Calling All Students! Education Fair (IECHE) in Riyadh April 15-18

In mid-April, representatives from nearly 500 institutions of higher learning from around the world will converge in Riyadh for the annual International Exhibition & Conference on Higher Education  (IECHE).  

Almost 40 countries will promote their schools and disseminate useful information in the hopes of attracting Saudi students to their campuses.  

The exhibition is extremely well organized and quite impressive to behold.   More than 50 schools from Saudi Arabia are represented at the event as well.   

The four day conference will feature a large variety of workshops and speakers, covering all areas related to attaining advanced degrees, scholarship information, fields of study, requirements, etc., as well as having staff on hand to answer questions and solve issues.  

There is news coverage of the event and everyone is welcome to attend.  In addition to all kinds of available information, there are also goody bags and freebies for attendees.

High school students and college students pursuing advanced degrees can benefit greatly from attending this event.

For gathering information about higher education schooling, you won’t want to miss this spectacular event to be held April 15-18, 2014, in Riyadh.  For further information about the 2014 IECHE conference, CLICK HERE.

 

Al-Hijaz Mall Re-launches With a Whole New Look

 From the Omar Abubakr Balubaid Group

Jeddah:  Al-Hijaz Mall recently re-launched its new updated appearance, including major structural renovations.  The opening ceremony was attended by families, businesswomen, and visitors, and guests, including representatives from Al-Fasailya Womens Welfare Society. 

 Mr. Abdulla Jabran Al-Ghamdi, Mall Development Manager of the Omar Abubakr Balubaid Group, said, "Al-Hijaz Mall is one of the oldest shopping malls in Jeddah, as well as one of the busiest places for shoppers looking for designers and name brands in jewelry, fashion, and textiles.   The second phase of the renovations will include the development of a food court, a play land, and a bazaar area. We extend our appreciation to Al-Fasailya Womens Welfare Society for participating and assisting with our ceremony and their efforts to make this event successful."  

Al-Hijaz Mall, formerly known as Souk Alhijaz, is located in Jeddah's Al-Bawadi District.  The mall consists of two buildings connected by a bridge and it houses about 150 stores.  The mall sponsors campaigns, festivals and annual events, such as Spring Holiday, Back to School, Ramadan, Summer Festival, and more.  Al-Hijaz Mall would like to welcome all shoppers to come and enjoy its new clean and modern look.    

Let's Protect the Rights of Men! Yeah, right...

File this one under B.S.  I cannot believe that the Saudi Gazette would publish an opinion piece like this one, a truly blatant piece of vile rubbish.  THIS is the male mentality that the women of Saudi Arabia have to deal with...

Reprinted from Saudi Gazette Newspaper

Let’s protect the rights of men!

LOCAL VIEWPOINT

Last updated: Thursday, March 20, 2014 8:01 PM

Saleh Bin Sabaan
Makkah daily

A female television broadcaster who is also a women’s rights activist recently spoke about the phenomenon of violence against women in Arab societies. While demanding an end to this phenomenon, she said that female victims of violence suffer from various psychological disorders.

However, no discussions took place on the violence perpetrated by women against men. Is there any organization to count the number of men who have been subjected to violence and harassment from women? Every one of us – both men and women – know that a large number of men have been put behind bars simply because of women. They include murderers, thieves and corrupt officials. There are large numbers of men who have lost their dignity at the hands of women, have become mentally unstable, have committed suicide and have even become addicted to drugs.

Why do we not count these as examples of men who have been victimized by women? I recently read a warning from a women’s rights activist that there has been an increase in the number of men in Arab society who have become victims of assault and harassment at the hands of women. I think that the harassment caused by women is more harmful because it falls into the category of mental harassment.

Women resort to lies, manipulation, conspiracy and tricks that they employ in all occasions and situations. A woman will use words, tears, laughter, fake illness, and whispering to deceive her man. All of these are the sources of her strength. A woman outshines man in this respect because she has more control over her emotions and sentiments than a man does.

If you look at any food channel, you can see that most professional chefs who show their expertise and talent in the art of cuisine are men, even though cooking is supposed to be the duty of women. In general, women suffer from an acute shortage of creativity because they stick to the ground reality. Women are not typically inclined toward adventurism and experimentation. On the other hand, a woman is more dedicated to consumption and materialism. She is content with possessing things and simply keeping them without taking advantage of them. If you have a look at her “treasures” in the cupboards and trays of a kitchen, you will understand my point. For instance, it is futile to assume that she might spend half of the value of kitchenware on buying books.

Trip to Waba Crater

 I recently took a day trip to Waba Crater, a 363 km jaunt from Jeddah.  We left at about 3am so we would arrive early morning and enjoy the area before the heat of the day was upon us.   I enjoyed seeing the Camel Crossing signs along the way, and yes, we did see camels on the loose.  By the way, you can click on any picture to see an enlarged image. 

It took over 4 hours to get to Waba Crater.  Our first sighting of it was a Thelma and Louise moment - the road just leads right up to it and luckily our brakes worked!  The early morning sun rays created a magical effect on the spectacular scenery before us. 

Originally thought to be a meteoric crater, it is now believed that the crater was formed by an underground volcanic eruption in which the hot lava mixed with an underground water supply and the result was this enormous sunken hole - "a massive steam explosion generated by molten basaltic magma coming into contact with subterranean water."

The white substance in the bottom of the crater consists of crystallized salt and the delicate lacy edges formed when the remaining groundwater eventually dried. 

The diameter of the crater is about 2 km wide.  Volcanic rocks of all sizes line the sides of the crater and there is some visible vegetation in places on the interior of the crater. 

There is a rocky path that goes down to the bottom of the crater, but care must be taken because of the loose rocks that one doesn't lose her footing.  The trail begins on the north side of the crater.  The sides of the crater are quite steep.

The weather was clear, but the wee hours of the morning were briskly chilly and the winds were strong.  It was delightful weather for me but my companions were cold.  We were the only visitors to the site up until our climb back up when we came upon a group of American visitors who had driven from Riyadh. 

The patterns made by the salt crystals against the volcanic rock and the sparse vegetation made for some very artistic looking scenery.

There are several tour companies that provide all inclusive trips to the crater, or you can opt to do it on your own.  We traveled by sedan to the isolated site.   You can also camp near Waba Crater.  There are not really any facilities, so be sure to bring sleeping bags as it can quite chilly at night especially in the cooler months.   I read that the best place to camp is on the south side of the crater just above the palm trees.  

It is recommended that at least three people do the hike down and back together.  Experienced hikers can probably reach the bottom in 20-30 minutes and make the climb back up in 45 minutes to an hour.  Take plenty of water with you.  Arrive early morning if you can to beat the heat. 

There is not a whole to see along the drive up and back besides desert landscape and some hills and mountains in the distance, but we did see many bedouin tents, herds of goats and sheep, and of course, camels. 

To view some more amazing photos of Waba Crater and the surrounding area, CLICK HERE for the Amusing Planet post about the site.  CLICK HERE for a map of where Waba Crater is located.

Holistic Health Event Tomorrow

WHAT:    HOLISTIC HEALING EVENT  (Ladies only)

WHEN:   Thursday, March 6th, 2014, starting at 10 am

WHERE:  Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

DETAILS ... 

Your True Nature "YTN" and Holistic Juicy Living "HJL" fuse together to bring you unique services, products and courses. We invite all holistic enthusiasts to come by and visit our booth at the Binzager Compound in Jeddah.  Exclusive offer to come and meet with Holistic Nutritional Coach Hanane Serhan and Spiritual Life Coach and Healer Alicia Ali and receive a bonus consultation. 

Wholesome duo, Holistic Juicy Living and Your True Nature, proactively respond to lifestyle demand and unleash publications geared to catapult an uprise of the Global Holistic Movement in Arabia - an EXCLUSIVE preview of UPCOMING self transformative titles now available to ATTENDEES ONLY!

Key themes aim to target the holistic conscious audience covering Holistic Health, Spiritual & Self Development and will empower readers with POWERFUL TOOLS and and SELF TRANSFORMATIVE knowledge to bring desired results.

Women are demanding a health revolution as diseases are on the rise in Saudi Arabia.  Poor lifestyle choices, lack of education, spiritual emptiness, and a rise in OBESITY and DIABETES among women and children have reached startling numbers in the region.  Now is your chance to take action. 

Visit YTN and HJL on March 6th at the Ladies Business Bazaar at Binzager Compound- Don't miss this opportunity to personally meet the Holistic Duo of Alicia Ali, Spiritual Life Coach and Energy Healer, and Hanane Serhan, Nutritional Coach and Detox Expert, in their VENTURE for HOLISTIC revival.

JOIN the event on FACEBOOK.

"Grace" - by Omnia Hegazy

Omnia Hegazy is a singer-songwriter from New York City, but her music is influenced by her Middle Eastern heritage and her world views about women's rights and politics.

Grace

Cover your face
Before you poison all our souls
Cover your mouth
Before it tells us something we don’t know
Cover your body
For your skin incinerates
The will of weakened men who just might lose their faith


Our heads are full of color inside
Why is it that we should hide
Who ever gave you the right to step on our pride?

What if we stood up right now
And spoke out and sung out loud
What if we all danced with joy
For what we are, would it annoy?
What if we took back our place
In this dying human race
What if we stood side by side
And changed the world with all our grace?

Why don’t you stop yourself
And learn some self restraint
Why should you just be free
While I stay here to suffocate
I’m not an object, but a woman
Don’t you see
It would do you some good
To learn the way to talk to me

Our hearts are full of so many dreams
And so much more that we can achieve
Are you scared you might not be able to compete?

What if we stood up right now
And spoke out and sung out loud
What if we all danced with joy
For what we are, would it annoy?
What if we took back our place
In this dying human race
What if we stood side by side
And changed the world with all our grace?

You can keep on trying to hold us down
Keep us blind and dumb so we won’t figure out
All your sad attempts to take control
Of our bodies, minds, and of our souls

What if we stood up right now
And spoke out and sung out loud
What if we all danced with joy
For what we are, would it annoy?
What if we took back our place
In this dying human race
What if we stood side by side
And changed the world with all our grace?

Save my Life - then my Modesty

Apparently the senseless deaths of 15 Saudi schoolgirls back in 2002 weren’t enough to learn the lesson.  The teenagers perished in a school fire when the religious police would not allow them to escape the burning building because the girls were not properly veiled according to religious customs.  The results were public uproar and outrage, and we all thought the lesson had been learned, that we would never again see this type of backward ignorance and apparent disregard for human life. 

But it has happened again and this time one young Saudi woman is dead.

Graduate student Amna Bawazeer suffered a heart attack on the campus of King Saudi University in Riyadh on Feb. 6, 2014.  She had a known heart condition. 

There are conflicting reports about the length of time that elapsed from the moment Amna collapsed to the time that medical assistance was actually summoned.  Fellow students tweeted that administrators delayed calling for help for 25 minutes.  A staff member speaking confidentially was quoted as saying that the administrators basically freaked out about the situation and were unable to react effectively. 

Reports say that the male paramedic team arrived within 10 minutes of receiving the call.

What happened next is also in being disputed.  School administrators claim that once the male paramedic team arrived on the scene that they were granted access inside the facility immediately.  However other eyewitnesses assert that paramedics were prevented from entering the grounds for some time.  

Saudi Arabia adheres to very strict gender segregation laws, and men are not normally allowed on female only campuses.  It is believed that the paramedic crew was detained at the gate because of this, as well as the possibility of the victim and other females on campus not being properly veiled according to Islamic standards. 

Some students are in shock and have suffered trauma and stress due to the incident. 

Witnesses say that administrators barred the medics from entering the university despite the existence of a life and death emergency situation.  Instead they opted to ignore the welfare of a student, a decision which resulted in costing the student her life.  Amna died waiting for help two hours after her heart attack.

“We need management who can make quick decisions without thinking of what the family will say or what culture will say,” said Professor Aziza Youssef.

Despite administrators’ claims, two things seem abundantly clear.  Precious minutes elapsed before summoning help for the dying girl.  And even more time elapsed once the paramedics arrived at the university and were allowed to enter the premises to administer aid.  Precious minutes that could have possibly saved this poor girl’s life. 

How many more women must die before this lesson is learned?  What is more important – saving a life or preserving her modesty?  To most people around the world, the answer is clear.  And the world is watching. Unfortunately it is a hard lesson to learn for a culture obsessed with lesser important moral appearances and practices, especially when lives are at stake.  

There is an online petition called “Save my life - then my modesty– because every life matters and counts” in memory of Amna.  I don’t know that it will effect change, but it’s worth a try.