Category Archives: Saudi Arabia
One Hundred Years Ago, Lawrence of Arabia killed the Railroad – March 1923: Transjordan
Zur deutschen Fassung. Not quite a hundred, but still more than thirty years ago, I was in Australia as an exchange student. I don’t think I have ever told stories from that time, because back then, we still took pictures … Continue reading
Arms exports to Saudi Arabia
I used to be skeptical about arms exports to Saudi Arabia. But then I learned that the weapons are mostly used to celebrate weddings:
Random Thoughts (14)
If I am ever on a quiz show, my telephone joker will be the dude who wrote Wikipedia. Suki Kim has done impressive undercover reporting in North Korea, fooling both her employer, by pretending that she was a devout Christian, and of course the … Continue reading
Modern Mecca
Is it still the Kaaba (the black box in the arena) which is supposed to be the holiest site in the world, or has Mecca just become another place to worship dollars and riyals (and a copy of Big Ben)?
What do we need ISIS for?
After all, we already have Saudi Arabia: (Auf Deutsch.)
Easily Confused (40) Beheadings
People whom we call “barbaric” and “monsters” when they cut somebody’s head off: ISIS, IS, Al-Qaeda. People whom we do business with when they cut somebody’s head off: Saudi Arabia.
Women, you are allowed to vote. – For me. If at all.
Last weekend, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has announced that women might in future be allowed to stand as candidates in municipal elections and “will even have a right to vote”. Among women’s rights activists, excitement and optimism have been … Continue reading
WikiLeaks and Israel
When WikiLeaks announced last week that it would release hitherto secret communication between the US State Department and US embassies around the world, the levels of curiosity and anxiety were equally high. Overall though, the revelations might have bruised some … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 