Last September, the crown prince cracked down on and jailed

Saudis Come To Grips With Swift Changes

On canada goose outlet online a balmy Thursday evening, dozens of young canada goose outlet houston Saudis stream into the AlComedy Club in the western canada goose outlet niagara falls port city of Jeddah. It’s canada goose outlet toronto location the start of the weekend, and the crowd snacks on popcorn and ice cream before grabbing some of the sagging seats in the theater. Shakira’s «Hips Don’t Lie» canada goose outlet official blares from speakers hanging above a tiny stage.

Canada Goose sale Comedian canada goose outlet uk Khaled Omar takes canada goose outlet ontario the mic and begins his act, canada goose outlet vip lamenting how he has no baby pictures canada goose outlet belgium of himself. He still wants to know what happened to all his baby pictures. Canada Goose sale

Canada Goose Jackets Omar’s routine is a gentle dig at the Saudi government and religious establishment reversing decades of social restrictions. Much of what was forbidden in Saudi Arabia cinema, music, theater, women driving is suddenly acceptable. In fact, the Saudi government is encouraging it. But for many Saudis, their whole way of life their whole belief system is being upended. Canada Goose Jackets

buy canada goose jacket cheap The founder of the comedy canada goose outlet black friday club, Yaser Bakr, says the changes are long overdue. buy canada goose jacket cheap

Canada Goose Parka «We used to canada goose factory outlet toronto location have partitions in the first canada goose discount uk five years. This is the first year where crowds are sitting mixed together,» he says. «It surprises me how fast all of these changes became normal.» Canada Goose Parka

canada goose store The social liberalization is being driven from the top, by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The hard charging, tech savvy 32 year old launched an ambitious plan called Vision 2030 to open the kingdom, diversify its economy and create jobs, especially for young people. More than 70 percent of Saudis are under 30. canada goose store

cheap Canada Goose Many of the social changes are popular with the kingdom’s younger citizens. cheap Canada Goose

«I’m really happy that it happened now that I’m young, and, like, canada goose vest outlet I can live all these changes,» says a 19 year old woman at a caf in Riyadh who asked that her name not be used so she could speak freely. «The cinema, I’m really excited about it, that’s the most thing I’m excited about because I love movies so much,» she gushes.

Canada Goose online Others canada goose outlet online uk like her own sister, who is 29 are nervous about the sheer breadth and pace of the social changes underway. Canada Goose online

«We have to change, canada goose outlet uk sale that’s something I know is a fact,» the sister says. «Just, the way we are changing, I wish it was mindful of everyone. I canada goose outlet london talk to younger people, they are happy with it. But older people are not.»

Rules about music, cinema and the like were supposed to be based on guidance from God. Government issued edicts came via clerics. So far, the new rules are coming directly from the Saudi government. It has been confusing for some Saudis.

canada goose coats Consider the changes in April alone: The kingdom rolled out its plans for its first ever tourist visas, canada goose outlet store calgary held its first Arab fashion week and opened its first cinema in 35 years. canada goose coats

A 26 year old man in canada goose sale uk Riyadh, wearing a thobe, a long white gown, says the changes are nothing short of shocking.

canada goose deals «I’m not sure if one can have a culture shock within their canada goose outlet location own country, but that’s what I’m experiencing right now,» he says. canada goose deals

He describes himself as canada goose kensington parka uk a traditionalist and says he comes from a large and canada goose jacket outlet uk conservative family. He asked that his name wellbutrin online to australia. not be used so as not to anger his family by talking to the canada goose outlet online store foreign press. The man worries his family members will canada goose outlet store near me be alienated and left behind because they’re not fully on board with all the recent changes, and feel they can’t express their concerns publicly because canada goose outlet woodbury it is dangerous to appear to criticize the government.

canada goose clearance sale «So on a personal level, when I see them just shrinking and excising themselves from the public sphere for me, that’s a bit canada goose outlet toronto address sad,» he says. «That’s sort of upsetting that they believe that the future doesn’t include them. She’s making the rounds to promote the changes abroad, but acknowledges canada goose stockists uk the government and the religious establishment needs to do a better job explaining them at home. canada goose clearance sale

«When you live in a community where, overnight, what was a ‘no’ is a ‘yes,’ it’s very hard to rationalize if there’s no ‘why,'» Bandar says.

canadian goose jacket It reminds her of raising her kids. «They’d ask me why, and I’d be, canada goose outlet edmonton like, ‘Because I said so.’ That’s not an answer that most people can accept anymore,» she says. canada goose outlet canadian goose jacket

canada goose black friday sale Some Saudis wonder if these sudden changes will last. Abdulrahman Khawj, a filmmaker in Jeddah, says all this is happening because of one man’s vision. canada goose black friday sale

canada goose coats on sale «If another man comes and takes his place and he has a different vision, it could go away,» he warns. «So [Crown Prince Mohammed] is good for us. But who knows who’s going to be next.» canada goose coats on sale

canada goose Some worry that even with the changes, there is still no room for dissent. Last September, the crown prince cracked down on and jailed opposition figures, including clerics, economists and journalists and bloggers. canada goose

Two months canada goose outlet florida later, about 200 government ministers, businessmen and members of the royal family were rounded up and detained without due process at Riyadh’s Ritz Carlton hotel, as part of the crown prince’s anti corruption crackdown. Most have since been freed, after paying large settlements, but in canada goose outlet phone number certain cases, the whereabouts of some detainees are unknown.

Adam Coogle, a http://www.canadagoosejacketoutlett.com Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch, says he doesn’t want to belittle some of the crown prince’s moves, such as allowing women to drive. But political repression in Saudi Arabia, he warns, is extremely high right now.

canada goose clearance «If you criticize [the crown prince] or the king, you not only have exposed yourself to arrest, you will be likely charged with a terrorism crime carrying a sentence of between five to 10 years,» he says. canada goose clearance

Canada Goose Outlet While some rumblings of discontent are apparent in the kingdom’s big cities, it’s more obvious in smaller towns, such as Huraymila, canada goose outlet online store review about an hour’s drive north of Riyadh, past plenty of camels and new construction in the desert. The town of wide boulevards and squat, sand colored buildings has a conservative reputation. You can’t buy cigarettes, and music in public remains unwelcome Canada Goose Outlet.

20 июля 2014 - Сергей Ермилов - 0 - Новости / Просмотров: 526