Princess Sultana's Daughters

that relationships
based on sexual love do not exist. In this atmosphere of shame,
Saudi citizens respond to social and religious expectations by saying exactly what is expected. What we do is
another matter altogether.
    Arabs are by nature sensuous, yet we live in
a puritanical society. The topic of sex is of interest to everyone,
including our Saudi government, which spends enormous amounts of
money employing countless censors. These men sit in government
offices, searching out what they deem to be odious references to
women and sex in every publication allowed into the kingdom. Rarely
does a magazine or newspaper make it past the censors without
losing a number of pages, or having sentences or paragraphs blacked
out by the censor’s ever-ready pen.
    This form of extreme censorship against all
conventional social behavior affects every aspect of our lives, and
the lives of those who compete to claim our business.
    Asad, who is the younger brother of my
husband and the husband of my sister Sara, once contracted with a
foreign film company to make a simple food commercial for Saudi
Arabian television. The manager of that foreign company was forced
to adhere to a list of restrictions that would have been amusing
had it not been authentic. The list of restrictions read:
    1. There can be no attractive females in the
commercial.
    2. If a female is included, she cannot wear
revealing clothing such as short skirts, pants, or swimming suits.
No flesh can be exposed other than the face and hands.
    3. No two people can eat from the same dish,
or drink from the same cup.
    4. There can be no fast body movement. (It is
suggested in the contract that if a female is used, she has to sit
or stand without moving at all.)
    5. There can be no winking.
    6. Kissing is taboo.
    7. There can be no burping.
    8. Unless it is absolutely necessary to sell
the product (it is suggested) there should be no laughter.
    When the normal is forbidden, people fall
into the abnormal. That, I believe, is what happened to my
daughter.
    In my country it is prohibited by religious
law for single men and women to see each other. While inside the
country, men socialize with men, and women with women. Since we are
prevented from engaging in traditional behavior, the sexual tension
between those of the same sex is palpable. Any foreigner who has
lived in Saudi Arabia for any length of time becomes aware that
homosexual relations are rampant within the kingdom.
    I have attended many all-female concerts and
functions where quivering beauties and suggestive behavior triumph
over heavy veils and black abaayas. An orderly gathering of heavily
perfumed and love-starved Saudi women festers into spontaneous
exuberance, bursting forth in the form of a wild party with singing
of forbidden love accompanied by lusty dancing. I have watched as
shy-faced women danced lewdly with other women, flesh to flesh,
face-to-face. I have heard women whisper of love and plan
clandestine meetings while their drivers wait patiently in the
parking lots. They will later deliver these women to their husbands
who are that same evening being captivated by other men.
    While the conduct of men is overlooked, the
behavior of women, even with other women, is often carefully
guarded. This is made apparent by the various rules and regulations
governing females. Some years ago I clipped a small item from one
of our Saudi Arabian newspapers to show to my sisters. I was
particularly irritated by yet another foolish restriction placed
upon women. A ban on cosmetics had been announced in a girls’
school. Recently I ran across this clipping while throwing out some
old papers. This article reads:
    --
    Cosmetics Ban in School
    The director of Girls’ Education at Al Ras,
Abdullah Muhammad Al Rashid, urged all students and staff of the
school under the directorate to refrain from using cosmetics,
dyestuffs, ornaments, and other makeup inside the school
compounds.
    The director added that some staff and
students were noticed of late to have been using transparent
garments and cosmetics as well as high-heeled shoes; hence, such
adornments are prohibited. While the students must keep uniformity
in dress, the teachers should set good examples to the students.
The authorities would not hesitate to take punitive measures
against violators of school regulations, Al Rashid added.
    --
    I remember well what I said to my sisters at
the time. I waved the clipping angrily under their noses, raging,
“See! See for