Multicultural Outreach from the Swedish Police

A reader has translated an article from an edition of Metro International in Sweden:


AINA Will Attract Suburban “Kids”

Aina is Turkish-Swedish slang, and is an abbreviation of the Turkish slang expression aynasiz that means “without mirror”. The word hints at the police with the meaning that a police officer has no sense of shame and decency and consequently would not dare to look in a mirror. (Source: Z. Adami, Gringo)

A police car with the slang word for police “AINA” is supposed to tempt suburban “kids” to join the police corps. “The police believe they can reclaim the word and undramatize or defuse it. By using the same word as the kids in the immigrant suburbs you are creating a feeling of nearness,” says Zanyar Adami, editor in chief of the paper Gringo.


During the youth festival “Young 10 “ the police unveiled the renamed police car. The objective is to tempt youngsters with different ethnic backgrounds to join the corps for police education.

It is also part of the fight against juvenile delinquency, by investing in tempting new groups to join the police force. “Too many young people are drawn into gang criminality and we must all engage in trying to stop this. On way could be to get more police officers with experience from the suburbs,” says Chief Commissioner Carin Götblad to the Swedish News Agency TT.

Adami believes that the car will draw the attention of the “kids” and create a dialogue between them and the police.

“Is it enough to only show up a car with the word ‘AINA’ to reach suburb youngsters? — No, one PR campaign is not enough, but it shows that the police are receptive. I believe that it can tempt some to enlist,” says Adami.

Photo caption: Chief Commissioner Carin Götblad demonstrates the new police car that will tempt suburban “kids” to qualify as future police. Photo: Land Earthy/Scanpix

The Vision Thing

There was an interesting read in one of the editions of Washington Post by former CIA Officer John Brennan, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Mr. Brennan noted that Osama bin Laden's days are probably numbered, but his "vision" will likely live on after his demise. He argues that the U.S. should re-double its efforts to "get" the Al Qaeda leader, to destroy the myth of his invincibility. Brennan also observes that the U.S. and its allies have no real plan for countering bin Laden's vision, which has attracted followers across the Muslim world.


Further he observes that Bin Laden is "securely hibernating" somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistan border, deriving warmth from such developments as Hamas's recent victory in the Palestinian elections, Islamist violence in Europe, and the recent cartoon riots around the globe. According to Brennan, this proves that Bin Laden is advancing his dream of global domination by an Islamic caliphate.

There's only one problem with that scenario. Bin Laden moved into seclusion because he had to; his once-secure compounds in Afghanistan are now under control of the U.S. military or Afghan security forces. The increasing isolation of the Al Qaeda leader has forced the organization to adopt a de-centralized approach to Jihad, with local cells assuming a far greater role in planning and conducting attacks. While this approach has produced some tactical victories (notably the transit bombings in London and Madrid), it is not likely to replicate the success of 9/11. As we've argued in the past, Bin Laden must, at some point, prove capable of staging another "spectacular" to ensure continued financial support for his cause. Over the past year, there has been some grumbling within Al Qaeda ranks that the movement is losing steam, and that the organization must mount another large-scale operation to keep the base energized and expanding. Shuttling between caves and mud huts makes that process infinitely more difficult.

Additionally, the security of Bin Laden's hiberation site is increasingly in jeopardy. Recent drone attacks that killed senior Al Qaida operatives are evidence that the intelligence net is slowly tightening around bin Laden, and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. A respected British security firm recently predicted that Bin Laden, Zawahiri (or both) will be killed or captured. Bin Laden's "hibernation" is clearly a sign of success in the War on Terror.

 Democracy in Afghanistan has been a success, despite a slight resurgence by the Taliban. Bin Laden's former hosts have been largely reduced to mounting IED attacks against Afghan government and NATO troops, because their other military and political strategies have failed miserably.

In Iraq, the insurgency remains a serious problem, and the wave of sectarian violence revealed problems with Iraqi police and Interior Ministry security teams. But the new Iraqi Army performed well, and the overwhelming majority of the populace resisted calls for civil war, obeyed the curfews, and rode out the crisis. Iraq's political and religious leaders also demonstrated a willingness to work together, although some of those relationships are contentious at best.

As demonstrated in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a viable alterntative to Bin Laden's 8th century social and political model. But communicating that vision is often as imporatant as all the humanitarian aid and infrastructure projects funding across the Middle East. The inability to communicate messages of democracy and opportunity gives hope to Bin Laden, who has little trouble in articulating his brand of Islamofacism.

With attitudes changing, Companies prefer to hire Non-smokers

JEDDAH, 27 May 2010 — Work attitudes are seemingly shifting in the Kingdom with many companies that previously sought competencies in English and computer literacy are preferring nonsmoking workers over smokers, according to a report published by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. Job seekers need to brace themselves in ticking the nonsmoking boxes in job applications.


A company executive, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the shift in attitudes was due to a growing concern in the quality of working environments in the Kingdom.

Managers are now less enthusiastic about employing smokers because of the dangerous health hazards that smoking may pose to co-workers. The official said, “This is an internationally applied principle not just a local one. Studies prove that nonsmokers are far more qualified than smokers.”

A recent study conducted by European researchers found that the level of work done by workers that smoke was far less than that done by non-smokers. The study also showed that on average a smoking employee costs a company 2,890 euros (about SR14,000) a year in cigarette breaks.

The study further stated that employees at companies that operated under a nonsmoking policy would generally waste time in going to “smoker’s corners” and that people that smoked have negative effects on their co-workers and generally go on sick leave far more than nonsmokers. Interestingly smokers also cost companies huge bills in ventilation maintenance.

 In fact some companies have already begun applying some of these conditions and prefer employing nonsmokers to smokers. “Companies have the right to prevent and ban smoking within their own premises. As long as an employee is hardworking and does a good job companies should continue employing them.”

Abu Harba makes an interesting point saying that most people smoke because of the stress related to searching for jobs.

Statistics deduced from national records at the Ministry of Health has revealed that the number of smokers in Saudi Arabia has dramatically increased and that the Kingdom has been ranked as the world’s fourth largest cigarette importer.

In spite of various programs educating the public about the harms associated with cigarettes the number of smokers in Saudi Arabia continue to grow, especially among young people. The records also show that an alarming number of Saudi women also smoke. Their number, currently at six percent, is said to be increasing.

The Green Hawks cannot be stopped!

Thanks to "Uwe", the soccer correspondent in Germany, who has brought and translated a number of stories from Germany, including the one about the ...erm...display of national flags in Munich.


The information is that, according to the German newspaper, "Bild Zeitung", the Saudi Arabian team bus for the forthcoming World Cup will have this slogan on the side....

I've never actually heard them call that before. The Air Force aerobatic team used to call themselves the "Saudi Hawks", but then changed their name to the "Saudi Falcons", perhaps with good reason.


You see, the problem with this name is that many Saudi men are habitual hawkers and spitters. Outside, they do it onto the sidewalk. Inside, they look for a waste bin, if they are feeling particularly polite. And, in spite of all official efforts, there seems to be no stopping them. So the slogan is not so much a patriotic team encouragement, as a sad commentary on our lack of mucus-and-saliva etiquette. Especially when the color is....

Let's change the subject. Let's talk about Saudi Boy Racers....

Apologies to all (probably the vast majority) who are not soccer fans, but with the World Cup looming , the temptation of writing about soccer exceeds even that of Mme.. Nicotine. Anyway, thanks to "Uwe", the soccer correspondent in Germany, here is a photo of the official Saudi team coach, complete with ...... the ....

Double entendre

A double entendre (French pronunciation: [dublɑ̃tɑ̃dʁə]) or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué, inappropriate, or ironic.


The Oxford English Dictionary defines a double entendre as especially being used to "convey an indelicate meaning". It is often used to express potentially offensive opinions without the risks of explicitly doing so.

A double entendre may exploit puns to convey the second meaning. Double entendres tend to rely more on multiple meanings of words, or different interpretations of the same primary meaning; they often exploit ambiguity and may be used to introduce it deliberately in a text. Sometimes using a homonym (i.e. a different spelling that yields the same pronunciation) can sometimes be used as a pun as well as a "double entendre" of the subject.

Not this time...

I fell for the Iranian color-coding the Infidels story, and its subsequent retraction, and duly ate humble pie. And this one is definitely someone trying to stir up trouble and give the Muslim Offense Level a real boost.

Ready for the soccer jihad?

It appears that this is some kind of World Cup soccer ball, with the flags of the various participating nations -- including Saudi Arabia.


So what? Well, as you can see, the Saudi flag prominently features the Shahada, the Islamic profession of faith: "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger." And...people are going to kick that?

Except this had nothing to do with the 2010 World Cup. It looks like the tacky product of some back-street Third World sweat-shop factory. And the reason it has nothing to do with the World Cup? The flags of Northern Ireland and Israel. They are not in the World Cup. Israel, maybe next time, but come on, Northern Ireland have about as much chance of ever qualifying, as the Imam University team.

This one could rival the Cartoon Jihad. But of course, it is never possible to guess about what will be chosen as the next pretext to stoke the sense of grievance and rage that the jihadists need to garner support and recruits.

 But let's concentrate on the real cases, bloggers, not try and stir up trouble with some tacky fabricated story about a tacky soccer ball.

What every woman knows....

"Every man who is high up loves to think that he has done it all himself; and the wife smiles, and lets it go at that. It's our only joke."


So speaks the knowing wife, in J.M.Barrie's play of that name. Written in England in 1908, it preceded the Women's vote. It tells of a time when women were powerful in the home, but not in society at large. It took the efforts of thousands and thousands of women like Emily Pankhurst here, and on both sides of the Atlantic, to get the vote. They knew that no-one was going to hand power over to them. The sad lesson of human progress is that nobody gives away power for free, it has to be taken.


I mention this because of a discussion that has been going on in the Comments section, about how Saudi women can achieve real power, to be able to drive, to wear what they like, have equal rights in marriage, the list goes on.

I think the discussion was prompted by this young Saudi woman, (name hidden for obvious reasons) who had been denied her internet rights by her caring male relatives. It's nice to be able to report that she's back online although her language is still as ripe, but who can blame her....It seems that the dickless dicks have had a change of heart and I've been granted internet access. Nonetheless, they are still dickless dicks as far as I'm concerned, because this filthy country makes damn sure that the ball is always in their f*cking court.....and not only that, it looks as though one of her own gender is causing her problems....

UV: Who are you talking to, day and night?


Me: huh?

UV: Your mobile!

Me: What about it?

UV: Why is it ringing ALL THE TIME? WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?

Me: Who do you think I’m talking to?!

UV: I don’t know. You tell me!

Me: It’s none of your God damn business!

And with that I walked off; ignoring her excruciating screaming.So now my phone’s being threatened. This is the bullcrap that I have to bloody endure. I’m 23 for f*ck sake. It does not concern ANYONE who the hell I’m talking to on the phone.

If every Saudi woman were like her, the streets would be buzzing with women driving to each others' houses, shops, schools and of course the places where they work, wearing bright clothing and sporting bare faces with makeup. But it is not so. And answering the question "How do we change things?" is not easy. The parallels with the suffragettes are very few:

1. They lived in democracies, the issue was their getting the vote for themselves; in Saudi Arabia, no-one gets the vote.

2. They lived in countries where political protest was acceptable and generally legal; in Saudi Arabia, a simple peaceful demonstration can buy you gaol time.

3. They were free to travel round and associate, which meant they could hold plan, organize, hold meetings, get together in large numbers; in Saudi Arabia, with the exception of trips to the shops or elsewhere where they are "allowed", they are generally confined to the house.

Let me illustrate the last point, and provide a sort of an etiquette guide at the same time. It's a bit of a Western misconception that in the home, women rule the roost. Now it is true that they can be very influential within the close family, but in no sense are they the "woman of the house". If as a male you are ever invited to a traditional Saudi house for a meal, with or without your wife ("significant others" don't get visas, sorry), this is more or less what will happen.

Husband will open the door and welcome you. There may well be an incense burner in the doorway, as a mark of greeting. Waft the smoke over your hair and clothes. Remove your shoes (best to come in sandals).
Husband will lead your wife to a back room. That is all you are going to see of her, all evening. Coffee or tea, and dates, will be ready on a table. You sit down (better on the floor), drink, eat, talk "guy talk". You may hear sounds of movement and rustlings from the next room. At a certain point, husband will lead you through to the next room where, miraculously, food will be laid out. The dishes are probably set out on a plastic sheet on the carpet. Nothing, and I am being absolutely serious here, beats eating in a reclining position, perhaps leaning on a decorative camel saddle, with the food at floor level, and using your hand (right, not left, but don't ask why) to eat. There will be enough to feed a small army. Arab hospitality demands that guests should never leave hungry. When you see all those dishes for just the two of you, including one with several small roast chickens, do not make the foolish assumption that this is the main course. PACE YOURSELF.

When you have assured your host that you have eaten all that you can manage from what is before you, he will remove many dishes. However he will return and replace them with an even larger selection of larger dishes. Carry on eating. Aren't you glad you are lying down? (It allows the stomach to distend more easily).
When you have eventually finished (NB If you are the "BellyBuster" champion at your local restaurant's "All you can eat Prime Rib Night", don't try and eat everything, they will only bring out more, so that you won't leave hungry) , you get up as best you can, and repair to the room you originally started out in, where miraculously fresh coffee will have appeared. Resume the horizontal once more. More "guy talk". There will be more sounds of rustling from next door.

As the evening draws to a close, husband will leave you and return from the back room with your wife. Say your farewells, put your shoes on, waft the incense, and out you go. Your wife will then inform you that your host also has a wife, who did all the cooking, and laid out and removed plates for the menfolk, not to mention coffee, as well as doing the same for herself and your wife. And you thought it was just a miracle.

[There is a slight variation to this routine, if the guests are male relatives of the husband. In that case the wife may emerge to pour coffee, but she will have a cloth draped over her head (rather like the cloth you would cover your parrot cage with, to shut it up) . Not that she's going to say anything, of course, she will just pour the coffee; the cloth is thin enough to allow her to see the spout and the cups, without curious male relatives being able to see her face].

The main point of that etiquette guide was just to show how little the typical Saudi wife is able to get out and about in her own house when the men are around, never mind get out and about in society at large. If you're going to be confined to a backroom or under a parrot-cloth, how the hell are you going to go out and organize a social revolution?

I wish to God I knew the answer, apart from collectively battering the men of Saudi Arabia over the head with a blunt instrument. First, the womenfolk need to get their attention. As every woman knows, there are two ways to get a man's attention:

1. Switch off the TV when his favorite sport is on.

2. Deny him his conjugal "rights".

The advantage of the second one is that it does not involve going out into the street waving banners. It can be done from the comfort of one's own home. Also, it does not break any criminal law. Carried out resolutely, it can be unbelievably effective. Ask the women of ancient Sparta, Boeotia, and Corinth, other societies where women did not have a voice. In Aristophenes' play "Lysistrata", the women, encouraged by the heroine of that name, went on strike in order to end the Peloponnesian War.


Here's some of the dialogue. It is a bit fruity, the ancient Greeks didn't go in for nuance or euphemism!

LYSISTRATA: We will all swear at once. Put your hands on the cup, everyone, and repeat after me. I shall not go near my husband or my lover.

ALL: I will not go near my husband or my lover.

LYSISTRATA: Speak up—No matter how big a hard-on he has.

ALL: No matter how big a hard-on he has.

LYSISTRATA: I will be completely celibate.

ALL: I will be completely celibate.

LYSISTRATA: And wear nothing but seductive clothing

ALL: And wear nothing but seductive clothing

LYSISTRATA: And get my husband as horny as possible

ALL: And get my husband as horny as possible

LYSISTRATA: But I will never willingly give in to him

ALL: But I will never willingly give in to him

LYSISTRATA: No matter how he pressures me

ALL: No matter how he pressures me

LYSISTRATA: And if he tries to force me


ALL: And if he tries to force me.

LYSTRATA: I will not do the thing where I put my legs up over his head

ALL: I will not do the thing where I put my legs up over his head

LYSISTRATA: Nor will I pretend to be a lioness he has caught in the forest

ALL: Nor will I pretend to be a lioness he has caught in the forest

LYSISTRATA: If I keep my oath, let my cup be filled with nothing but wine

ALL: If I keep my oath, let my cup be filled with nothing but wine

LYSISTRATA: And if I break it, let it be filled with nothing but water.

ALL: And if I break it, let it be filled with nothing but water.

LYSISTRATA: Do you all solemnly swear this oath?

ALL: We do.

There's my suggestion, for what it's worth. Will it be the start of the Great Saudi Sexual Strike of 2011 (1427)?