Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

ended up canceling each other
out.
     

Chapter Six: The Trip
    Despite the recent family turmoil, the trip
to Italy and Egypt was still planned, but my heart was no longer
joyful. I organized my suitcase and made my lists as I watched Ali
warily trudge by my bedroom door. In the past, Ali had given me
little thought. I was scorned as a girl, someone to antagonize or
push about occasionally—a person of little worth. He looked at me
differently now, for he had made the surprising discovery that I, a
lowly female and the youngest member of the family, was a dangerous
and worthy opponent.
    On the day of our departure, six limousines
were needed to transport us to the airport. Eleven of us were
traveling for four weeks: Nura and Ahmed, with three of their five
children; two of their Filipino maids; Sara and myself; and Ali and
his friend Hadi. Two years older than Ali, Hadi was a student at
the Religious Institute, a boys’ school in Riyadh for those young
men who aspired to become mutawas. Hadi impressed adults by quoting
the Koran and acting very pious in their presence. My father felt
confident that Hadi would have a good influence on his children. To
those who would listen, Hadi loudly expressed his viewpoint that
all women should be confined to the home; he told Ali that women
were the cause of all evil on earth. I could tell it was going to
be a pleasant and enjoyable trip with both Ali and Hadi around.
    Mother did not accompany us to the airport.
For the past few days, she had been listless and sad; I assumed
Ali’s antics had worried her. She said her farewells in the garden
and waved us off from the front gate. She was veiled, but I knew
tears were falling on her face. Something was amiss with Mother, I
felt, but I had no time to dwell on the possibilities as the
prospect of this exciting trip lay ahead of us.
    Ahmed had recently purchased a new plane, so
our flight was strictly a family affair. I looked to see if the two
Americans who had flown Mother and me to Jeddah were piloting;
disappointed, I saw they were not. Two British pilots were in the
cockpit and they looked friendly enough. The Royal Family hired a
large number of American and British citizens as private pilots.
Ahmed conferred with the two men while Nura and the maids settled
in with her three little ones.
    Sara, her veil now removed, was already
bundled in a blanket, clutching her precious books. Hadi looked
with distaste at her uncovered face and whispered angrily to Ali,
who in turn ordered Sara to replace her veil until we left Saudi
Arabia. Sara told Ali she could not see to read through the thick
fabric, and if he were smart he would shut his ugly mouth.
    Even before we had left the ground there was
already a family squabble. I tried to stamp on Ali’s sore toe but
missed, and Ali took a swipe at my head; I ducked and he missed.
Ahmed, as the oldest male authority figure, shouted at everybody to
sit down and be quiet. He and Nura exchanged a look that let me
know they were already rethinking the wisdom of their generous
invitation. The three holiest spots in Islam are Makkah, Madinah,
and Jerusalem. Makkah is the city that captures the hearts of more
than a billion Muslims scattered over the globe, for it was there
that God revealed his will to his Prophet, Mohammed. The
foundations of our religious life are five ritual obligations,
called the pillars of religion. One of these obligations requires
that every Muslim with the financial ability must attend Haj. No
good Muslim feels complete without making the pilgrimage to Makkah
at least once in his lifetime.
    Our second holiest city, Madinah, considered
“the city of the Prophet,” is the place of Mohammed’s burial. And
Jerusalem is our third holiest city. It was in Jerusalem that
Mohammed was taken up by God to heaven on the Dome of the Rock.
Muslims weep bitter tears at the mention of Jerusalem, for it is a
city now occupied and no longer free and open to our people. If
Makkah, Madinah, and Jerusalem are a Muslim’s spiritual
fountainheads, then Cairo is the crowning glory of a Muslim’s
self-esteem. Cairo represents fifty centuries of titanic duration,
and presents Arabs with the marvel of one of the greatest
civilizations to appear on the earth. Egypt is a source of great
pride for all Arabs. The might, wealth, and accomplishments of the
ancient Egyptians makes the oil wealth of the modern Gulf Arabs
seem puny and inconsequential.
    It was in Cairo, that city bursting with