Category Archives: Middle East

Saudi Blogger is Released

28 April 2008 – 9:19

The Arab News reported in a piece called “Blogger Case Exaggerated: Prince Ahmed” that Saudi blogger, Fouad Al-Farhan’s case had been exaggerated by the press.
“The issue (of Al-Farhan) was not that important as it represented the mistake committed by a person on himself. A man who commits a mistake should bear its result,” the Saudi [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

Eight Year Old Girl’s Divorce Is Finalised

18 April 2008 – 6:59

In what can only be described as a rare touch of common-sense and good news, the еight-year-old I mentioned on the 14th, Nujood Ali, has had her divorce from her 30 year old husband finalised by the court. An anonymous donor paid about US $250 to her husband to divorce her.
Unfortunately, there are many other [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Yemen | Comments (1)

Yemeni Parliament Sets No Minimum Age For Marriage

14 April 2008 – 14:42

I was reading the Arab News this morning and there was an article in it about an 8 year old Yemeni girl who had taken her father and her 30 year old husband to court seeking protection from abuse. According to the Arab News whenever she wanted to go outside and play with her friends, [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Yemen | Comments (1)

Al-Huraisi Retrial to Begin Next Tuesday

4 April 2008 – 0:01

It has been a while since I have written about those evil buffoons here in Saudi Arabia, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (or as I prefer to think of them, the Ministry of Licentiousness and Lasciviousness - the C-Men). However, they have been in the news here again.
I [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

Airport Security? Cods!

14 March 2008 – 10:36

I’ve been travelling. I left Saudi Arabia on Sunday night and flew to Dubai, Bangkok, Sydney, then back to Bangkok and now I am sitting in Dubai prior to flying back to Saudi Arabia. So, that is five days, two airlines and four airports, twice over. The flights were Emirates (VERY nice airline) from Saudi [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Asia Pacific, Australia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Travel | Comments (0)

Walk Like An Egyptian … To The Buffet

19 February 2008 – 23:49

I would not have believed it had I not seen it. Mind you, I spent time in Cairo and I can’t remember seeing it there. However, here in Saudi Arabia I can now tell the Egyptian guests at the hotel restaurant.
It is the buffet.
Spending a lot of time in the restaurant at the hotel (like [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

Vice Cops Unearth Magical Objects Hidden in Graves

3 December 2007 – 0:17

I forgot to mention. The other day (well , 3 days ago to be exact) the Arab News published a piece about the Vice Cops Unearthing Magical Object Hidden in Graves. This ties in rather nicely with a piece I had here back in October called The C-Men Do Some Good.
Now don’t think that this is [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

Al-Huraisi Killing Case: Court Clears Two C-Men

30 November 2007 – 11:06

I noted before that I would keep track of what happened with the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice members on trial for the brutal killing of a suspect under questioning by the membes of the Commission. To recap, the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (C-Men or as [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

More on the Qatif Girl

30 November 2007 – 2:06

Saudi Arabia’s Arab News (the English language paper) has gone strangely quiet on this, even as CNN interviews their staff. No mention has been made in the Arab News that Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has called for a judicial review of the whole sentencing of the girl and who noted that:
There [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

More on Saudi Justice

25 November 2007 – 15:43

It seems that the Ministry of Justice has been stung to make comment about the ruling in the Qatif Girl rape case. See New Ministry Statement on Qatif Case in the Arab News (also being reported on CNN amongst other places).
Seems the official release from the Ministry of Justice notes that the woman and man [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)