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Pulse of the Saudi Blogosphere

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Saudi Arabia

This week, Abu Hamad has a question to his Saudi readers [1]: “what would you do if Bush and his “junta” decided to invade Saudi?” He thinks that with current state of affairs it is extremely unlikely, but asks his reader not to try to limit their imaginations.

Farooha had a meeting with the Jordanian blogger Ruba Al-Assi. At first, they had a communication problem [2], so they finally settled for English. According to Farooha, they “had one hell of a time [3].” And although they had graduated from the same class at the same secondary school in Riyadh, Roba dose not remember Farooha at all, and Farooha remember Roba as “The tall girl.”

Trilancer is disappointed with the low level that Arabic TV shows have reached. He thinks that a major season for TV in the Arab World, such as Ramadhan, only “shows how bad Arabian shows are [4]. From bad to worse, and the only thing new technology has proven is that the problem is with the people, not the resources.”

Nour thinks that Embrace, Cherish, and Care [5] are three magic words that will take Saudis to the top. “If we want to build a nation so strong, bonded by love and respect, all must benefit. We should look at the less fortunate and give them a chance. We the people, not Al-Saud, blame them all you want, it won't change a thing. It won't make any ones life better. (…) Embracing righteous and modestly continuing yet cherishing our religion Islam, all at the same time could never turn against us,” she says.

Prometheus says that religious fanaticism has ruined our lives [6] (Arabic), “and those who promote this fanaticism are ignorant, retarded people,” he added. “We must not follow them and support their extreme opinions.”

Fouad al-Farhan wonders if Google has become the biggest spy in the world [7] (Arabic). On the subject of discrimination against minorities, Jo says [8] “[i]t is one thing to be able to speak your mind and quite another to use your words so that you can incite hatred towards any group of people.” Digital Mind discusses some possibilities to encourage writing books in the Arabic [9] (Arabic) language.