Beardy tweets have sparked controversy in Saudi Arabia
A Saudi activist said that she would sue a religious scholar after he called for putting her on trial over a tweet in which he claimed she had insulted Prophet Mohammad . Suad Al Shimmari said that Shaikh Adel Al Kalbani wronged her by claiming that she had ridiculed the Prophet by denigrating the significance of beards that men are expected to grow as required by some religious schools.
Local news site Sabq Shaik Al Kalbani said: “I call for a swift trial of Suad Al Shimmari for her offences to the Prophet and her scorns in the tweet she posted,”
Suad Al Shimmari said in her tweet: “one of the dumbest statements is that breeding beards is to be different from the heathens. These include past and present Orientalists, Jews, priests, Communists and Marxists beards. Abu Jahl (an enemy of the Prophet) had a beard longer than that of the Prophet.”
In reaction to the tweet Al Kalbani prayed that Suad would lose the use of her hand and her eyesight.
Suad however rejected the charges and said they were part of a campaign to discredit her: “Those who reacted negatively to my tweet had isolated it from the other tweets raising the same theme. They maliciously clipped them to target me and to make me look as if I was scorning the Prophet,”
“I wanted to stress in my tweets that when we criticise bearded men, we do not mean to ridicule God’s teachings, verses and Messenger. In my tweet, I wanted to show that other religions also included breeding beards that are in fact longer than those that some Muslims have. This includes rabbis and clergymen,”. Buddhists in India are different from Muslims through, among other features, their beards, she added.
“The length of a beard does not define the degree of religious devotion or the piety of the person. Those who say they want to emulate the example of Prophet Mohammad should adopt his morals as well,” she said.
“I am shocked by all the insults and derogatory remarks. I wish Al Kalbani had really appreciated the significance of my tweets before rushing into cursing me,” she said. His negative attitudes have fuelled public antagonism against her according to Suad.
Suad also said; “Al Kalbani did what he did because he wanted to gain some popular mileage and to reconcile with his group. I am now considering a law case against him for what he said against me. Islam teaches us not to rush into statements and conclusions until we are sure and certain about all the facts in order to be fair. I am responsible for what I say, but I am not responsible for what they understand or how they perceive things. I am not at all responsible about them if they want to put pressure on society or seek a deal with the state or target me because of my positions towards the Muslim Brotherhood,” .
Suad said that some people are using their beards to hide their true character behind them. “The Prophet would have never treated people unfairly or rushed into a conclusion without verifying the facts and making sure about them first. What they did is not part of the Prophet’s way of life. These people represent a political ideology hiding behind a beard to claim they are pious and live in good conditions,”.
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Gulf News
Update:
To make the post more perfect, here is a photo of Shaik Al Kabani:
And to make sure this post is fair to the Arab men in general, here is a really handsome bearded Arab man:
However, being this smoulderingly hot as a man is also a problem… This adorable man and his two equally alluring, attractive and appealing friends were thrown out of last year’s Janadriya festival due to their overwhelming handsomness which the haia thought would be too much for the Saudi women to deal with.
Although I never heard any report of these men being harassed by hordes of Saudi women, apparently they were just having a good time soaking in some culture and history.
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I do not like facial hair one little bit. Fortunately I have a husband who obliges me and have a lovely soft, clean face with no hair!!!
Although, I am not familiar with what particular religion preaches of having or not having a beard.. I probably think it is such a silly thing to argue w.r.to many bigger problems that society at large is facing.. i digress.. in terms of what she want’s do is totally fair.. and I hope she get’s all the support and wins.
I think that, apart from a well groomed goatee, beards should be forbidden on esthetic grounds.
As well as large moustaches.
Shaikh Adel Al Kalbani has to be one of the most ignorant and feeble-minded men, not only in Saudi Arabia, but in the world. He should have read about Souad Alshammari before he messes up with her. She is patriot, intelligent, great communicator, beautiful, personable, likable and knows about his religion and world affairs more than he does or will ever do.
It would be prudent for his friends and relatives who created and operate the Saudi judicial system to wake up and see the real truth, not theirs, and decide on the merit of Souad’s case. All Saudis, men and women, should stand by and support Souad, because any of them could be accused of the same fabricated lie the zealots are known to conceive, hatch and unleash.
Some beards are nice, but most that I see ARE NOT!
I have a beard, I try to keep it moderate length. There are advantages to beards. I don’t think I have gotten chapped lips since I grew one. They can be messy when eating. I cannot imagine having a very long beard like that in the photo at the bottom of the post.
Still I have had one for over 30 years. My wife says she likes it. That is good enough for me.
Of course, this whole broohaha isn’t about beards. It’s about putting a woman in her place.
Jerry, you have a beard? Deeply shocked! Oh well, if your wife likes it then you have to have it.
Do you have a moustache teacup? I first learned of them when I was studying in England.
Sandy, I bet you are right.
I was shocked by anybody ”praying” that another human being should loose the use of their hand and their eyesight. You must be a despicable human being to even contemplate that. However, I have no doubt that if one spends their time and thoughts on such evil dark vengeful wishes they will rebound to you in some way or other.
@aafke-art
No mustache teacup, I have seen them in china cabinets but I have never seen one for sale.
You find them in fleamarkets and ebay, don’t you think it’s time to get one? I am imagining you now, sipping from a dainty pink, golden edged, flowery teacup with moustache guard!?
@Aafke-art
Yes that fits me to a ‘T’, I imagine a cream colored china not pink but otherwise perfect.
Look at all those “lovely”, “intelligent”, “enlightened” faces in the second photo. I still can’t explain to myself why certain women from the West fall for these beings and end up married to them forfeiting their whole lives as free, independent, fulfilled individuals. Trading a life of doing everything you want for a life of endless submission and permission. Beard isn’t even the problem here. The problem is the lack of true goodness and intelligence behind it.
@ Reality Check,
If by “these beings” you mean Haia types in the photo, I agree. If you mean Saudi men- they aren’t all like those in the photo, obviously. That’s how it happens.
Reality Check, although the subject of the article, especially the attack made on Suad, is quite serious, I have tried to lighten the mood by posting some amusing photos of beards.
I believe the saudi men are religious police, and they never look happy. Somehow they are not happy people. There are lots of photos of very happy, very handsome Saudi men with very nice beards, but I chose the grumpy one because the dude who has such nasty plans for Suad is looking like them. I will add a photo.
This post has been updated.
Jerry, I was amazed at how dainty these moustache tea cups were! But then I suppose if you are a real man your manliness can get away with anything!
If you ever come to visit I will make sure to have a moustache tea cup!
Yes, the last photo is hot!! While a long unkempt beard is nasty, hot is hot, beard or not. A bit of shadow is great but Duck Dynasty is NOT!
Fortunately, for those like Shaik Al Kabani, they do get their come-up ense.
katcanfield, great rhyme!
I read somewhere that women should wear hijab to make them less attractive to men, maybe men have to wear beards to make them less attractive to women. I think they are doing very well on that account.
two thumbs up, AA!
F does not have abeard, never had one, and I like it that way, but once, just once he grew a goatee and he was oh so cute
and it was not just me saying that, plenty of women at his work gave him the eye, but he got rid of it after my constant appreciation I think
Anyway this is a silly thing to curse and punish someone about, I dont think it is about beards at all, it’s about a woman saying things that concern men that has the cleric all riled up..
“A study from the University of Southern Queensland, published in the ‘Radiation Protection Dosimetry’ journal found that beards block 90 to 95 percent of UV rays, thereby slowing the aging process and reducing the risk of skin cancer. Got asthma?
Pollens and dust simply get stuck in that lustrous facial hair. Additionally, all that hair retains moisture and protects against the wind, keeping you looking young and fresh-faced. What’s more, shaving is usually the cause of ingrown hairs and bacterial infections that lead to acne”.
http://worldobserveronline.com/2013/04/15/beards-keep-you-young-healthy-handsome-says-science-2
HORRIBLE beards! OMgosh.
But the last guy…all I can say is “I LIKE!!!’
just for the sake of accuracy, no one was ever “thrown out of janadriya festival due to overwhelming handsomeness.”
http://www.islawmix.org/the-man-too-handsome-for-saudi-arabia-who-wasnt/
Hi, just wanted to say that I find the beard extremely sexy, except for a few that are posted here.
Anyway, the sunnah in Islam is to trim the mustache and leave the beard as our beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessing be upon him) stated. Muslims that are knowledgeable about their religion should already know this.