RIYADH: It’s a common sight during Ramadan to see some women with their children roaming the streets seeking cash handouts from the public, but there are many others earning a living with honest work.
“These Saudi women are indicating that they refuse charity,” said Fayez Ziadi, a photographer who saw one selling herbs and spices in the capital.
Ziadi said these women are proud and want to earn a living while they’re still strong. “By undergoing the ordeal of selling under the hot sun, these women want to show their children that they should also do honest work when they grow up,” he said.
“It goes without saying that they’re an embodiment of that sterling human quality among women who want to get ahead in life by working hard.
They are the pride of fellow women and the Kingdom.”Ziadi said it is heartbreaking to see that they work when the heat is at its most intense,from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., before they head home for iftar. They can be seen selling products at parks, stadiums, supermarkets, malls, mosques and the traffic lights on major streets.
I Word Understanding
Roaming – wander
Cash handouts – money that are given to someone
Ordeal -trauma
Embodiment -realization
Sterling – outstanding
Iftar – the meal eaten by Muslims after sunset during Ramadan
II Have your say
1.Characteristics of Saudi Arabian women that surprises the world.
* Saudi Arabian women do not beg.
* Saudi Arabian women set high level of strictness and discipline.
* Saudi Arabian women do not meddle into other countries affairs.
* Saudi Arabian women takes good pride to defend its country.
* Saudi Arabian women have great fears from foreign information attacks and emotional blackmails threats.
* Saudi Arabian women have never accepted donations from charities.
* Saudi Arabian women are inclined highly of Quran principles.
2.Many foreign countries have misconceptions about Saudi Arabian women.What are the common misunderstandings of the world against Saudi Arabian women in different level of society?
*Saudi Arabian women from heart breaking hard working class
*Saudi Arabian women from middle-class
*Saudi Arabian Women above middle-class
*Saudi Arabian Women of royal families
2.1 What could be the ways to correct the perception of the world for the Great Kingdom’s women?
3.What can you say about women of Islamic States and women of Great Arab Nations? Are they the same? Do they have shared common social values, life values and spiritual values?
3.1 The members of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)
- Bahrain
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
3.2What do you think are the countries belong to Islamic State ? What are the newly-established Islamic States?
4. Ramadan motivated Saudi Arabian women on these aspects
* Self-discipline
* Self-respect
* Self-restraints
*Hard-work
*Honest livelihood
*Self-reliance
*Self-learning
*Self-motivated
*Self-worth
522 Self-respect: Underprivileged Saudi women work in searing heat, won’t beg
