Electric Eye... In The Sky

Christmas News and Other Oddments

Well Merry Christmas to all you nonbelievers out there! Well, firstly some news from the Kingdom.

RIYADH: A legal expert at the Ministry of Labor has denied that the Kingdom’s new labor law bans mingling of men and women in workplace.

“While article 166 of the old labor law prohibited men and women from mingling in workplace, the new law only stipulates that their employment should be in accordance with Islamic Shariah,” Al-Watan newspaper quoted the unnamed expert as saying.

The expert was clarifying comments made by Chairman of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Ibrahim Al-Ghaith at a recent event in Riyadh.

“The Ministry of Labor is the right authority to implement regulations regarding the employment of women. It should implement the labor law, including Chapter 10 that bans the mingling of men and women in workplace,” said Al-Ghaith while speaking at the opening function of the Khair Al-Ummah Forum on Friday.

“Other government departments that consider employing women in any establishment should inform the Ministry of Labor so that it may ensure the regulation concerning gender-mixing is observed,” he added.

The legal expert, who participated in drafting the new regulations, said there was no Chapter 10 in the new statute, adding that there is a Section 10 that deals with child labor.

He further said the clauses on women’s employment are discussed in Section 9, adding that the law does not contain the phrase “prohibition of mingling of men and women.”

Muhammad Al-Mushawweh, a Saudi legal consultant, said that if the chairman was seeking to back up his argument using an old or abrogated regulation then he should have clearly stated it was abrogated.

In his address, Al-Ghaith stressed that the commission does not oppose women sales personnel per se, but that they have to be in malls restricted to women. “The commission is against women working in commercial complexes where men are present,” he said.

Al-Ghaith however supported participation of women in all gatherings, provided these are within limits set by the Shariah.

I’m picking up a slight whiff of camel shit here. For a start, if the Chairman of the Mutawwa is preaching Women’s rights, men will be able to have babies and cows will fly (pigs aren’t haram.)
Next point, Women only malls: Only one exists, a floor of the Kingdom Mall in Riyadh, and a women needs serious ‘Wusta’ (Arabic for connections) to get a job in there. Women’s employment options are somewhat limited to Women’s only Banks or working as Teachers. And as for the limits set by Shariah, those are a big fat ZILCH.

This however does not bring me neatly on to the next point of conversation: The Economy.

While other parts of the world are tightening the purse strings, Dubai is still a haven of spending. Why only today, an advert for a Dhs. 3,000 (500 GBP) with as much Cristal as you could possibly quaff. But surely the fact the world economy is going down the shitter means PEOPLE SPEND LESS MONEY. But then again, the average populace could purchase a small car out of the money they find between the cushions on their sofa.

News 24-12-08 (BIG Post)

First - some news:

Saudi drug addict knifes 19-year-old daughter to death

”By Abdul Rahman Shaheen, Correspondent
Published: December 19, 2008, 23:04
Riyadh: A 19-year-old girl was murdered in cold blood by her drug addicted father amid increasing reports of drug-related crimes in Saudi Arabia.

The 47-year old Saudi man slashed the neck of his daughter several times in Faisaliya district in Jeddah on Wednesday night, the police said. The girl’s maternal grandmother, who was at home, died of heart attack.

The police found 40 Captagon pills on the man who is being interrogated, it is learnt.

According to the police, the girl has been living with her mother, who married again after she was divorced by her father 18 years ago, her grandmother and stepfather.

Recently, the girl asked his father, who used to visit her once a week, permission to join a medical college. Initially, her father responded favourably. However, he later changed his mind.”

What’s odd, is Saudi’s main English Language Newspaper, The Arab News (www.arabnews.com)
doesn’t carry the story. Surely a gruesome crime such as this would be reported? Obviously not, as in the Kingdom, a main headline is this.

”MAKKAH: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice yesterday seized large quantities of an “unlicensed” impotency drug from a medical store in Al-Mansourah district of Makkah.

The commission did not name the type of drug seized or say what it meant when it said the drug was “unlicensed.”

The commission did, however, explain how it busted the merchant: After receiving a tip from a local informant about the illegal operations of the pharmacy, the commission arranged a sting operation in which a man went to the pharmacy asking for the stimulant.

The pharmacist refused to comply with the demand at first. When the man again went to the shop requesting the substance, the pharmacist asked him to wait and sent another man to bring the banned drug from a warehouse.

The waiting commission members arrested the pharmacist and his accomplice when they were selling the stimulant to the man. They also inspected the warehouse and seized large quantities of the contraband.”

For those of you who aren’t in the know, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (see Gestapo/KGB), known colloquially as the Muttawa (Arabic for Helper, in the Koranic context) are men (Women in the Police in Saudi! Never! Shock/Horror etc.) who are there to inforce the Shariah Law of the country (get men into prayer, make sure women are wearing the Abaya at all times etc.) and are generally portrayed initiating good deeds such as beating people to death, and helping kill 14 girls in a Makkah School fire (the girls did not have headscarves on, so the Muttawa locked the doors, to prevent fire services getting in, as the contact between men and women may cause ‘enticement’. Naturally, in most sane countries, like the Kingdom, safety goes before religion :]

As for the drugs, they were most likely Viagra, which isn’t haram (good in the eyes of the Koran), but that didn’t stop King Fahad being a master of derring-do in his latter days. But again, the quality of the journalism is shoddy at best, but this is ‘shocking news’ to the Saudi Public.

This neatly moves us on to our next topic of discussion, a big one in Britain atm.

This article is courtesy of the Times online:

”YOU put your right leg in … It’s a dance-floor favourite at family gatherings and a good indicator of when elderly aunts have had enough sherry.

But, as the party season gets into full swing, the Catholic church and politicians in Scotland have warned that singing the Hokey Cokey could get you arrested because it contains a sinister, sectarian message. They claim the ditty was composed by Puritans during the 18th century to mock the language and actions used by priests at Latin Mass and could be hijacked by bigots.

Supporters of Rangers football club have been banned from singing sectarian songs at the club’s ground but discussions are taking place on fan websites about singing the Hokey Cokey at matches. Politicians have urged the police to arrest anyone caught singing the song in a sectarian context under legislation on incitement to religious hatred.

“This song does have quite disturbing origins. It was devised as an attack on, and a parody of, the Catholic Mass,” said Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Catholic church in Scotland. “If there are moves to restore its more malevolent meaning then consideration should perhaps be given to its wider use.”

SNP MSP Michael Matheson said: “It is important that the police and football clubs are aware of the sinister background to this song, and take the appropriate action against individuals and groups who use it at matches or in other situations to taunt Catholics.”

The church says the title derives from “hocus-pocus”. The phrase is said to ridicule the words used by priests in the Eucharist, “hoc est enim corpus meum”, or “this is my body”.”

Those of you who know your Scottish History.

Rangers vs. Celtic@Ibrox this Saturday.
Naturally, what shall the more ”Orange” Rangers supporters be chanting?

News 24-12-08

First - some news:

Saudi drug addict knifes 19-year-old daughter to death

”By Abdul Rahman Shaheen, Correspondent
Published: December 19, 2008, 23:04
Riyadh: A 19-year-old girl was murdered in cold blood by her drug addicted father amid increasing reports of drug-related crimes in Saudi Arabia.

The 47-year old Saudi man slashed the neck of his daughter several times in Faisaliya district in Jeddah on Wednesday night, the police said. The girl’s maternal grandmother, who was at home, died of heart attack.

The police found 40 Captagon pills on the man who is being interrogated, it is learnt.

According to the police, the girl has been living with her mother, who married again after she was divorced by her father 18 years ago, her grandmother and stepfather.

Recently, the girl asked his father, who used to visit her once a week, permission to join a medical college. Initially, her father responded favourably. However, he later changed his mind.”

What’s odd, is Saudi’s main English Language Newspaper, The Arab News (www.arabnews.com)
doesn’t carry the story. Surely a gruesome crime such as this would be reported? Obviously not, as in the Kingdom, a main headline is this.

”MAKKAH: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice yesterday seized large quantities of an “unlicensed” impotency drug from a medical store in Al-Mansourah district of Makkah.

The commission did not name the type of drug seized or say what it meant when it said the drug was “unlicensed.”

The commission did, however, explain how it busted the merchant: After receiving a tip from a local informant about the illegal operations of the pharmacy, the commission arranged a sting operation in which a man went to the pharmacy asking for the stimulant.

The pharmacist refused to comply with the demand at first. When the man again went to the shop requesting the substance, the pharmacist asked him to wait and sent another man to bring the banned drug from a warehouse.

The waiting commission members arrested the pharmacist and his accomplice when they were selling the stimulant to the man. They also inspected the warehouse and seized large quantities of the contraband.”

For those of you who aren’t in the know, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (see Gestapo/KGB), known colloquially as the Muttawa (Arabic for Helper, in the Koranic context) are men (Women in the Police in Saudi! Never! Shock/Horror etc.) who are there to inforce the Shariah Law of the country (get men into prayer, make sure women are wearing the Abaya at all times etc.) and are generally portrayed initiating good deeds such as beating people to death, and helping kill 14 girls in a Makkah School fire (the girls did not have headscarves on, so the Muttawa locked the doors, to prevent fire services getting in, as the contact between men and women may cause ‘enticement’. Naturally, in most sane countries, like the Kingdom, safety goes before religion :]

As for the drugs, they were most likely Viagra, which isn’t haram (good in the eyes of the Koran), but that didn’t stop King Fahad being a master of derring-do in his latter days. But again, the quality of the journalism is shoddy at best, but this is ‘shocking news’ to the Saudi Public.

Time To Christen Ye Olde Blog!

Salutations humans in the free world, I’m a person who is very into politics despite my age. Seeing as I live in the Middle East, I thought I’d give you a sort of Moe-Public (see what I done there?) view on life in the land of the Terrorist, Home of Oil. You’ll be informed of the humorous events going on and such, especially in the manner the ‘free’ press reports them.

The Khaleej Times:
”ABU DHABI - The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has ranked 25 in a Newsweek profile of the world’s Top 50 most powerful people.
Shaikh Khalifa joins elite personalities led by United States president-elect Barack Obama, Chinaese President Hu Jintao and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi, according to various research reports including the International Monetary Fund, could be worth up to $ 850 billion.

According to Forbes, Shaikh Khalifa is the world’s second wealthiest royal, with an estimated wealth of 23 billion dollars.

Shaikh Khalifa assumed the office of the President on November 3, 2004. He also heads the Supreme Petroleum Council.

He has also positioned the UAE as an important player in the region. Outgoing US President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former president of Russia Vladimir Putin have all visited the UAE in recent months.”

I’m sorry, but the media has tarted this about like it’s something amazing. Big whoop, he came 25th on a list of important people. When are we going to hear about all the rape and murder that’s not happening? Or people criticizing the government? I think Babe will be flying the Kangaroo Route long before that’ll happen. The government would benefit from telling us real news, not this trash, but instead take a leaf out of the Saudi book, ‘Fake or unimportant good news is better than real/important bad news.’