I’ve written and re-written this post several times, only to delete it and start again. I’ve reached the point to where I will just write it as it comes.

A couple of months ago Fouad Alfarhan recommended to his facebook friends a book called “The Looming Towers” and he raved about how good it is. So I decided to give it a read, and I have not regretted reading it.

While reading the book I would get flashbacks of images of my life, the day Abdullah Azzam was killed I was still in high school, and I remember one of the teachers blaming the Soviets for it… turns out it was one of the first of many mafia style killings of those who call themselves Muslims against each other in their struggle for power and command.

I grew up in that era, during the gulf war many in my school volunteered in the Saudi army, none that I knew went to join the mujahedeen in Afghanistan, a few teachers did, and came back with stories that had us school boys wide eyed and in awe of their heroics (most if not all were BS, which were things I discovered later on in life).

It is not a secret that when the mujahedeen were fighting America’s proxy war against the soviets many in the Muslim world were encouraged to join in the “Jihad” and many governments (including the American government) financed that war with billions of dollars, weapons, machinery, and every other thing they needed… after all they were fighting the infidel atheist soviet army that wanted to wipe Islam and all other religions and then demote us all to the level of animals, as they told us of course. I never bought that load of crap, and still don’t.

I’ve had no doubt that if Osama was not from an affluent family he would’ve been killed or at least detained at the first hint of dissident… no one gets as many chances as he did to conform.

What I loved about the book is the approach it took, it was more like a novel than a series of events, and I am not even going to attempt to review the book because I won’t do it any justice.

However, if you read this book, you will learn a lot about the bureaucracy of government agencies, and how they did not share information with each other which lead to the unfortunate events… the event that changed the world as we know it for my generation, and probably for many generations to come.

As the memory of 9-11 is a few days away, I send my sympathies and prayers to all those who suffered directly or indirectly from that attack all over the world.

It was not easy to begin this post, and it is not easy to end it… but to sum it all up as I see it… there is a lot of money in the middle east, and whoever controls it gains tremendous power… and that is what it is all about… not religion, not God’s word, not the oppression of the weak or cleansing society from all that ails it… it is all about the money… not even about Gog and Magog, or bringing forth Armageddon or trying to make Jesus come down.

I was in Jeddah when Fouad was released, but unfortunately I could not meet him then because I had to leave the next day. Last night he paid a visit to Riyadh, and fellow blogger Sami Omar hosted a dinner in his honor in Shurfa Restaurant. We were also joined by Jihad, Herbaz, Medical Practitioner and Mohammed al-Saleh. Needless to say, we had a great time. It was really good to see him after this long time and I hope we will have a chance to get together again soon inshallah. There is only so much you can say in five hours

I woke up around 5:30 this morning on the beeping of my iPhone which received a short message from the wife of my friend and fellow blogger Fouad al-Farhan telling me that Fouad has been released and that he is back home with his family now. That’s great news and this is just how I wanted to start my morning!

The good news made me less nervous and more relaxed about giving my presentation today. I’m doing some final revision now and should be standing on the stage in the main room at the Hilton Hall to speak in a couple of hours.

رغد فؤاد الفرحان (8 سنوات) تدرس في الصف الثاني. بدأت قبل أسبوع في تدوين مذكراتها اليومية في دفترها الخاص المليء بالرسومات والألوان واللمحات الطفولية الرائعة. كل ليلة وقبل أن ننام, نقوم بسرقة مذكراتها للإطلاع على مشاعرها تجاه يومها الذي انقضى. أعرف أنه ليس بالشيء الجيد منا فعل ذلك. المشكلة أنني بدأت أصاب بالإدمان تجاه تدوينها حيث أقوم بقراءة جديدها لذلك اليوم وأعيد قراءة جميع ماكتبته أيضاً مرةً أخرى.

اليوم الجمعة كان كالمعتاد يوم الترفيه الأسبوعي. قبل أن تنام رغد هذه الليلة كتبت التالي مع المحافظة على الأخطاء الإملائية:

“اليوم أسوء يوم في الأيام كلها. لأن أبي لم يوافق على أن يشتري لي لعبة يويو. وقد زعلت ولا أحب يكلمني لأني زعلانة وأنا إذا زعلت لا أريد أن أكلم أحد. لا أمي ولا أبي ولا أخي. وأستحممت ثم خرجت وأنا بردانة. ثم نمت ؟؟؟. وإلى لقاء آخر وإلى اللقاء. وسيكون الغد حافلاً بالأحلام. رغد.”

قبل أن يهاجمني أحد لا بد أن أشرح موقفي. كنا على “الكورنيش” ومرت علينا “حجة” بائعة دمى و”طراطيع” وفي يدها لعبة “يويو” تتدلى في حركة تسويقية لافتة تستهدف أعين الأطفال. رغد لديها لعبة يويو في البيت وللتو علمت أن خطاب قد استولى عليها منذ زمن بعيد وأصبحت في عالم النسيان. قيمة “يويو” الحجة كان عشرة ريالات. أعتقدت أن السعر كان مبالغاً فيه ولم نشتريه. لم تصر رغد على شراءه في لحظتها ولم أشعر بمدى استياء مشاعرها عند طريق العودة للمنزل. أعتقد أن رغد من النوع الذي يخفي مشاعره جيداً وهذا اكتشاف خطير وجديد بالنسبة لي.

استوقفني في تدوينتها روح التفاؤل بالغد “سيكون الغد حافلاً بالأحلام” لا أعلم إن كانت تقصد حافلاً بالأحداث أم بالأحلام فعلاً. أما قصة نومها قبل أن تدون فليس لها من تصريفة

هذه كانت التدوينة السابعة. أما التدوينات السابقة فمليئة بالقفشات والروائع. لا أعلم إن كان يحق لي مشاركتكم بها من خلال مدونة خاصة بها أم في ذلك تعدي على حقوقها الشخصية؟ الحقيقة أنه لا شيء يعدل براءة الأطفال.

——————————————

اللهم اجمع فؤاد بأسرته و كل من يحبه عاجلا غير آجل

I received a copy from the letter sent by Fouad to his friends a few days before his arrest. This letter provides some details on the reasons behind his arrest. Here’s the text of the letter:

I was told that there is an official order from a high-ranking official in the Ministry of the Interior to investigate me. They will pick me up anytime in the next 2 weeks.

The issue that caused all of this is because I wrote about the political prisoners here in Saudi Arabia and they think I’m running a online campaign promoting their issue. All what I did is wrote some pieces and put side banners and asked other bloggers to do the same.

He asked me to comply with him and sign an apology. I’m not sure if I’m ready to do that. An apology for what? Apologizing because I said the government is liar when they accused those guys to be supporting terrorism?

To expect the worst which is to be jailed for 3 days till we write good feedback about you and let u go. There may be no jial and only apologizing letter. But, if it’s more than three days, it should be out. I don’t want to be forgotten in jail.

Don’t worry Fouad, we are here for you and we will do our best until you’re free and back to your family and friends. We will not forget you.

Fouad Al Farhan, a leading Saudi blogger, has been arrested in Jeddah about two weeks ago. The reasons behind the detention of Al Farhan remain unclear, but it is known that he had to shut down his blog previously after being harassed by some authorities. He remained on hiatus for a few months, but he decided later to come back and continue blogging because he believes that freedom, justice and equality are values worth fighting for. I have met Fouad a couple of times and I have interviewed him for Global Voices.

Fellow bloggers and friends are launching a campaign to release Fouad. More details about the campaign and what you can do to support him can be found here.

I hope that Fouad would be released soon to come back to his family and friends. This country needs more people like him, people who love their country and want to see it thrive and advance.

Related Links:

• Global Voices: Saudi Blogger Fouad Al Farhan Arrested in Jeddah
• Mahmood’s Den: Saudi blogger Fouad Al-Farhan arrested
• Rasheed’s World: Saudi Blogger Fuad Al-Farhan Arrested Again
• Crossroads Arabia: Saudi Blogger Arrested