Not everyone has the same environment, not everyone is happy. Even the ones living a luxurious life cannot be happy but the ones living a normal life are blessed with happiness. It is not the religion but the mind that creates an environment.
The writer Jean P. Sasson captivates the readers with the life of a Saudi princess. Not only the princess but the author also describes the lifestyle of people living in Saudi Arabia.
Sultana, the Saudi princess has an horrible hidden story. Sultana, being the last daughter of her father’s first wife, lived a Royal life. During her teen years, she got astonished with her luxurious living. She owned everything yet she had no freedom, just a princess living in a huge caged villa. Saudi males of that time thought that they owned everything, sons were their pride and daughters were wastes. Sultana’s mother was cursed to produce only one son therefore her father, the King, married three more wives for sons.
Once Sultana was suggested to fall for prayers, she went to Ali, her only brother whose orders were obeyed. Sultana fell for prayers in front of him. She was slapped hard for her mannerless act. As a child, she was right as taught God can do everything and Ali could do anything he wanted.
Sultana at her middle thirteen was considered a woman and was supposed to be veiled. During the same year, she saw Ali rapping a girl. She wanted to do something, she shouted at Ali but he laughed at her face and said, “It is common. (It is common in Saudi Arabia for men to rape any non Muslim girl.)
Soon due to serious illness, her mother was no more with them. She was their only support. Her father, after the demise of his first wife, married his fifth wife. His fifth wife was only fifteen. The girl who once played with Sultana was her stepmother by then.
The only thing that mattered for Saudi males was making unwanted love with young females who were veiled. When once the king’s fifth wife, Rida, Sultana and their two friends went for outing, they ended up doing something terrible. The two friends went with foreigners. Their deeds were not hidden anymore. Not only males but females also could not run behind sex. Sultana’s father loved her first wife and knew that Sultana, being her daughter, could never get involved in such acts. Same night the king divorced his newly married wife.
At the age of sixteen, Sultana got married with the 25 years old Kareem as his first wife. Despite age difference, they had love and feelings for each other. As an educated man, Kareem permitted Sultana for further studies. Their first child was a son who was designed to be the king after his father. Two daughters later and then appeared the bad news.
Sultana had breast cancer for which she was warned not to get pregnant. Years passed, Kareem’s mother wanted more grandchildren for the family. She forced Kareem to remarry. Sultana could not tolerate this. She begged Kareem not to do this but Kareem did as he was ordered.
During this horrible time, their children were in Dubai. It was for the first time in history that a Saudi woman flew alone. She went to Dubai, took her children and settled in London for a year. This was a huge loss for Kareem, his loved ones were not with him. He promised Sultana of never marrying again. Sultana was back, but the struggles continued; it was education, car driving and veils for females.
The huge meeting of Royal families discussed it. Many supported while others did not. The war of Iraq on Saudi changed everything when educated females from foreign came as refugees. They were unveiled and they drove freely. Saudis were inspired by this and permitted females for the same equal rights as males. And till that day onwards, Saudi Arabia is not only rich with oil and resources but also education, equality and total respect for females.
All in all, this book taught me about how Saudi Arabia has been in times where women were considered nothing but burdens. However, changes do come with time. Same happened in Saudi. Thankfully, women in this part of the world have few rights which they never had. It was a very beautiful and informative read.
