Saudi flight delayed over stewardess' lack of guardian

ziad Friday, 15 March 2013 3:23 PM - Earth

Welcome to the average Saudi Muslim Hood... Thamir, this is the truth we are facing in saudi... at least in some areas... let's not hide from it.. we are going backword in our civilization while everyone is going front word.. Have you asked yourself, why are all muslim countries in turmoil while none muslim countries are not... How sad...

Saudi Engineer Monday, 18 March 2013 2:53 PM - Saudi Arabia

Ziad,

This is completely beside the point of the article, but...

If you believe there are no non-Muslim countries in turmoil you my friend obviously have never heard of Cyprus...or Greece.... Or most of the rest of Europe. They may not be rioting in the streets (yet) but their economies are in utter shambles. And in the case of Greece, they were actually rioting in the streets...and speaking of riots....London anyone?

M.abbadi Friday, 15 March 2013 1:30 AM - Ksa

May be he was trying to prove a point .

Thamir Ghaslan Thursday, 14 March 2013 7:48 PM - Saudi Arabia

Dear passengers,

under your seats, you will find life vests.
above you, oxygen masks.
to your right and left, emergency exit.
and next to me, my mahram.

Everyone calm down. This guy has been heavily ridiculed and does not represent an average Saudi.

Expat Friday, 15 March 2013 8:52 PM - USA

@ Parvaiz...while these restrictions may have been suitable for the time in which they were ordained, surely they should be updated.

@ Thamir...while the guy may not represent an average Saudi, what he was saying is an accurate representation of the Saudi laws. As such, while the people may not be as parochial as the world believes, the laws and rules are.

Parvaiz Ahmad Friday, 15 March 2013 2:49 PM - Saudi Arabia

I agree with Thamir. His actions do not represent an average Saudi. And I wonder if he has a maid servant at home?
This whole issue of Mahram, like so many other things about Islam is twisting and misrepresentation of facts. It does not need me to certify that Islam while laying down guidelines and rules for the human beings 1400 years ago has taken care of all that is practicable.

How many of us can imagine the travel conditions, even a few miles away from home, into the featureless desert that Arabia was 1400 years ago, when such restrictions for women were ordained.

Even today it is difficult and sometimes fatal to veer even a couple of miles from the main highways into the deserts without a GPS.

So for a women to have a Mahram with her in those days made perfect sense. And if one thinks about this issue seriously, lets us ask ourselves a basic question. How many of us are perfectly comfortable with our mothers, wives and daughters going out alone to distant places even today?

Adam Thursday, 14 March 2013 5:26 PM - SIngapoore

They should have pointed out that on the plane airside, she is not on Saudi soil.

Mike Gandhi Thursday, 14 March 2013 3:40 PM - India

All house maids those are working in Saudi Homes have a male guardian ???????

Andy Sunday, 17 March 2013 4:54 PM - USA

@ Mike, This is very true. Why isn't he objecting to that one as well.. I think this man is still living in the stone age.

Hussain Thursday, 14 March 2013 3:38 PM - Saudi Arabia

A simple question to this kind of Saudi brothers that whether you are going to be answerable to Allah (SWT) on the day of judegement for the ladies of your house hold or the ladies themself for their acts and deeds of their own?

Telcoguy Thursday, 14 March 2013 2:39 PM - UAE

@Aziem, I agree with you. This guy is simply trying to be consistent. You may agree with his views or not, that is different.
But if he wants to be consistent then he should go the full length
@Barkat, that is fine. He is entitled to his views, but then I think he should be totally consistent and refuse to use modern technology. If he wants to live a life in the style of 1400 years ago, he should say no also to all the technology that is coming from those wicked modern ways
@John Harte, I agree with you

James Thursday, 14 March 2013 2:38 PM - Qatar

I swear to god, I thought I was reading the Pan Arabia Enquirer...

petteri terho Tuesday, 26 March 2013 10:23 AM - finland

so did I...

johnny Thursday, 14 March 2013 12:30 PM - canada

2012 john????

seems you are stuck in a time machine as well marty Mcfly
calm down
and learn to accept view and understand different opinions

fyi, i also dont agree with the guys behavior

Barkat Thursday, 14 March 2013 10:04 AM - UAE

Sending him back to 11th century is not a soloution. Different culture have different thoughts and views. Sometimes these thoughts and views may be very strange for people from other culture. There are incident when drunk passenger starts brawl with crew or even there were cases in US after 9/11, where passengers and crew refused to travel due to the presence of a Middle Eastern passenger on board. And what about Cate Stevenson (Yusuf Islam) denied from landing in US for some flimsy reason.

Doug Thursday, 14 March 2013 2:38 PM - UAE

They're also obviously very strange to people of the same culture as well - this was a Saudi airline, with probably a majority of Saudi passengers. Yet only one of them had a complaint!

Geko Thursday, 14 March 2013 12:30 PM - Dubai

Housemaids will be safe, if he or the authorities implment it strongly. Do you think he is a guardian of his domestic helps? In that case, airline is the guardian of the female crew.