Saudis Flirt Via Bluetooth

There is strict segregation of sexes in Saudi Arabia. Men and women who don't know each other simply aren't allowed to interact socially in public - this makes it difficult to meet members of the opposite sex who aren't previously approved of by family members. Technology, though, is making such separation more difficult to maintain.

According to MSNBC, bluetooth-equipped cellular phones are being used by strangers to contact each other and exchange phone numbers, pictures, and more:

They elude the mores imposed by the kingdom’s puritanical Wahhabi version of Islam — formulated in the 18th century — by using a 21st century device in their mobile phones: the wireless Bluetooth technology that permits users to connect without going through the phone company. “It’s more fun coming to a restaurant these days,” said Mona, 21, as her two friends giggled. Their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones rested on the table next to the remnants of a dinner of club sandwiches and fries.

[F]or many Saudi youths, who have almost nowhere to meet members of the opposite sex, the technology is a godsend. It is replacing a favorite method of flirting: throwing phone numbers at women through car windows or in shopping malls. With Bluetooth, men and women can safely flirt at malls, restaurants and even traffic lights. For the most part, the messages are innocent. But for this conservative society, it is pretty bold stuff.

Technology is always being used to circumvent authoritarian restrictions on information and expression. Sometimes those in control can use more technology to stop such subversive activities, sometimes they can’t. In this case, it appears that the Saudi religious authorities are losing.

Restricting contact between the sexes is a major foundation for general social and political restrictions in the Saudi kingdom. Preventing people from intermingling makes it more difficult for ideas to spread, ensures that the older generation maintains control over what sorts of romantic relationships are possible, and more.

It’s long been understood the restrictions on people’s sexuality is an important element of all other restrictions which authoritarian regimes try to impose on citizens. If people can be controlled in their most intimate relationships and expressions, it’s easier to control them on many other levels. By the same token, if people can break free of such restrictions, they are well on their way to breaking free of other restrictions as well.

Read More:

• Islam
• Women in Islam
• Wahhabi Islam
• Religion in Saudi Arabia
• Religion and Sex