Book Review: "Princess"

I recently read a book entitled "Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia." It was recommended by a man who came to do a training at work on Muslims. I was curious to read this real-life recount of Muslim culture expressed in the Middle East. What I didn't realize was how much it would impact me.

I walked away from reading this book feeling like I had taken a peek inside the life of "Sultana," a Saudi Arabian royal princess. That peek left me feeling burdened for the women who are forced to live behind the veil. Sultana's life was filled with luxury and privilege, yet she was in bondage and unfulfilled.

Women in Saudi Arabia are treated as second-class citizens, with the cultural preference always being given to males. Women are forced to be completely veiled upon the time of their first menstruation. They may be given in marriage at any point after that and there is no age limit on the husband they may be married to. In Saudi Arabian society, if women rebel and commit any form of impropriety by violating Sharia law (Islamic regulations), they may be stoned, drowned, or placed in a darkened locked room for the remainder of their lives by their family members. (to find out more about Saudi Arabian laws for women there are several sites on the Internet)

Unfortunately, some of Sultana's friends find out the reality of these consequences. To hear the stories of these women's lives will leave you forever impacted.

Now, after the book is read and the last page is turned, I couldn't help but ask myself, "What can I do?" Sultana hired the author of this book, Jean Sasson, write her story for her. She hoped that someone would read it and the real lives of Saudi Arabian women would be exposed to the world. That was in 1995. Fifteen years later I'm not convinced that much has changed. I watched a special on the news recently of a reporter who traveled to Saudi Arabia this year. She observed that at the hotel she was staying at only the men were allowed to swim. While the men were splashing around in their swim trunks, their wives, who were veiled from head to toe in the sweltering Middle Eastern heat, merely dipped their toes in the water. Perhaps these were more Sultanas aching for their story to be heard as well.

With that said, what can I practically do to help? Here I am in suburban America, thousands of miles away both physically and mentally. I won't be booking any flights to Saudi Arabia anytime soon, yet does that keep me from doing something about it? I know that I won't ever fully be able to understand the culture or the implications of it all, but I can't seem to shake Sultana's story.

The last thing I want to do is to rush in with my "American Savior" mentality, seeking to rescue the women and push my cultural influences on them. So often we think we as Westerners know better, when perhaps there are several ways of bringing about change (and it doesn't necessarily mean ours is the best!). Yet, at the same time, I don't want to be immobilized by this thought and refuse to do anything altogether. Ideally, I would love to see the Saudi women rise up and bring about change amongst themselves. The most effective cultural shifts come from within.

So, how do I incorporate both of these--self-discipline to not "come to the rescue" while not forfeiting my momentum to see change brought to these women?

I think the best yet most simplistic answer is prayer. Although I can't rush over to Saudi Arabia right now, I can lift these women up to in prayer at any moment. I serve a God who is ever-present and hears the cries of His people. He sees the oppressed and broken and is able to lift them up. He is able to bring about change when all seems lost. This is the easiest yet most powerful way that I can reach out to help.

The second way that I can "do something" is to raise awareness. Before I read this book, I had no idea what was going on in Saudi Arabia. Since then, my knowledge has helped shape my understanding. Recently, I ran across an article in the news about an Iranian woman who is sentenced to be stoned to death any day now. Iran operates under some of the same Sharia laws as Saudi Arabia. The Western world has protested the stoning due to the fact that the woman was previously punished and later seemingly unjustly charged with the stoning offence. (See http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Irans-Judiciary-Halts-Stoning-of-Woman-For-Now-98203444.html for more info) I can't help but wonder if this would be happening if the suspect was a man.

In the end, what can I do? Pray and spread the word. Talk to people about meaningful things--injustice, oppression, need. Sultana would perhaps be proud that her story still affects people 15 years later. I try not to think about the possibility that she may be disappointed at how little things have changed so far. She risked her life to share it with others...what am I willing to do in exchange?