Thursday, December 11, 2008

"Even I had to wear the Abayah"

Lesley Stahl did a report on Saudi Arabia's oil production on 60 minutes last Sunday. It was the typical stupid and ill-informed show that you expect on that show. And they have a way of treating the audience like morons by repeating what the interviewee says on camera. So the interviewer would always repeat what has just been said on camera, as in: "Did you just say 10 million barrels of oil"? Yes, Lesley, the answer would follow. She was talking about the restrictions (she mentioned that in passing) of dress imposed on Saudi women, and then she added: "Even I had to wear the Bayah." At that point, the viewer was supposed to yell out: Even you? How unfair. No, I understand that Saudi women have to endure that, but you? The White Woman from the US who went to the kingdom to bring them wisdom and enlightenment? How unfair. How cruel.