Linbrook Press (2009)
ISBN 9780977978014
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (9/09)

Homa Pourasgari resides in Los Angeles, California. She received a degree in Business from Loyola Marymount University, after which she left to live in Paris for one year and attended the University of Sorbonne, focusing on literature. Multilingual, she has been traveling since the age of five and has experienced many different cultures. Homa has worked in various industries such as marketing, retail, banking, accounting and fitness, but she has always returned to her true love—writing. Following the success of her first novel, “Lemon Curd,” she has now published “The Dawn of Saudi.”

Tyler:  Welcome, Homa. I’m excited to get to talk to you again since I so enjoyed discussing “Lemon Curd” with you. “The Dawn of Saudi,” however, seems like a radical departure from your more romantic and somewhat lighter earlier book. What made you first decide to write about the oppression of women in Saudi Arabia?

Homa:  Actually, “The Dawn of Saudi” isn’t a radical change from my first book. Both books portray strong-willed independent male and female characters willing to fight for what they want instead of accepting the status quo, and there is an element of romance in my second book as well because love is an important part of our everyday lives. I believe that Anna Lisa Gibson and Neil Scott Whittaker from “Lemon Curd” may someday become really good friends with Dawn Parnell and Jason Crawford of “The Dawn of Saudi” in another book.

But about “The Dawn of Saudi”: before starting it, I was doing some research on Iran and the restraints imposed on the population by the Iranian government. I grew up in Iran at a time when people had more freedom, and I left before it became “The Islamic Republic of Iran.” As I did my research, I noticed that many of their laws were based on those of Saudi Arabia. So, I went to the source and realized that Saudis had it much worse than other Muslim-dominated countries. It was then that I decided to write about Saudi Arabia since they are a “model” for governments ruled by Islamic laws.

Tyler:  Why specifically did you choose the title, “The Dawn of Saudi”?

Homa:  Everyday at Dawn, a new day begins and we all get a chance to start over again and live the life we want. Two of the main characters in “The Dawn of Saudi” want a chance to turn things around. They’re both searching for new beginnings. And that’s all I will say. Of course there’s more to the title, but I don’t want to give away too much. Once readers read my book, they can figure it all out.

Tyler:  Will you tell us a little about each of the three main characters?

Homa:  Dawn Parnell is a Mormon American whose hypocrite father forced her to live under the strict rules of her religion. She’s young and naïve when she falls in love with a Saudi who always pays for whatever she wants and treats her like a princess, but once she leaves the comfort of a Western culture and moves with him to Riyadh, he completely changes and mistreats her.

Sahar Al-hijazi, who is best friends with Dawn Parnell, doesn’t want to get married and prefers continuing with her education. She is devastated when her parents want to marry her off to some rich old man. But marry she will because Saudi women are considered the property of a male guardian—father, brother, uncle or any close male relative, and he can do anything he wants with her.

Jason Crawford is a wealthy playboy who does business with Sahar’s father. He, like the majority of the people around the world, couldn’t care less about how the Saudi government treats their citizens. His main interest is turning a profit, but as certain events occur in his life and he learns about Dawn and Sahar’s past, he starts to have second thoughts about working with people who have no scruples.

Tyler:  Homa, in your marketing pieces you refer to “the oppression of women under the pre-text of religion.” Will you explain what you mean by “pre-text” and specifically, since we’re talking about a Muslim country, is the interpretation of how women should be treated, in Islam and the Koran, different from how it is practiced?

Homa:  Look, religion is religion. Whether you read the Torah, the Bible, the Koran or etc., you will find what worked a thousand years ago no longer works. Modern Christians, Jews, and Muslims and people of various faiths no longer practice everything that’s in their holy books and if they do, they interpret it according to the time they live in.

Unfortunately, there are leaders around the world who use religion to control the masses and cause animosity among faiths, and this is what I try to convey when I say under “the pre-text” of religion. Look at President Bush who used Christianity to push his political agenda and agreed to enforce backward rules, or Netanyahu who grips tightly to his power by allowing illegal settlements on the Palestinian lands under the pretext that they are “holy” lands or the Saudi government who literally binds its citizens by enforcing segregation of sexes in the name of religion so it can continue its control.

A just leader, be it religious or political, is the one who doesn’t abuse power and doesn’t try to divide people by turning one faith against another. He or she is a leader who embraces all faiths and those who do not want to follow any faith. And although I do not agree with many of the policies of President Obama, I will always remember his inauguration speech when he got on the podium and said, “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. He is a leader with many faults like other leaders before him, but he doesn’t control people under the “pre-text” of religion the way Bush did when he tried to make abortion illegal, banned stem cell research, and only targeted Muslims, labeling them as terrorists. Was Bush much different from the Saudis who use religion to shut people up? Lucky for us, we live in a secular society and we can reverse some of Bush’s backward changes, but had we lived in a country where there was no separation of church and state, I’m not sure things would be any different than other governments ruled by religion.

Tyler:  Thank you for the explanation, Homa, and the understanding that religion being used as a pre-text can be across the board with all religions. Will you tell us about how Dawn meets her husband?

Homa:  Dawn is a student in Barcelona when she meets a Saudi at a nightclub. He’s attentive, charming and cool, takes her to expensive places, pays for her travels and gives her anything she wants. Smitten by him, she agrees to marry him and moves to Riyadh.

Tyler:  Tell me more about the man Dawn marries. I understand she marries him because she thinks he’s a progressive thinker? Was he lying to her, or are things more complicated once they are married and he is among other men who think like him?

Homa:  While in Spain, Dawn’s husband treats her as an equal and never objects to the way she dresses, to the fact that she drinks alcohol and her liberal attitude of having both men and women as friends. Afraid that she would not marry him, he never bothers mentioning to her that he has other wives in Saudi Arabia or that his friends and family are much more conservative than he is.

And this is the case in real life. Often times, Western women marry Saudis and move to the Kingdom without ever having met the person’s family and without realizing that family plays a huge role in the Saudi life. Once the woman makes her move with her husband, the husband’s family may influence him on how he should treat his wife. Also, the culture forced upon women in the country, the friends a man hangs out with and many things may change his mind about how he should treat her. This is actually all printed in the U.S government’s website but some people don’t bother reading it or don’t take any of it seriously before moving there.

With that said, not all Saudis behave this way. There are many honest liberal-minded Saudis. But even so, life is extremely difficult and repressive for any woman in Saudi Arabia, and that’s what every woman should consider before moving there. Even the “liberal” Saudis are very different than “liberal” westerners. I find that the Saudi forward-thinking women are more in tune with our liberal attitudes than the Saudi forward-thinking men. And the reason is simple—the women are awfully oppressed and they’re looking for complete freedom whereas the men have it easier and may say, well, some of the rules are not so bad, but we could do without this, this and this…

Tyler:  Why did you choose to have two female main characters rather than just one?

Homa:  I grew up with friends from Iran, the U.S, Denmark, Germany, France, Switzerland, England and etc. We all came from various backgrounds, but somehow we had so much in common. Therefore, I use my life experiences in my books. I like mixing cultures in order to bring an understanding that we are so different and yet so much alike. Dawn is an American but she grew up under strict religious rules even if she did live in a secular country. Sahar lives in a Muslim-dominated country, but she is a liberal and wants to be free. Two different cultures, two unlikely people ever to be friends and yet what they have in common brings them close to each other.

Tyler:  What is the general feeling of women in Saudi Arabia about their situations? Do they realize they are oppressed, or do they just believe their lives are normal because it’s the only type of life they know?

Homa:  It’s important to understand that countries all over the map, try to brainwash their children through their educational system, be it in United States, England, France, Saudi Arabia or wherever. In the U.S for example, we learn politics and history from books that are not objective and take sides—our side. Same is true in England and France. We are taught patriotism every time we pledge allegiance to the flag, but isn’t patriotism racism? Aren’t we teaching our children that we’re better than other countries?

So, the same is true of Saudi Arabia. They are taught that their culture, faith and belief system is better than everyone else’s. The only difference is that since there’s no separation of church and state, religion plays an overwhelming role in shaping the minds of the future generation, and it is up to individuals eventually to learn to analyze the information fed to them. Some do and others accept the status quo and see nothing wrong with it. With that said, I like to divide the Saudi women into three groups.

This first group consists of devout Muslims. They do as they’re told and expect their children to follow suit. They do not care much for the Western world and prefer to stay away from it, afraid of the influence on their family. It is futile to point out the obvious to this group because they’re close-minded and their way is the only way.

The second group is moderate. They travel outside their country and enjoy various cultures, but they don’t like it when outsiders criticize their country or they’ll say something like, “But you’re judging us with Western Standards.” These women have the best of both worlds and not much to complain about. Their husbands allow them to work and treat them with respect. They don’t like their daughters to be imitating the habits of what they label as “Promiscuous” westerners.

The third group is liberal. They want to break all the rules, can’t wait to escape their country to live in the free world or at least be able to travel freely back and forth. They have no problem pointing out all that’s wrong within their country and other countries. Members of this group often convey their feelings through blogs, facebook, twitter and other social networking sites.

Tyler:  Homa, what are some of the key differences in women’s situations in the United States versus in Saudi Arabia?

Homa:  Whereas Saudi women are considered the property of a man and their worth is equivalent to 50% of a man’s, American women are independent and have equal rights. Whereas American women can do as they please, Saudi women are not allowed to work, drive, travel or get a hotel room without the permission of a man. Whereas Saudi women would receive harsh punishments for having premarital sex and would be sentenced to death for adultery, American women can have a one night stand, a boyfriend, or commit adultery without getting prosecuted.

But what Saudis need to understand is that not all Western women are “easy” and just because they have the freedom to do as they wish, they don’t always practice it. The majority of westerners believe that adultery is wrong. Parents teach their young adults to behave responsibly and to have relationships with people they truly care about. Some people marry their first love and others may have had only one or two boyfriends in their lifetime, and there are those who live extremely busy lives and don’t have time for any kind of relationship.

Tyler:  That’s very true, Homa, and makes it clear we cannot generalize about people. But let’s change the subject now. Will you tell us about the mystery aspect of the novel?

Homa:  The story opens up with the life of three main characters, but the reader doesn’t know much right away except for the superficial things that most people observe on their first encounters. As the plot thickens, many secrets are revealed which lead up to a dangerous chase involving unsavory characters, a private detective, a CIA agent and the department of homeland security.

Tyler:  Did you have to do research to write the novel? Have you been to Saudi Arabia yourself?

Homa:  My research on “The Dawn of Saudi” took three years. I have never been to Saudi Arabia, but I wouldn’t mind going there someday when I can dress as I like, move about easily, and be allowed to converse with both men and women and do as I wish without getting punished. It’s interesting to note that many westerners who have been there have very little understanding of the culture because they live in compounds which are similar to a resort. They hang around with expats and roam around freely with their male and female friends.

As for me, I’m from Iran, and although there are many differences between our cultures, there are also a lot of similarities. I grew up in an Iran that was more liberal than the “Islamic Republic of Iran” but life was still difficult for women. Many were expected to cook and clean and raise children. Not getting married was unheard of and frowned upon. An unmarried girl over the age of twenty-one was considered a spinster; people pitied her and talked behind her back. Premarital sex was forbidden, and if a woman had a boyfriend, she was considered tainted. Since many women didn’t have an income, they were stuck in unhappy marriages, and if they divorced, their children would be taken away from them. If a man or a woman didn’t get married, they were expected to live at home with their parents.

And so, it wasn’t that difficult for me to comprehend the Saudi culture. I am so glad that I live in the United States. Even as a child, I felt suffocated when my parents wouldn’t allow me to do as I wanted and today, I would have a hard time to live in the Middle East. I find their teachings against my belief system. At school they teach you that Islam is the only “right” religion and that all other countries have a wrong mentality. Religion dominates every aspect of life. Within communities, it is always encouraged to dress modestly and many believe that Western women are loose and easy. If a girl wants to marry a respectable family, she has to follow a thousand rules while men can basically do as they please.

With that said, I also want to point out that the segregation of sexes in Saudi Arabia is hard on men as well. The younger generation wants to date but they can’t. Many want to have girlfriends and go see a movie or dance at a night club but that’s impossible. If a man is caught in the presence of an unrelated female, he will be flogged. If he has sex with her, he will be beaten and jailed. Oftentimes, the young men are bored out of their minds. This is really unfair. Why should they be punished so harshly for something so natural?

Tyler:  What do you hope will be the result of people reading “The Dawn of Saudi”?

Homa:  I don’t think outsiders have any clue about how impossible life can be in Saudi Arabia. They may know about it and have a certain image of it but unless they read about it in depth, they’ll never know the real truth because western media hides the truth. Journalists do not translate the floggings, rape, torture, decapitation and the injustice brought upon the Saudi citizens and residents because of politics. And so we must depend on a handful of bloggers whose lives are always in danger. Afraid that they may end up in jail, they translate from Arabic to English a piece of news and add a carefully worded commentary.

In my book, “The Dawn of Saudi,” I wanted to be the voice of the people who are forced to be quiet and whose rights are being violated every single day. I hope that after reading my book, Westerners will be better informed and get involved in bringing about change, especially since they do so much business with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a model for all Islamic countries to follow and I have seen this model—it doesn’t look all that great. In order to improve life for the population of Muslim dominated countries, we must start with Saudi Arabia to implement change. And the way to do it is by talking about it and asking our politicians to get more involved. There are many liberal bloggers within the kingdom who are pushing for change and yes, change must come from the inside but we, on the outside, can help. We, on the outside, can stay informed and sign petitions when there is a miscarriage of justice. There needs to be pressure both from the outside and the inside for change to take place.

Tyler:  That’s great advice, and I so appreciate your message that we can change things. So, what is next for you, Homa? Do you have more books in the making?

Homa:  My next book will be a fiction as well about the forces that have impacted the U.S economy, the destruction of the middleclass and the loss of American freedom. Each book that I write is different, but I will always stand up for ethics and morality and fight for justice, human rights and freedom in my own small way. Every little bit adds up, especially if everyone gets involved. We’re in this world not just for our own self-interest and not just to consume but to give back and make it a better place for everyone.

Tyler:  Thank you for joining me today, Homa. Before we go, will you tell us about your website and what additional information we may find there about “The Dawn of Saudi”?

Homa:  My book’s website is www.thedawnofsaudi.com where readers can follow a link to a book trailer and a press release. They can also find a sample chapter, more info on Saudi Arabia and where they may purchase the book. Thank you, Tyler, for this opportunity to talk about such an important subject.

Tyler:  Thank you, Homa, for the fascinating and informative interview. I hope you will continue to write books to make people think, question, and try to make the world better.