RIYADH, 22 September 2003 — It was rude, offensive, and insulting. I mean the cartoon that appeared in Al-Watan newspaper last week. The cartoon featured a woman as a soccer ball happily bouncing back to a man after being kicked against a wall. I was completely outraged to see in one of our leading newspapers such a silly cartoon lacking either a sense of humor or any pretense to objective criticism. The reaction I thought of was to address my remarks to the editor in chief of Al-Watan. I did so, and to my great surprise, I have had not a word of response.
In spite of Al-Watan’s relative newness among our newspapers, it has gained fame and notice for tackling controversial issues, some of which were related to women. So it is a great disappointment to see the paper contradicting itself by allowing such an absurd cartoon on pages that once called for mutual respect between the sexes.
Many are the problems that Saudi women have to deal with. What most likely tops the list is dealing with the male mentality; it is a rigid mentality that contributes plentifully to every other problem women face. Yet the saddest realization comes when we realize how ignorant and unconcerned some people who are known as intellectuals can be.
We live in a world in which the media has an enormous impact on how people think and act. It is no doubt the easiest way to convey messages to the world. The times we live in are also critical, with the whole world eager to know more about Saudis and their mysterious lives. And unfortunately, when such a cartoon appears on the pages of a widely-read newspaper, it leaves no room for positive ideas about how women are treated. The only ideas to spring from it would be very negative ones indeed.
I am quite sure that such things also disturb other women; I wonder how many others were as upset as I was. We Saudi women are able to defend ourselves and we will. Our greatest hope is still the hope for a change in the male mentality.
