Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Some Interesting Finds in a Saudi Bookstore

The Political Science section of Jarir Bookstore
While in Jeddah, Jeed and I visited Jarir Bookstore.  I wanted to pick up a new Arabic-English dictionary, children's Arabic books for practice, and some Arab authors translated into English; however, while looking for these things, I found an entire section that in the US we might categorize as "Conspiracy Theories," but Jarir chose to classify as "Politics."  Many of these books presented Illuminati-like topics theories as facts, demonized the West, and presented some unsavory historical characters in a heroic light I'd never seen applied before.

Anti-West, Anti-Israel

The symbolism on this cover didn't surprise me, just the great number of books that centered on these themes. 
The Gaza Holocaust  
Iran
These obviously negative titles weren't limited to American and Israeli politics, but also Iran. This book's title is Cryptic Iran.
The Mistake of the Cunning is Worth a Thousand Mistakes
The title is just Iran. In case you can't see, the image is of a man wearing the Iranian flag while shooting himself with a gas nozzle.  
 History and Political Philosophy
The Prince 
Mein Kampf in Arabic
The way in which Hitler is portrayed on this cover disturbs me. In this book, he is a hero and a visionary.
Just Some Light Reading

The Men Who Stare at Goats
Picasso and Starbucks ends with a much recited quote: "What would Taha Hussein have done if he were not blind?"  There is often little context for reciting this line, just for the purpose of sounding smart, or at least so says Jeed.

Some Entertaining English Products

A how-to for A-rabs to learn 'Merican!
Magic. It's everywhere.

2 comments:

  1. Hi. How did you manage to get a visa to saudi?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there,

      I was selected to go on a study visit to Saudi Arabia by the National Council on US-Arab Relations in Washington, D.C.. They organized my visa through the Saudi Ministry of Education, who sponsored me.

      Are you looking to travel there yourself?

      Delete

About Your Author

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Troy, AL, United States
I am a Political Science student at Troy University in southeastern Alabama. I have been given fantastic opportunities to travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among other brief trips, to study and glimpse other cultures. I believe there is much to be learned about other people while studying, and I want to share my experiences with you.