Death in Riyadh: dark secrets in hidden ArabiaArena books, 2000. okt. 28. - 230 oldal This is not only a travel book but a thought-provoking documentary on inter-cultural relationships between the different races and nationalities comprising the huge expatriate population and native Arab residents of the oil-rich peninsula.The many characters portrayed, presented in a variety of authentic stories encountered by the author on his travels, are centred around the horrific event of a public stoning in Saudi Arabia. Some of the stories have a humorous flavour, but all are concerned with the human problems - many of them poignant - of expatriates and Arabs alike, living cheek by jowl in a society of gaping contrasts.It would be simplistic to interpret the book as merely a critique of the harsher aspects of Arab life from a Western perspective, for in the cause of future concord, the author calls for a dialogue between the cultures of the Middle East and the West in the name of social justice and modernisation. The present strains, in what has become a multi-cultural society following the influx of millions, mostly from the Third World, anticipates the possibility of trouble ahead.The status of women is highlighted and discussed in several dramatic episodes, and a compassionate view is taken of Asian guest workers in the light of their widespread mistreatment in the Gulf.The rigidity of tradition would seem not merely to prevent the development of a modern mind-set, but in the perceived threat of Westernisation, to trigger an even more regressive attitude, as is shown clearly in this book. But note is also taken of the Arab outlook on the Western world, together with their horror of Western liberal values, and their passionate arguments for resisting change are recorded in detail.An element of suspense and mystery is maintained throughout the book as the execution of the condemned victim progresses through the narrative, only interrupted by recollections of other personalities and the stories surrounding them. Is the condemned person male or female? And what was the offence? No prior information is posted by the authorities on the public punishment or execution of offenders. The attitude of many readers to the horrific episode many change considerably as the true facts leading up to the execution are revealed towards the end of the book.The prolific travel writer, Peter Biddlecombe, writes:- "e;Brilliant! Read 'Death in Riyadh' and you'll never want to buy another gallon of Saudi oil again. Anyone with any sense of decency, let alone half-a-litre of justice, should buy two copies to read and the other to throw at Robin Cook's ethical foreign policy! A book of adventure and true compassion, and an un-put-downable read."e; |
Részletek a könyvből
1 - 5 találat összesen 25 találatból.
5. oldal
... desert states of the Arabian peninsula. They were officially categorised as “Celibates” living in dormitory accommodation on the periphery of towns and cities, yet most were married and all had families in their home countries to whom ...
... desert states of the Arabian peninsula. They were officially categorised as “Celibates” living in dormitory accommodation on the periphery of towns and cities, yet most were married and all had families in their home countries to whom ...
6. oldal
... desert lands. Many must have taken the final plunge with trepidation as wives and loved ones were left behind - maybe for years at a time. The Asian guest worker crossed a daunting barrier on entering the desert Kingdom. The laws of ...
... desert lands. Many must have taken the final plunge with trepidation as wives and loved ones were left behind - maybe for years at a time. The Asian guest worker crossed a daunting barrier on entering the desert Kingdom. The laws of ...
7. oldal
... desert, defended by armed guards and wire fencing - isolated like a plague bacillus from the Islamic civilisation beyond its gates. As the plane slowly moved off towards the runway, passed radio masts, barrack blocks, rocket launchers ...
... desert, defended by armed guards and wire fencing - isolated like a plague bacillus from the Islamic civilisation beyond its gates. As the plane slowly moved off towards the runway, passed radio masts, barrack blocks, rocket launchers ...
9. oldal
... desert; over quarries gouged out of the rock; over the criss-crossing of six-lane highways in the vicinity of nowhere; over fleets of earthmoving equipment; and over convoys of slow-moving trucks loaded with rubble in the wake of great ...
... desert; over quarries gouged out of the rock; over the criss-crossing of six-lane highways in the vicinity of nowhere; over fleets of earthmoving equipment; and over convoys of slow-moving trucks loaded with rubble in the wake of great ...
10. oldal
... desert jutting into the Gulf to the south of Bahrain. It was always a pleasure to be in Dubai after several days in the drab city of Doha with its dry hotels and restaurants. All is relative, but Dubai was lively and prosperous - an ...
... desert jutting into the Gulf to the south of Bahrain. It was always a pleasure to be in Dubai after several days in the drab city of Doha with its dry hotels and restaurants. All is relative, but Dubai was lively and prosperous - an ...
Tartalomjegyzék
2 | |
17 | |
33 | |
A family in Jeddah | 49 |
To be rid of a wife | 65 |
Justice in a mans world | 75 |
The grim capital | 90 |
Values in conflict | 108 |
Uncertain of the future | 143 |
Families divided | 156 |
A celibate in Doha | 164 |
Apartheid between the sexes | 173 |
Twilight of the European expatriates | 191 |
The writing on the wall | 199 |
Women and progress | 211 |
The Yemen adventure | 125 |
Más kiadások - Összes megtekintése
Gyakori szavak és kifejezések
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