I was tuned in to KQED, as always, and I heard another reason to love public radio.
I was listening to an interview with George Packer and was intrigued, as always. Of all the incredible points made, the comment about the Iraqi woman whose dream was to ride a bicycle reminded me of one of my experiences.
As a performing guitarist, I get to fly around a bit; naturally, I often end up having fascinating chats with strangers. On one flight I sat beside a beautiful girl from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. When I told her I was a professional musician, she told me how she wanted to learn to play the piano.
Not thinking, I asked why she didn’t just go ahead and get a piano teacher. She then explained how music, as we know it, is not allowed in her culture. She continued, expressing discontent with those “stupid people”, referring to the religious fanatics, who continue to shape a society where women are not allowed to drive, or in very conservative areas, where it is a crime for a woman to be in public with a man who is not her husband or family member.
To be sure, this girl was not a crazy, rebellious liberal; quite the contrary, she was in her mid-20s, was a very devout Muslim, did not drink alcohol, and simply appeared by all means to be a sensible human being. Her story paints a complex picture, far more nuanced, intricate, and complicated than the narratives that have dominated the major news networks. For myself personally, it was one more of those events in life that remind you to be grateful for all those things I take for granted.
Packer’s play, “Betrayed” is playing in Berkeley. I’d drive an hour to see that.
http://www.cultureproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64
