With the news that Osama bin Laden was killed by American Special Forces at a compound in Pakistan, concern for U.S. interests and citizens abroad has increased. Being in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden's birthplace, the home of his large extended family, and not to mention, where 15 of the 19 September 11th hijackers came from, it is understandable to be a little more worried. Some people here feel the same way. The morning we all woke to the news a couple of the older Brits on my bus told me to expect notification from my embassy planning for all Americans' immediate evacuation. One of them suspected that we'd all be on a plane within 24 hours and suggested if it wasn't the case, I should demand it first from my employer and then from my embassy. This same man also hasn't been out of the hotel alone since the news hit on Monday for fear of being confused for an American. And while I guess I can understand where this guy is coming from, his reaction is more than a little extreme. The news' portrayal as well as my own experience of not only how the Saudi public but indeed how much of the Arab and Islamic world feel about OBL and his death paint quite a different picture.
The Saudi government long ago disavowed and publicly disowned Osama bin Laden. He has been an enemy of the House of Saud longer than he has been of the United States. He's proved to be a destabilizing personality, an embarrassment, and has cost the Kingdom a lot in terms of its reputation around the world. Seeking out and killing or capturing members of Al Qaeda has been a priority of the Saudi government for a long time now and hundreds of suspected terrorists or people with terrorist links have been arrested and detained, Guantanamo-style, especially since the infamous attacks on Westerners and Western compounds that happened in the wake of September 11th. The bin Laden tribe, who became rich building many of the roads and highways in and around Saudi Arabia and whose company name, The Bin Laden Group, I see plastered all over construction sites in Riyadh, have long ago disowned Osama as well. They also consider him a murderer, an embarrassment, and a source of shame. The government and his tribe of course have a lot to lose financially by not publicly disavowing OBL, so their campaigns of criticism and distancing themselves in that respect are somewhat understandable. However, the opinion that he's an indiscriminate murderer of Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike, and a criminal against Islam seems to be fairly widely held as well -- at least from my experience discussing the matter so far.
For a moment, I considered taking on a different persona. I practiced how to say "I'm Canadian" or "I'm Czech" in Arabic, just in case I was asked about my nationality. I even, somewhat jokingly, got some basic facts about Canada and specifically about Vancouver from a colleague of mine, just in case I was questioned further. But when it came down to it, even the first time that I was asked about my nationality by a cab driver, something that happens as soon as I get into a cab every time without fail, I didn't even hesitate. "Anna Emriky" (I'm an American) I said. More than just not wanting to lie and not wanting to let my behavior be dominated by fear, I wanted to know what this guy thought. I was pretty sure he was Pakistani, as a great number of the cab drivers in Riyadh are, and I wanted to get his reaction. As is usually the case he exclaimed positively when I told him where I was from. He said things like "welcome, welcome" and asked me how long I've been in Saudi. And then I asked him "So, what do you think of the news about Osama?" and this was his response:
"Very good. Very good. Bombs no good. Dead no good. Maybe now no more bombs (motioning from the sky). Good thing. Very good thing."
Now I was pretty sure that the bombs he was talking about initially were the ones that would have come in the form of terrorist attacks orchestrated by OBL. The second ones though, when he made the gesture of bombs coming from a plane, I assumed to be a reference to the U.S. drone strikes that have taken place in Northwestern Pakistan and which have caused deep rifts between the two nations' governments as well as sowing anti-American sentiment among a number of Pakistanis not only in the NW region of Pakistan where the Taliban have a strong presence, but also among middle class people from various segments of society. This man, for one, seemed to think that the death of Osama was a good thing. The next two cab drivers I had, another from Pakistan and the second from Afghanistan (the first Afghani I'd met here) both shared the exact same opinion.
My students, despite my best efforts to avoid political conversations at all cost, have expressed almost entirely the same opinion, that Osama's death is a good thing and that he was a perverter of Islam and a murderer of innocents. I did, however, interrupt an argument where a group of students were yelling at another one, and when I asked what was going on, the spokesman for the group said that the other student had a picture of OBL on his phone and was saying that he was sad. The group was berating him for this and arguing that Osama was an evil person. This was the first I'd heard about any one being even remotely sad about bin Laden's death and has been the only instance as of this writing.
Now I am well aware that I am not encountering a large sampling of the Saudi and/or foreign population and that I should resist making generalizing assumptions based on my experience so far. I am also aware that it only takes one person enraged and radical enough to carry out an act of violence. But while I won't take any unnecessary risks, I still won't let fear dictate my behavior. The reaction to the news of the death of Osama bin Laden has not been cause for concern, in fact, it has been quite the opposite. I will continue to be aware of my surroundings though, as I have always been, but for the most part, life here is continuing as normal, and trust me, I think I will be just fine.
The Saudi government long ago disavowed and publicly disowned Osama bin Laden. He has been an enemy of the House of Saud longer than he has been of the United States. He's proved to be a destabilizing personality, an embarrassment, and has cost the Kingdom a lot in terms of its reputation around the world. Seeking out and killing or capturing members of Al Qaeda has been a priority of the Saudi government for a long time now and hundreds of suspected terrorists or people with terrorist links have been arrested and detained, Guantanamo-style, especially since the infamous attacks on Westerners and Western compounds that happened in the wake of September 11th. The bin Laden tribe, who became rich building many of the roads and highways in and around Saudi Arabia and whose company name, The Bin Laden Group, I see plastered all over construction sites in Riyadh, have long ago disowned Osama as well. They also consider him a murderer, an embarrassment, and a source of shame. The government and his tribe of course have a lot to lose financially by not publicly disavowing OBL, so their campaigns of criticism and distancing themselves in that respect are somewhat understandable. However, the opinion that he's an indiscriminate murderer of Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike, and a criminal against Islam seems to be fairly widely held as well -- at least from my experience discussing the matter so far.
For a moment, I considered taking on a different persona. I practiced how to say "I'm Canadian" or "I'm Czech" in Arabic, just in case I was asked about my nationality. I even, somewhat jokingly, got some basic facts about Canada and specifically about Vancouver from a colleague of mine, just in case I was questioned further. But when it came down to it, even the first time that I was asked about my nationality by a cab driver, something that happens as soon as I get into a cab every time without fail, I didn't even hesitate. "Anna Emriky" (I'm an American) I said. More than just not wanting to lie and not wanting to let my behavior be dominated by fear, I wanted to know what this guy thought. I was pretty sure he was Pakistani, as a great number of the cab drivers in Riyadh are, and I wanted to get his reaction. As is usually the case he exclaimed positively when I told him where I was from. He said things like "welcome, welcome" and asked me how long I've been in Saudi. And then I asked him "So, what do you think of the news about Osama?" and this was his response:
"Very good. Very good. Bombs no good. Dead no good. Maybe now no more bombs (motioning from the sky). Good thing. Very good thing."
Now I was pretty sure that the bombs he was talking about initially were the ones that would have come in the form of terrorist attacks orchestrated by OBL. The second ones though, when he made the gesture of bombs coming from a plane, I assumed to be a reference to the U.S. drone strikes that have taken place in Northwestern Pakistan and which have caused deep rifts between the two nations' governments as well as sowing anti-American sentiment among a number of Pakistanis not only in the NW region of Pakistan where the Taliban have a strong presence, but also among middle class people from various segments of society. This man, for one, seemed to think that the death of Osama was a good thing. The next two cab drivers I had, another from Pakistan and the second from Afghanistan (the first Afghani I'd met here) both shared the exact same opinion.
My students, despite my best efforts to avoid political conversations at all cost, have expressed almost entirely the same opinion, that Osama's death is a good thing and that he was a perverter of Islam and a murderer of innocents. I did, however, interrupt an argument where a group of students were yelling at another one, and when I asked what was going on, the spokesman for the group said that the other student had a picture of OBL on his phone and was saying that he was sad. The group was berating him for this and arguing that Osama was an evil person. This was the first I'd heard about any one being even remotely sad about bin Laden's death and has been the only instance as of this writing.
Now I am well aware that I am not encountering a large sampling of the Saudi and/or foreign population and that I should resist making generalizing assumptions based on my experience so far. I am also aware that it only takes one person enraged and radical enough to carry out an act of violence. But while I won't take any unnecessary risks, I still won't let fear dictate my behavior. The reaction to the news of the death of Osama bin Laden has not been cause for concern, in fact, it has been quite the opposite. I will continue to be aware of my surroundings though, as I have always been, but for the most part, life here is continuing as normal, and trust me, I think I will be just fine.
I read your blog often and have even shared it with some co workers. One lovely young gal who I work with is studying International Studies, and I showed her your blog. She found it very interesting as do I. Just wanted to share that with you :)
ReplyDeleteWith that aside, I find this most current piece of yours very capturing. You provide first hand insight to a different cultural view of the current events, to be honest, is a little comforting. Living where I live now, you can imagine some fear of "retailation". Thanks for your words and insight. :)