. A young Saudi man, for example, may show his infatuation with a driving lass by ramming her car, or by making a complete ass of himself and causing a major accident. A goateed grandee (there are many of those) may feel insulted if a female driver cuts him off or passes him on the highway. We may see a wave of Arabian Road Rage that could make Los Angelenos look like pussy cats. It is possibe that a new type of Bassooss War may start, this time because of totaling a girl's car instead of killing her camel (that old war lasted many many years among the Arab tribes).

The bar for Arab reform has been lowered so much these past two years that once women get the right (or is it a privilege) to drive, we can all declare victory, for we will know that the New Middle East has become a reality.

The Mufti of Dubai, a Dr. A. al-Haddad, yesterday issued a fatwa to the effect that chat rooms and video-phoning between the sexes is haram (i.e taboo, as Melville would have said). He said that it allows men and women to be in the same 'room' without chaperon, and this could lead to sin and adultery. He did not say anything about the bars, nightclubs, and other forms of 'trafficking' that go on in the boom city.

The (non)natives are getting restless again along the Gulf. There have been riots, demonstrations and strikes by Asian workers attributed to bad treatment, non-payment of wages, and work conditions. Asian labor is vital for the functioning of all economic units in the (Persian) Gulf states, and that applies to large corporations as well as small households. The recent unrest has been mainly in the UAE, with a few limited cases in Kuwait. Not much these days about labor unrest in Saudi Arabia perhaps because the punishment/retribution is more severe. Or, to be fair, maybe because they are treated better. But then again, we probably would not hear about it either.

Breaking News Flash: The Crown Prince of Bahrain, His Highness Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Bin Issa Bin Salman al-Khalifa has had an epiphany. Today he told the London press that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. His Highness is definitely ahead of the curve.

A new idea circulating some Arab media (it is part of our conspiracy obsession, but conspiracies do exist, you know, just ask the late Jim Garrison or Oliver Stone): the US will attack Iran after the 2008 elections, so that the Republicans' chances will not suffer. Imagine a scene like the finale of Dr. Strangelove with Darth Vader skydiving hugging the bomb over Tehran. Or maybe it is wishful thinking by some editors.
Cheers
Mohammed