Mr Wijat's friend Magic Rabbit 
STUNTMAN: Jon Templeton will act as Hugh Jackman's stunt double in the film Australia. Picture: MEGAN RAYLE
![[A university being built in Saudi Arabia; the government's 2009 spending push will boost public projects]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NA-AU888_SAUDI_D_20081222183703.jpg)
Reuters
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/12/saudi-arabia--1.html
SAUDI ARABIA: Going to the movies for the first time in decades
For decades, Saudis have been deprived of the simple diversion of going to the movies. But last week, thousands of men, women and children in the conservative kingdom rushed to see a film in a movie theater for the first time in more than 30 years.
The Saudi comedy “Mennahi" was screened for nine days beginning Dec. 9 in conference halls in the cities of Jeddah and Taif.
The film was such a success that organizers said they had to show it eight times a day to absorb the eager crowds. One of the screenings even had to be canceled because of overcrowding in the waiting hall.
It is still not clear whether Saudis will have another chance to go out to the movies in their own country. The morality police, which imposed the ban on movie theaters in the 1970s, has not yet declared if it will allow the revival.
The head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Sheikh Ibrahim Gaith, said that religious authorities were "not against having cinema if it shows the good and does not violate Islamic law," according to the local press.
Gaith, who is the second most prominent cleric in the kingdom, commented during last week's film screenings, however, that cinema was an “absolute evil.”
Saudi Arabia follows one of the strictest interpretations of Islam. The morality police in that oil-rich nation have wide powers to enforce bans on alcohol and drug consumption and also can jail men and women for mixing in public, failing to perform their prayers or not abiding by the strict dress codes.
It is unclear why Saudi Arabia suddenly decided to lift the ban on movie theaters, at least temporarily. But behind the movie that was screened last week was the gigantic Rotana entertainment group, controlled by one of the most influential Saudi tycoons, Prince Waleed bin Talal.
But whatever the reason authorities changed their minds, many Saudis were thrilled for the chance to see the film, which tells the story of a naive Bedouin who gets entangled in Dubai’s stock market.
Salman Boghas, 22, a college student who watched the film, told the English-languageSaudi Gazette:
“What’s wrong with having cinema? People enjoy cinema when they go abroad, but here it seems we are different from the others.”
Saudis typically watch movies on DVD at home. Some restaurants secretly show films to their customers.
-- Raed Rafei in Beirut
Photos: Top, a Saudi man shows his entrance ticket to a movie, the first screened in Saudi Arabia since a ban on movie theaters was initiated in the 1970s. Bottom, a crowd gathers in the theater lobby. Photo credits: AFP / Getty Images
The AC-
Award for its innovative partnership approach to empower women and expand their participation in the workforce by providing a number of local partner organizations, and the women they serve, with Microsoft Unlimited Potential, business planning, and professional development skills training in partnership with Microsoft Community Affairs and Middle East Partnership Initiative of the US Department of State," Microsoft Gulf's e-newsletter said.
WIT participants have formed Professional Development Networks, which organize events relevant to their members and women in their communities such as breast cancer awareness drives, talks by guest speakers, job fairs, etc. The Networks regularly publish electronic newsletters covering topics ranging from job interview skills to book reviews. WIT participants are involved in civil society building initiatives and many have started mentoring other women and girls in their communities. Some partner organizations have used the Business Planning for Sustainability Training they received through WIT to expand their centers to new locations and more and more partner organizations are moving towards operating WIT training centers on a cost recovery model. WIT will reach more than 10,000 women and expand to include over 70 partner organizations by 2010.
Local WIT partner organization IT-Lebanon and lead partner Women in Information Technology came together and collaborated with Microsoft to debut the WIT program and celebrate the official start of classes in Tripoli. To date WIT Lebanon has already trained over 120 women in four partner organizations.
The decision to fund these new training centers, specifically devoted to the WIT program, came as a direct result of the project's success in the region. Since the second phase of classes began in February 2008 at just two sites (Madinat Zayed and Al Marfa), the program has trained 225 women. Based on this initial success the WRDC expanded WIT to two more sites in April 2008 - Al Ghayathi and Al Selaa.
Introducing the organization at the event, WIT Jordan's Program Manager, Eman Al Tarawneh said, "WIT will work with and support Jordanian organizations to empower women to take on a greater role in the economy. Along with our partners, we hope to help women develop IT and business skills across the Kingdom."
Worstness starts from little and becomes large if neglected. So, if Saudis let the cinemas show the movies even if it is not breaking the law of Islam. Further it can spoil the culture of Saudi Arabia. The Example you can see worldwide, the countries which show movies were used to show the characters in the movie wearing and behaving in a repectful manner. But now, the characters of the movies wear the dress and act in such a way that it seduces and spoils the mind and nature of every person.
Posted by: Imran | December 24, 2008 at 10:04 PM