Here's some good news: Saudi blogger Fouad al-Farhan, who has been in jail since December 10, has been released.
I read some Saudi blogs, but I hadn't seen Fouad's -- my Arabic isn't good enough for blog-reading. Actually, it's barely good enough for reading license plates... Anyway, I do take a look at Saudi Jeans, which is run by Fouad's friend Ahmed Al-Omran, and I recommend it for slices of life and opinion from a country you probably don't know much about. Most of us don't.
The good news comes from Jeddah, the only Saudi city I've ever lived in. Saudi themselves regard Jeddah as the most liberal city in the Kingdom, although believe me, every woman there wears an abaya. Every one of them, no exceptions. You can tell the western women because they usually don't cover their heads and faces. That's liberal for Saudi Arabia.
Still, good news is good news, and I'm glad to hear that Fouad is no longer being held in jail. Welcome back to fresh air and sunlight, Fouad.
Posted by Craig Ceely at April 27, 2008 01:55 PM