What is the Arab myth of Western Women?

2015-11-28T09:59:13-05:00

Traveling in the Middle East unchaperoned (without a male guardian) with or without the appearance of military backing can be difficult to balance. It can be difficult even with a known military affiliation. It is also dependent on which country one is traveling in. Saudi Arabia is the most restrictive of ME countries on women, while Jordan is more westernized and has fewer restrictions.

**I probably should have expounded about female travel alone. Traveling alone gives a female access and the ability to observe from areas restricted to males traveling alone.

Traveling alone gives us the automatic protection in some areas of the religious police. They do not want any incidents.

The preconceived idea about Western women give us the uniqueness of disrupting their idea of order and structure.

A female gaining the trust of male gained (because they are forced to do business with her) say because she has a federal purchasing license. Gaining information through access at middle level and then upper level management. ...and to not be seen as threatening....

It could be a way of gaining information from a different venue...

In a society where women are viewed as being weaker not just physically but also mentally perhaps the exploitation of this view would be to our advantage.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/10/arab-myth-of-western-women

The Arab myth of western women | Khaled Diab

Khaled Diab: Unflattering as some western stereotypes are of Arab men, western women also get a bad press in conservative Arab circles

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Nov 28 at 2015 10:15 AM

2015-11-28T10:15:14-05:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member Very interesting article!

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Nov 28 at 2015 11:06 AM

2015-11-28T11:06:50-05:00

The real nugget is "Arab men think American women are highly sexualized." Yup, that would be the myth perpetrated by Playboy and The Kradashians because that never seems to be the case for the average American you see on Jerry Springer. They get this from TV, so why not? My experience says women are women where ever they are, men will always attribute characteristics to them that aren't necessarily true. Been that way everywhere forever. Good article. Thanks for sharing it.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Nov 28 at 2015 11:13 AM

2015-11-28T11:13:42-05:00

Excellent article, CPT Private RallyPoint Member. Thank you.

Response by SGT Francis Wright made Nov 28 at 2015 11:14 AM

2015-11-28T11:14:23-05:00

What gets me; is all of the empowered western women in congress that think maybe Sharia Law wouldn't be such a bad thing. Because wouldn't you know that if, I or any western man thought it was a good idea; the backlash would be swift and sure as it should be. I say no to Sharia Law, women and our society as a whole has come to far; to go back to the 12th Century or earlier. It just boggles the mind.

Response by COL Jeff Williams made Nov 28 at 2015 12:11 PM

2015-11-28T12:11:50-05:00

No issues here in the UAE.

Response by PO2 Kayla Modschiedler made Nov 28 at 2015 3:11 PM

2015-11-28T15:11:54-05:00

I always tried to stay out of conversation with them unless I had to (which was often) because some would be absolutely disgusting. Once I startled a guy at the Emirates mall in Dubai, when I asked him for a light. It was hard not to laugh lol

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 28 at 2015 5:25 PM

2015-11-28T17:25:09-05:00

We cant beat Muslim women's eyes and ankles.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Nov 29 at 2015 12:53 PM

2015-11-29T12:53:27-05:00

""How can they [the west] demand the ending of what they see as injustice against Saudi women, when their own women are drowning in seas of injustice?" asks the author, pointing, paralleling his western counterparts, to the prevalence of domestic violence and rape in the west – as well as pointing to questionable surveys which show that the majority of western women actually wish to return to the home."
Wow... Just, wow... The comparison is mind-blowing...