One of my last reels has reached more than 8 millions of views in one week. Amazing, right? Not really.
Although it received many beautiful and touching messages, it sadly also received tones of hate towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Muslim community. Very shocking (especially coming from people who have, apparently, never been to KSA).
In that reel, I’m simply sharing my strong emotions of sadness when I left KSA. And I honestly can’t stand ignorance anymore. Again, I’m sharing my personal adventure and the people I meet on the way. I refuse to talk about politics nor governments because I’m not an expert and I’ve got nothing to say. I’m just a traveler, passionate about people living on our Planet.
But still: how can (so many) of us keep on believing TV and propagandas? How can these same people know better than locals or people who’ve been to the country itself?
Let’s make it clear:
1/ No, I never got paid by the Saudi government to tell my truth (and if it bothers some people that I feel safe and happy in a Muslim country, it’s their problem);
**but if the Saudi government wants to pay me, they’re very welcomed though
2/ No, nobody obliged me to cover my head simply because it’s not mandatory anymore in KSA. I was just happy to do it to respect the country and its culture. And, as per for Africa, I want to respect as much as possible (again, that’s these people’s problem if respect is not a priority when they travel);
3/ No, Saudi women are not oppressed in KSA! All the women I met there are free to study, to work, to drive (alone but a lot have got a personal driver), to live on their own, etc. But most of all: they’re happy.
The world urgently needs to stop educating itself with TV. Yes, I’m privileged with my European passport, I can travel almost anywhere, and I wish this could be the case for everybody.
Most countries are so different in reality.
Last but not least, let’s stop judging a country from what women wear. A headscarf doesn’t mean oppression. Let’s get to know a culture before creating prejudices and lies! Each culture has its own rules and traditions, just let’s respect this.
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