Global Voices » Arab World: Good Bye Michael Jackson

Bloggers from across the Arab world bid King of Pop Michael Jackson farewell today as millions of fans tune into the silver screen to watch live coverage of his memorial ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Here is a snapshot of reactions from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia:

Jackson's ‘public’ death conjures so many raw emotions in Saudi Sarah Mattar ^[1], who writes:

الموت العلني يخيفني، يجعلني أتواجه مع كل الحقائق التي لا أحب أن أتأكد من واقعيتها، حينما استيقظت على خبر وفاة المطرب العالمي ( مايكل جاكسون ) فعلت كما فعل معظم الناس في العالم، حرّكت الرموت كنترول على معظم الفضائيات، أبحث عن صورة أخيرة لهُ، عن حقيقة لا افهمها، عن قصة تعيد لي حياته التي تلاشت في غضون دقيقة، لكن لا شيء يبّشر بالخير، لا شيء يدفعني إلا لقضم أصابع التعب والألم، لقد شعرت بالضيق لأجله، ولأجل كل الذين يموتون بالعلن أمامنا، ونتحضر نحن لكل تفاصيل موتهم الذي يأتي مفاجئاً لنا. هم يرحلون دون أن يشعروا بأنهم خلفوا في داخلنا فراغاً كبيراً من الألم لأجلهم، حينما يرحل الأموات، فهم لا يتمسكون بنا، نحن فقط من نمد أصابعنا العشر نلاحق ضبابية وجودهم من جديد في حياتنا!!

Public death scares me. It makes me face all the realities I hate to acknowledge. When I woke up to the news of Michael Jackson's death, I did what most people around the world did. I hit the remote control, flicking through channels, searching for his last images and a reality I don't understand. I was looking for a story which relives his life which came to an end in a mere 30 minutes. But there were no good omens and nothing except stress which made me bite my nails in futility and agony. I felt upset for him and for all those who die in public in front of us as we register all the details of their passing, which comes as a surprise to us. They leave without feeling that they have left behind a huge vacuum in our souls for their pain. When the dying leave, they don't hold on to us for we alone are the ones extending all our 10 fingers chasing their ghosts back into our lives!!!

Kuwait:

From Kuwait, Loft965 ^[2] writes:

Who know that Beyonce and I have the same favorite MJ song? This death is bringing people together […] This is heartfelt. The part are she says MJ’s name in the song again and again is wrenching.

Still in Kuwait, Maze of Thoughts ^[3] adds:

7500 fans were given the chance to attend the memorial service that will take place this morning. Around 1.6 million fans worldwide tried to purchase tickets to attend. It’s going to be a sad day for all MJ fans. The KING will always live in the hearts of millions.

And 4thringroad ^[4] reports:

Now i know lots of people are fed up with all the michael jackson news, i dont know about you guys but i sure am however i must say while doing my routine morning web surfing i read a weird article talking about how MJ will be buried without his brain in order to conduct more examinations to find out the exact reasons behind his sudden death..

Bahrain:

Bahraini Suad ^[5] comes to Jackson's rescue and notes:

كشأن جميع المشاهير انقسم الناس في رأيهم حول شخصية مايكل جاكسون فمنهم من رأى انه ضحية المجتمع الامريكي والشهرة والاضواء التي قد تكون وبالا على الانسان ومنهم من رأى انه كان ضحية نفسه وضحية ضياعه وتنكره للونه وآدميته

Like with many celebrities, people are divided in their opinion of Michael Jackson's personality. Some of them see him as a victim of American society, fame and how being under the spotlight could impact a person's life while others see that he is a victim of his own making, a victim of his loss and his giving up on his race and humanity.

And our final stop is with American Um Naief ^[6], who is married to a Bahraini and blogs at Hypnotic Verses. The blogger explains how it took time for her to come to grips with Jackson's death:

Wow… was shocked to learn of Michael Jackson's death. Knew he was a drug addict long ago, but you never want to imagine it being as bad as it was. Looks like they've come across bags and bags of drugs inside his home, so it's only a matter of days before the world finds out what was hidden in his closet.

Sad that he'd die like Elvis and was married to his daughter.

I felt unmoved by the news at first. Took several days for it to sink in and after watching many a show and reading articles on the net, I feel very saddened, but feel, like many, that he's free of his demons now.