The Saudi Arabian newspaper, based in London, A-sharq al-Awsat recently ran an article titled ?Saudi youth consumed by materialism.? The central point of which is that the younger generation in Saudi Arabia ?have adopted from the West the principles of crude materialism and have exaggerated them to the point of parody ? rather as the hit series Beverly Hills 90210 showed American teenagers living as if the main point to their existence was only showing off their designer clothes, flashy cars and mobile phones.?
Throughout the article, the author contrasts ?the fact that what should make us happy is the small things in life? with ?anything related to having superficial fun.? Two individuals, Jude, ?a 20-year-old university student who lives in Riyadh,? and ?Rawan, a secondary school teacher,? are quoted in the article and both express disappointment with the values of school-age Saudis. Jude is quoted as saying, ?Many of my friends think that getting a new mobile phone or living in a big house with a swimming pool is everything; but at the same time, they are always complaining about things they can?t get or do ? like taking a holiday to Paris.? Similarly, Rawan is quoted as saying that in her eavesdropping on the students in the school where she teaches, she has discovered that ?the only subjects interesting for them are material possessions: clothes, cars, holidays ? anything related to having superficial fun.?
Jude goes on to bemoan the fact that ?we?ve lost sight of the fact that what should make us happy is the small things in life ? for me things like hearing my baby sister laughing, or seeing my family come together during Eid [holidays].? The Saudi math teacher says that she is trying to help her charges ?understand that happiness can be found in anything: if you are absorbed by discovering the solution to a maths equation, you will understand the kind of patience and reflection needed to solve the problems encountered in daily life.?
With sarcastic disdain, the article comcludes, ?Watching a stream of running water; hearing the birds sing; marveling at Allah?s creations: it?s just not as exciting as wearing a designer watch and buying diamonds and jewelry!?
Throughout the article, the author contrasts ?the fact that what should make us happy is the small things in life? with ?anything related to having superficial fun.? Two individuals, Jude, ?a 20-year-old university student who lives in Riyadh,? and ?Rawan, a secondary school teacher,? are quoted in the article and both express disappointment with the values of school-age Saudis. Jude is quoted as saying, ?Many of my friends think that getting a new mobile phone or living in a big house with a swimming pool is everything; but at the same time, they are always complaining about things they can?t get or do ? like taking a holiday to Paris.? Similarly, Rawan is quoted as saying that in her eavesdropping on the students in the school where she teaches, she has discovered that ?the only subjects interesting for them are material possessions: clothes, cars, holidays ? anything related to having superficial fun.?
Jude goes on to bemoan the fact that ?we?ve lost sight of the fact that what should make us happy is the small things in life ? for me things like hearing my baby sister laughing, or seeing my family come together during Eid [holidays].? The Saudi math teacher says that she is trying to help her charges ?understand that happiness can be found in anything: if you are absorbed by discovering the solution to a maths equation, you will understand the kind of patience and reflection needed to solve the problems encountered in daily life.?
With sarcastic disdain, the article comcludes, ?Watching a stream of running water; hearing the birds sing; marveling at Allah?s creations: it?s just not as exciting as wearing a designer watch and buying diamonds and jewelry!?