Tuesday, June 1, 2010

If you had any doubt . . .

If you had any doubt about what life is like in Saudi Arabia, have I got the book for you. It is written by Carmen Bin Laden, ex-sister-in-law of Osama. She met her future husband, one of Osama's 20 plus brothers, in Switzerland, where she grew up. They fell in love, married and lived for awhile in the USA. Little did she know what she was getting into when she said "I do." To be fair, her husband, so far (I'm still in the book), is not like many of his brothers. He seems to go along with the barbaric traditions of his nomadic ancestors, and Muslim faith, in deference to his family. Inside, he is not like them. After schooling in the US, her husband decides they should go to Saudi Arabia to live. Carmen knows little about the Muslim faith, let alone the peculiarities of Saudi Arabian culture. At this point in my reading, she has been there about 3 years and is barely enduring the secluded life of a woman in a country where she is no better than property. She is an intelligent and bold woman and is hoping Saudi Arabia will come into the 20th century instead of remaining in the middle ages. After a few years, things did not get better, but worse. Now she has 2 daughters, not a son which would offer her many benefits and protections should her husband die. With only daughters for children, if her husband dies, she would be under the control of one of her fanatic brothers. She and her daughters could never leave the country without his permission.

Are you interested yet?

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