What's life like in the Arab world at the moment?
We asked young people from 14 different countries.
Here are some of their answers
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Living in my country is a good and bad feeling at the same time.
Me personally, I've never had any financial issues.
Whenever I've needed money,
my parents give me money, and it's all good
and I've never had to work.
My biggest fear is to fail in front of my family, society & myself
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you,
to all my Muslim brothers and sisters in this world
I am happy
I am happy at the moment
After I learned that happiness comes from inside
and it does not need to be linked to people, possessions or even status
I learned that happiness will last when you are close to God.
Bil Arabi (In Arabic)
- How are you? - I am good!
- We going to get started OK? - What?
- We will start! - OK!
Mom... Please could you close the kitchen door?
- What? - You have a beautiful face!
Oh no, come on.
- What's up boys? - Who are those guys? Press?
Press and the media
What's the name of the media?
It's whatever, what kind of question is that?
You keep following me.
Let's go, I am ready.
Mom!
Am I talking or they are deaf?
Mom!
- You start. - No, you start.
- No, you start first.
Lebanon
When it comes to who I am,
I have a Masters in Philosophy
It's a personal kind of Masters only.
Yes, technically when I say I am a philosopher
I question stuff all the time
I always ask 'why and why?'
I think this is the fuel of life.
I keep discovering stories
My name is Batoul Nasser,
I am very positive, very simple and peaceful
I am a regular person bro,
a product of this environment.
We've been raised wrong, and we never changed
I can't be anything else
If I follow the right path, I would be lying to myself
Our life is normal.
There isn't anything we wouldn't do to have fun.
That's the most important thing.
Egypt
I am... It's difficult to introduce myself
I don't know... there are a lot of things in my life
But I don't know the one thing that defines me.
The wish of my life is to travel with her
And...
I love poetry, I love good conversation, I love love
I love romantics, and I love kind people so much
- She sings and has a very nice voice
That's it.
Firstly, I'm a normal person like any other Egyptian, thank God
My name is Omar Mohamed Mahmoud Al Aalem
I graduated from the Faculty of Commerce
I am Mohamed Hamdy Ahmed
I am a tuk-tuk driver
I have a tuk-tuk
I work in the morning, and the other drivers work at night
and whatever comes from God is fine
Tell us more about your personality, who are you?
A tuk-tuk driver, that's it?
Yes
UAE
My name is Faisal al Attar, I am 25 years old from Ajman
I work for Dubai Government in Dubai Municipality
I audit 10% of the Municipality fees,
so all the hotels and restaurants fear me basically
Did they make you pay entry?
Can one of you let us in?
Yes I will open it
Thank you
I am Mahra and I am 23 years old
Oh, not the camera? Okay.
I am Emirati... and I teach Yoga
and I practise calisthenics.
Calisthenics is....
is a form of workout...
depending on...
What's weight in Arabic?
"Wazen"
using your body weight.
-No! No!
Do you see what kind of life I have?
- I will introduce you to Ashkim.
Palestine
- Ashkim... come and introduce yourself
- I am Ashkim, they found me in Haifa,
stranded with dirty eyes, and I am silly.
An Arab-Palestinian from Haifa,
he protected the lands and the houses over there.
Saudi Arabia
Hi, how are you? All good?
- I'm with him! - Come, come
- May I? - Welcome, for sure
It's normal, I am just a human, living in Saudi Arabia...
trying to do what I love the most
and to enjoy what I am doing
Palestine
I am Mohammed
I've worked in a flower shop for four years
Tell us more details about you, not only about your job
I am...
Mohammed is enough.
How often do you worry about money?
The concept of money was created so the world can trade.
This dog - you can trade for money
I try to avoid spending money during the day
to do things that have nothing to do with money
but it doesn't exist.
For example playing with my dog is free.
Honestly no, I've never worried about money
Maybe because my father is supporting me financially
But I feel even if I had no money
I would still know how to make money
No thank God, I live with my family
In UAE it's normal for a girl to live with her family until she's married
So thank God, I don't have to pay for accommodation or food
Whatever money I make, I spend it on the gym
Iraq
Sometimes I need a lot of money...
but I can't keep asking my parents for it
and sometimes the money they give me isn't enough.
So, I need to depend on myself.
Every day I have to work hard to make money
Syrians over here have ruined everything...
they are everywhere, they take all jobs and work for less.
They don't give you a chance to work
so people prefer to employ Syrians.
Everything is expensive,
whenever I get money, it's goes immediately...
it doesn't stay with me.
- What's the stupidest thing you've spent your money on?
The stupidest thing?
What's the stupidest thing you spent your money on?
The stupidest thing I ever spent money on was buying clothes online
- Buying clothes online? Why? - Because it's always the wrong size
- You spend $300 to $400 for nothing - Ali Express or Jack & Jones?
- I can't tell you names - OK
The stupidest thing I ever spent money on?
My ex.
Tunisia
The stupidest I've spent my money on is playing cards
we play Hearts or Rummy.
It's what I have spent the most money on
so I can kill time. I wasted a lot of money.
The stupidest thing we ever spent money on...
You know we're young...
so there are a lot of things we do, that we spend money on
like going out to nightclubs, consuming substances
How would you define rich and poor?
How do you I define rich and poor, financially or personality wise?
They say if you have money then you are funny...
if you have money people will love you and find you fun.
When a rich man tells a joke, everyone laughs...
unlike the poor man.
I am going to talk about the rich financially
he's got the latest mobile phone...
he would change his mobile every month...
has his own private car...
his clothes, his accessories...
his outfit in the morning will be different in the evening.
I consider a poor person to be someone who is close-minded,
he's stuck to what he learnt as a kid.
You look at them, and you pity them.
Those are the poor, regardless of money.
A rich person is one who is accepting of God...
this is the most important thing.
If he is accepting...
I swear, God will give him everything he wants.
The poor...
is the one who has a lot of money...
but he is not satisfied with himself...
he looks at himself in the mirror,
and just goes to the gym.
It depends on how you look at it...
he could be rich by having a big family...
rich with people who love him,
rich with friends,
and he could just be rich financially.
I used to borrow money for bread when I was at school
but you couldn't tell because my clothes weren't torn.
It was just a difficult period and it passed.
But what's harder than poverty,
is having something one day and not having it the next,
you can't establish a family...
you can't live your day...
all you can do is think about how to make some money
Do you understand?
I guess this is my problem with the rich and poor.
My fear right now, rather, my terror, lies in trying to achieve something...
to give it all my effort and 100% of my abilities...
and still at the end I won't achieve it,
Or even worse...
[the opportunity] goes to someone else who did not put in the effort,
so I have stopped trying.
My biggest fear is to die before...
humans have made contact with Aliens.
For me the thing I fear the most is tomorrow,
because I know that I am not in the best place on Earth.
What are your biggest fears?
No one in the universe.
I have a Pitbull, what do I have to be scared of?
Jordan
What scares me the most today...
is to go back to where I started.
As a Palestinian refugee who grew up in a camp,
as someone with no education...
and every day I struggle to grow,
to be more successful than before.
That is what motivates me,
to not go back to where I started.
Honestly speaking, the thing that scares me the most...
is death.
Is that good?
I am Abdullah Heloni, and I have lived in Douma for 5 or 6 years,
since the start of the Syrian revolution.
My biggest fear is to lose my family: a sibling, mother, or even my father,
who is missing, and we know nothing about
These are the fears I think about every night before I sleep.
No seriously, what scares me is death...
to die before achieving my goals.
But at the same time, it is my main motivation,
that I don't want to die before leaving something behind.
I don't think about the things that scare me,
I like to think about the things that make me happy
and I chase after that.
Do you present yourself differently in real life compared to online?
At first I didn't really think about it...
but then I appeared on TV, and people started to know about me...
so one of the things that makes me nervous...
is that I question how I am affecting people.
For a period of my life
I was concerned with what people said,
and what they will say about me...
but now, it doesn't really bother me.
but I still sometimes care,
so I have to appear in a perfect manner,
so people can at least respect your opinions.
I am very natural on social media,
on Snapchat or Instagram
I put my kids' pictures
I put pictures of my daily activities
I show who I am,
I am very realistic...
however, of course there are still things...
anyone in the world will hide.
Each of us has a negative side...
that they don't like to reveal,
and I think this is normal.
Sometimes, in reality, you are not in the mood,
to be constantly smiling, hyper and positive...
so that's what can differ between my mood and reality.
This is the annoying thing I am seeing...
I don't show myself while I am eating,
and take photos to show that I am eating Sushi or Mjadara
both are the same.
- I don't have Facebook - Why?
Because I don't know how to read or write.
My presence on social media as Khaled Sami
reflects my daily life...
because I decided to reflect the daily life in Palestine.
I think we need people to show the reality differently
to show there are youth.
It's true that we are under occupation...
but we witness our development...
and this will help us.
I don't have any presence on social media.
I don't know what to post.
What do people even post on Twitter?
What is your idea of a perfect night out?
The perfect night out, that I do...
it's here, good friends and some stars to watch.
Unfortunately culture is vanishing because of the curfews.
There is no nightlife here, it's impossible.
We can't have fun.
No concerts or any parties either.
We might enjoy concerts if it wasn't for the electricity.
The perfect night out for me...
is to enjoy nature.
Nature is beautiful.
Our country's nature is amazing.
But sometimes you need... a bit more nature.
- Don't use the masculine verb, use the feminine one
- You 'need' it.
I got it.
Sometimes you 'need' nature that brings life back into you.
The rhythm of life is always calm.
But if you want to celebrate, do it right or don't do it at all.
When we go to the desert, we all have four-wheel-drives
The activities that we do over there, especially when it's raining...
Unimaginable, honestly.
But in a safe way of course...
I don't want to show to people that I am reckless with my driving.
- When we are all together and spend the night in one place!
We go to the mountains, light up a fire...
bring some veal fillet and music,
we play the Oud and the drums,
until the morning, for me this is the 'top'.
What's the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
What's the most dangerous thing I ever did in my life?
I went to jail, that's the most dangerous thing I ever did
- Would you like to talk more about it or...?
Whatever, I was young... just a kid.
I fell into the wrong crowd,
it was a case of weed and things.
I was taking pictures in a small boat and I'm scared of them.
I was using my phone to take pictures...
and got scared it would get wet...
and it got wet.
So that was dangerous for me.
The most dangerous thing?
Okay yes, I went to the borders for the first time...
to the clashes...
and I got hit by two tear gas canisters.
I wasn't afraid at all.
I was driving while I was sleepy
and I had an accident.
I entered the fashion field without my father's consent.
I once did a risky thing, and went back home at midnight
Skydiving.
It's amazing bro, madness!
The adrenaline hits you here!
While you are falling in the air...
your face is a mess of expressions.
When you hit the ground you realize...
how crazy you were for this decision,
But it's worth it.
I'm a coward, and I admit it.
I was with a girl in a public place.
For a moment, there was no one around...
I kissed her
OK
I found a guy behind me.
He said, 'Well done'.
'Thanks!' Let's go!
Do young people in your country do drugs?
The country here is clean.
Very nice, there's nothing.
All good
The laws are very strict over here
and the police are going to extreme lengths to prohibit people
- Yes, there's loads. - People younger than us even
- You will find 10-year-olds and... - 7 and 6-year-olds smoking cigarettes
Hashish, mostly.
Tramadol...
... and something called Rotana
Oh yes, I know them.
Do young people use drugs in my country?
For sure young people use drugs in my country,
we are in a war zone.
All the other war zones are similar.
Young people are depressed, exhausted and worried
So for sure they will take drugs.
Specifically in Ramallah, in the past year or two,
you start to see it a lot.
Before people use to say, "Oh this guy is smoking weed",
but now a lot of young people in the country,
including young kids,
I'm talking 15-16 year olds, have started smoking.
I think the last time we saw or spoke about it
was when we watched a Pablo Escobar series, that's it.
I know that guys smoke weed, and girls use Tramadol.
From what I know, young people take
hashish...
marijuana,
marijuana,
crystal meth.
Heavy stuff.
And... it's painful when you see the effect on people.
Some studies now prove that...
marijuana is good for cancer patients
and autism...
when people get seizures they can't control,
they use a kind of oil.
In my opinion I don't think it's right,
But... it's each to their own.
I think it's cool to try drugs, alcohol, tattoos, or change style
I don't know, trends, music...
But...when you get too involved in it...
and you can't live without it...
and then it begins to destroy your life, for what?
You become a weak person,
because there is something controlling you.
The idea is to not let something control you.
Everywhere I go, wherever my friends invite me,
there has to be drugs on the table
as if it's the only fun thing.
I think that's the occupation's policy...
that we sleep, pass out, and there is no resistance
and we all just stay drugged.
I think this is a big aim for them.
Taking drugs is the most dangerous thing a human can do to himself.
For me, it's worse than committing suicide
Because when he starts using drugs...
regardless of whether there is an occupation or not...
he won't be hurting the occupation, but he'll be helping it.
So practically, using drugs is a slow death.
It's death with suffering.
Do you trust the media?
Do I trust the Arab media?
You are asking me at an awkward time,
when I'm really angry at the media.
The worst thing about Arab media is...
there is a lot of hypocrisy and lies...
in the videos on social media.
The worst thing is that they ignore you
or the community ignoring you
or the media in Jordan.
I don't trust media
because they lie to people and exaggerate...
and journalists do this for a living.
You watch the news and they spice it up when it's something small
they say so-and-so goes without security or whatever.
It's all lies.
Maybe there is a negative point...
most of the programs available
are derived from foreign programs.
But I would like to thank every media channel that is trying
to create original content,
something that hasn't been copied from others...
whether its a program, or news or anything else.
Syria
I don't watch TV, because we've heard and seen a lot
and they all talk about the same things,
the war and Syria
the bombs, the killings, the destruction...
We are seeing it with our own eyes,
so there's no need to watch.
Personally, I've stopped watching.
There is also the bright side that...
some Arabs boys and girls are doing
some kind of revival through their videos
so I feel it is a response that neutralizes
the wave of corrupt Arab Media
that is full of lies and racism.
- Are you muslim? - Yes
- Where are you from? - Silwan
- Show me your ID
Have you ever broken the law?
Syria
- Have you ever broken the law? - No, thankfully, not
-Do you fear the police at all?
No, if I don't do anything wrong then I have nothing to fear
- So if you don't do anything, then you're not scared
If I do no wrong then I'm not scared.
Broken the law?
There isn't a person in Lebanon who hasn't broken the law.
The law is breaking itself.
- All of us have broken the law - The law sometimes breaks itself
we don't like to break the law, not on purpose, but sometimes you have to.
I know my neighbourhood very well; I know where the traffic signal is
so why would I stop at the red light after midnight?
Until now, I have broken most laws.
Like this dog, I'm not allowed to own him
because according to them he bites.
But he's like a nanny to the kids.
My car, I have been a mechanic for 13 years
I tuned it and fixed it
What can you do? You have to keep moving.
I can't buy a new car.
I will just fix it and drive it.
Have I broken the law?
Of course I have, is there even a law?
I am still breaking the law...
I have been driving without a license for 7 years
in the eyes of the law, it might not be legal,
Like during the revolution I protested
But other than that....
I haven't broken the law.
Have I ever broken the law?
The federal law, no...
but rules when it comes to society and norms...
all the time.
I mean I've...
dropped out of college twice now,
I don't have a bachelor's degree,
this is shameful in our community...
or wrong.
I swear there is no law...
there is no law.
When I broke the law, I become afraid of the police
I become paranoid and scared,
'What if they catch me?'
No, why would I fear the police?
My cousin, father or brother could be a policeman
Honestly... No
I didn't do anything wrong
because I look left and right a lot before I cross the traffic light.
- I fear my God and my parents
- No, I don't fear them.
I fear God, my father, mother and my brother.
Honestly they are so nice,
they have let me off more than once...
they have been helpful to me more than once...
when I was lost or my car broke down.
They are amazing.
The treatment of the police here is different
since we are Arab, Palestinian women.
The last time I had an incident with the police
he was about to let me pass without a fine...
he asked if I'm Muslim or Christian
I said I am a Muslim
he got out of the car.
How does it feel to be an Arab in 2017?
The best and the worst thing about being an Arab?
There is no best thing about it.
There is only the worst
Honestly,
only the worst.
I feel being an Arab in 2017 is scary.
Every time I leave Jordan...
to a different country, I feel fear.
I fear facing trouble, racism, discrimination...
and I faced it
and this...
frustrates me as a young man.
It doesn't encourage me.
But despite that...
I keep going.
My feelings are the same honestly,
I am proud of being an Arab.
It's satisfying my name as Naif Arab.
I am sad because I can see the demise of the Arab world
one country at a time
but the good thing is that I follow our prophet Muhammad.
I feel sad for my people
that's my feeling as an Arab in 2017
I feel sad for us, but I am proud of those who ennoble us
Of course I consider myself an Arab
people who see I am proud of being Arab...
won't consider me as weak
as they do with other Arabs,
who are ashamed of their identity
and try to show to others that they are not an Arab.
My Syrian identity is enough for me
in all honesty.
Because Arabs didn't offer us anything
I feel like trash.
For me personally,
the best feeling is to be an Arab and a Muslim.
To be an Arab
is simply to be part of a certain nation
to have a certain nationality, that is it.
Since we are the oldest civilisation,
or the oldest populated capital in history...
you would hope we would have been better.
To live in my country is a good and bad feeling at the same time,
good because everything I built is here...
and not good because there is no life here.
We live a good life, to be honest.
I live abroad from my country
I have lived with dignity and got the best education that I hoped for
but if I was still in my country,
maybe I would have been in the streets now
selling drugs or something.
Every time I try to have fun or be happy
people try to frustrate and depress me
they tell me that your happiness won't last in the Arab world
and you have to leave
to another country where you will be understood and appreciated
because most people in the are still backward and traditional
and there is no love and happiness in the streets
we miss this in the Arab world, in our streets
- We were talking about the best thing about being an Emirati...
- and I wanted to ask you, what is the worst thing about being an Emirati?
Thank God, to say the worst thing about being an Emirati...
I don't expect any Emirati you ask would tell you a bad thing.
We were born and raised on the loyalty to our country
to rephrase, we weren't raised on that per se,
because Zayed (may Allah be merciful to him)
made us love our country unconditionally
I won't talk about the weather, because it's too hot
I won't talk about having fun, because we don't have a lot of choices
but, thank God for the blessing of safety and security
- OK, what about things you don't like in KSA?
- Boredom, sometimes...
even malls here are boring...
yes, their standard is good, but
maybe it is missing cinemas?
The repression in Egypt, whether in opinions or thoughts,
the horrible customs and traditions,
and as a girl, it is even harder
- What is the best trait of being an Egyptian?
That we know each other,
we have the Nile River...
that we can visit whenever we want
I have Huda
My feeling right now, living in this country, Syria
I am happy with the experience I am getting
Sure, it is a bad experience, but this happens once in a lifetime
others won't get to experience this feeling
of going through Civil War and stuff
and I am traumatized at the same time; I am not very happy
but it is all good.
What is it like living in your country at the moment?
Oh, living in Lebanon nowadays is ..
scary
you need money to live, there is no other way
For me, personally, I am comfortable
nothing is bothering me, except, of course,
some of the problems that we are all facing here
Until now, [the government] still does not know how to make decisions,
we do not have money
we pay for water and electricity,
which goes out three times a day
all of that should not even happen, but it is still happening here.
But at the same time, we are a country that is party central
"Los Angeles" of the Arab World
But we should not let that affect our lives,
because at the end of the day, we are young now
and we still have the rest of life ahead of us, God willing.
So we should remain optimistic for the future.
Life in Jordan is very...
Thank the Lord for the safety and security...
It is a safe and stable life
it is so stable that you can achieve your dreams
As youth, our voices need to be louder
towards what we need
not what institutions think we need
studies differ from reality
and our reality is simple
if you walk down the streets of Jordan,
you will understand what the youth need.
[Jordan is] humble and simple
its people are lovely and close to the heart
and I love my country so much
As a young guy, I would like to be...
acknowledged more
I feel, sometimes... that I am invisible
Life in Tunisia. That is a big phrase
life in Tunisia is good for those who can afford it
Personally, for me, I cannot afford it. Really...
For me life in Tunisia, currently,
is a mixture of a lot of fear,
terror and corruption
Sometimes I feel relaxed and happy
and you can find some fun things to do now in Tunisia.
Right now life here [in Gaza] as much as it is sad and depressing...
and you wake up to no electricity, no hot water,
but believe me, there is something here that is not available elsewhere
you long for it and love it
As much as you would love Gaza, as much as you hate it
I love it
I am so proud to be from Dubai, the UAE
Thank God, everything is available to us in our country
the country is safe.
Life in Saudi Arabia right now...
is good for me as a woman
because I sense the change here now...
there is a change, the idea of the household woman is vanishing
now she is in every field
and she has the right, just like anyone else
she is living and working in comfort and ease
It is beautiful, enjoyable, tiring, but simple
If you work hard, you will be happy here.
Iraq. I live in Iraq
What could be more dangerous than this?
I am jumping between things.
If we had better opportunities here
to live a decent life, I would not leave this country
Everyone knows what life in Syria means
or they have a perspective about our lives,
we live in a country undergoing a 6 year civil war
I am 24, I spent my youth
or the period of time where I could have built my personality
was wasted during this war
We all suffer from depression and anxiety
anxiety, towards the future, or maybe
-instability. Yes, instability for sure.
Should I compare it to horror films? action films?
Not even films about violations, occupation and death.
life in Syria is much more worse than that.
Don't you dare to film us, I will break your camera.
Life in Jerusalem as you can see it is very nice
there is nothing more beautiful than Jerusalem
Do you think you have racism in your country?
There's definitely racism in Sakhnin and Palestine.
For example, here in Jerusalem there is a lot of racism
and a lot of radicalism.
The hate between both sides is clear.
The state itself is racist, its policies are racist.
For sure there is racism here.
- We are only interviewing specific people
- Like whom?
- For an international channel.
- It's about her as a person
They're arguing.
He wants to be interviewed as well.
I don't feel there's racism in Jordan.
There is a lot of racism!
Between groups, and the way we look,
between those who wear a headscarf or not,
between Muslims and Christians.
Unfortunately yes, it's everywhere if you really look.
It's here too.
There is racism but it's far less now than before
- Did you face any incident before?
Yes, during my childhood.
Because of skin color
or tribes.
When I was small and until I become a teen
I thought that we don't have sectarianism.
My Christian friends are next to me
There was a Muslim friend attending the same religion class with me
but I never knew her faith.
After the war everything was unveiled
and it turned out that kids my age knew everything about sectarianism
and they know about the problems between sects.
Racism in Tunisia? No we don't have it.
No. Even if you will find
it's very low percentage, 1% or 2%.
We are all brothers in the end, brown, white, red.
Is there any racism in the country?
No, not at all. I only know my family and we're good.
There's no fence between us.
For sure there is racism in the country
100% there is racism in this country.
A child of the refugee camps
isn't liked by the people outside of the camp
and vice versa.
Why? Because this guy's not from the refugee camp...
and this guy is, so they just don't like each other.
What do you expect?
Twice in my life I was beaten inside the camp because of my accent.
Do you think politicians care about people like you?
I think politicians in Lebanon only care about their own pockets
and how to keep their own political positions.
That goes for most of the politicians.
Even the good guys are getting influenced by the corrupted people
or not being encouraged by their fellow members of parliament,
or the Deputy, or even his party.
I guess the new direction for Saudi Arabia
will care about art in general.
Politically no.
They don't care about people like -
- like as for the things I do
I've not seen anyone pay attention to what Jarah Al-Hawamdeh.
Do politicians care about people like me?
Yes, I think they do.
Especially now that Twitter
became effective in politics here in Jordan
So yes, they do care about influencers and social media bloggers.
If politicians didn't care about Emiratis
you'd never see youth conferences
attended by a 22-year-old female minister.
We wouldn't have seen Mohammed Bin Zayed, God bless him,
sitting with the youth.
I don't have any knowledge in politics, I know who the King is,
I know the Crown Prince, and that's it.
I have no idea about the rest.
I don't have money, or a title,
or a name, so why would they care?
They don't care and they don't pay attention to anything!
If I knew someone well connected then maybe they'd care about me.
Look, they don't care much
but sometimes they need us.
How do you think the rest of the Arab countries perceive yours?
- We're done - 4% left
- Just 10 more minutes.
- Just 10 more minutes.
- Let's go. Ask the question...
- Let's do it.
In your opinion, how do other Arab countries perceive Palestine?
That's a long one...
How do other Arab countries perceive Palestine?
It's like .. you just said that!
- I just repeated the question for you - OK
But he is asking about people's views
As in most of them see us as fighters, and that we die every day
and think we have soldiers over our heads constantly.
- Yes of course that's right but...
-That's how most of them see the Palestinians.
You ask other Arabs how they see Palestine...
'Oh, there is a soldier always threatening you'.
But look at us, we're still living.
The Middle East firstly see us as an open-minded country.
We're the country that wear short dresses and go out and listen to music
like even though Lebanon is a small country...
We're more liberal than other Arab countries.
Oh, we're all persecuted.
It's always, 'Oh the poor woman who's not allowed to do anything in life'.
And they beat her and they force her to do things -
- but this understanding is wrong like I blame South Park
and all the other cartoons that come out about us.
They see us as the country of nobility
and this is really something nice
and it makes me proud to be from a noble country
or from my Lord Abu Hussein country.
I love how other people see us work coherently together.
But inside, we have discrimination unfortunately.
This makes me sad.
But I hope we stay united as one so that no one can invade our country,
and remain a safe and secure country.
A Mecca for all Muslims.
And that is my pride, personally.
I always face this problem, and I think many of the Saudis do...
that Saudi Arabia is a money source.
Although we feel we're average, in fact we could do with more money.
Like, it doesn't feel like enough.
The typical image of Iraq varies from country to country...
some of them see Iraq as an oil barrel.
others they see it as Saddam's country.
Every country has individuals who are hostile towards it,
and may God protect us from the hostilities.
But thankfully, most people love the United Arab Emirates.
Do you consider yourself religious?
Do I consider myself religious? Why and how?
Religious? No. I'm not religious.
A believer? Yes
I believe in God, I believe in Christ
but I am not very conservative - like everything should be done by religion.
Not religious, but I do practice.
Yes, I love God bro.
I go to church every Sunday.
But I stopped going now...
because we do a lot of things wrong and you'd be deceiving yourself.
No I don't think I'm one of those people who are religious.
I feel I am average
Thank God, I have faith.
Especially since I studied in Al Dur al-Manthur [Religion School].
Maybe some people think my hijab is not perfect,
but one always tries to improve oneself.
It's enough that I can be a role model for other girls to wear the hijab
and that's the best thing.
Every human has both a good and a bad side to him.
Some men think it's prohibited to engage or talk to another woman
simply because he is religious, and I don't think that's right.
That seems like a problem, but this is only my opinion.
If someone has no faith in his heart he may be angry or cry.
He may even commit suicide.
You may find a person who does every prayer, 5 times a day...
someone who truly fears God, but if anything bad happens to him...
...he becomes depressed.
But thank God personally, every time something bad happens to me
I say, it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you.
I trust that God will always choose what is best for me.
I feel there's a connection between me and the universal power,
Maybe it's for therapeutic reasons, maybe it's truly there,
maybe because I got used to it, But it's helping and empowering me.
I feel whoever considers themselves religious he is not religious at all.
Being religious here is to be angry and closed off
and feels the rest of the world is not their problem.
Sitting at home or the mosque with the Holy book in his hands.
No that's not the religion
but some people feel that this is the religion.
What do you think the role of religion in your country should be?
Honestly, I am a bit annoyed with the issue of...
religious studies getting cut in schools.
Like back then we had more religious classes
and now there are less.
So I feel it's wrong.
People need to learn everything about their religion.
Even if he doesn't want to practice it, it's his choice,
but he has to know it.
I won't be punished if someone else committed a wrong act.
I will be punished for my own sins.
So a religious person should be a voice of guidance for the community,
not force anyone to do anything they are not convinced with.
Because if done by force, then it is not right.
We have a wide religious tolerance.
We have mosques and we have churches.
So - like it's normal to see a mosque here and a church here.
This is something nice. I can live amongst any faith.
- Are you guys in love?
- Sorry?
- Not you guys, each one alone.
Are you in love?
Yes...
I am in love, yeah.
Depends on your definition of love.
Each person has a definition.
I am in love with my mother.
Yes, I am in love.
I am diving in love.
I am swimming in love.
Yes.
It's a relationship...
a very very complicated relationship.
It's so complicated that it's affecting my life.
Are you in love?
Now? No. Not at all.
I only love my family, work and friends.
I assume I am one of those who experienced the love stories
and I enjoyed them.
But when I grew up I found out that nothing is complete.
Love is whenever you are not doing your duties for your wife
for six months
and she tells you I am leaving to my parents' house.
As long as you spend on her, spoiling her, she will love you.
At the end, love is all about money and treatment.
Look, he is the only one who loved me.
Him and Lucy, his sister.
Bro, no one loved me.
That's what's so funny.
No one loved me, but I have love for everyone.
Seriously.
Not the relationship kind of love
I had a relationship and I was in love
and I understand what it's like to be in love with someone.
But now I am in love with other better things.
I feel like I am in love with what I do.
I am the kind of person who's very passionate about anything.
Whatever I do, I do it with all my heart.
And I feel I don't have time for
loving someone.
Ain't nobody got time for that, you know.
Relationship? Me and him?
- One at a time.
- No no, currently I'm single.
- Single brother.
Being in a relationship is prohibited.
No, no
- So you're are not in a relationship?
No, no, no.
What does love mean to you?
We need at least 3 hours minimum to discuss that.
You say something.
It's a beautiful thing
You can love someone
whether it's a family member, or a guy
You feel 'he could complete me', or fill the empty void that you have.
For me, love...
is when two people
respect each other,
respect the differences in each other
they work together to improve themselves to reach a better place
There is no definition of love, love is what you do.
It doesn't have to be with a girl that you're loving.
On the contrary, you can love her without being with her.
By helping her from a distance
These days, there is little trust between two people....
Maybe because of certain circumstances...
Oh my heart, thank you darling.
Love is loving yourself, your work
your community and your country.
This is the most important thing in life and love
and to be scared of losing your dreams or goals.
Love?
Love is a small word with big meaning.
It doesn't mean it has to be between a male and a female.
Love is something we live every day.
No one understands real love.
They all say 'I love this girl' or 'she loves that guy'.
Love means, if you love each other, nothing will separate you.
After she was the happiest girl in the world
amongst her family, her sisters and her brothers
I can't let her feel something less than that.
I can never make her feel she's living among strangers.
I feel every woman in this world should feel her man loves her.
*call for prayer*
Sorry.
We have 25 minutes in between.
Shall I continue or start from the beginning?
How does the world view the Middle East?
It depends on people - some see us as terrorists, or just backwards
but honestly because of social media
most of the people believe that we are oppressed.
We live under an occupation, we have thinkers and goals
but the oppression is ruining everything.
Once someone asked me if we have electricity here in Saudi Arabia
and if we commute by camels.
I was laughing at those thoughts
and I said yes, I have a turbo camel
and you'd lose if you raced me.
The most common question they ask is, 'Why are you not covering you hair?'
'Don't you face any issues?'
I tell them no, this is a personal thing
It goes back to your religion and how religious you are as a person.
Extremists.
But I feel now they've started to understand that we're peaceful.
One thing I don't like is that they think everyone here is rich,
everyone has money.
That we don't work hard for our money
Western media think the Middle East is primitive and backward.
But that's because they don't like Islam or Muslims.
They think if Islam disappeared from these countries
everything will be good and great.
Maybe they look at us as not very open-minded, not very developed.
But we are very good and sweet on the inside.
In the next 5 years ...
in my opinion, Arab countries in general
will witness a lot of development
because, thank God, we have a lot of young Arabs with potential.
This is a joke, right?
I feel everything will change.
We will be able to express our opinions in a better way.
We will have a global reach.
The misconceptions about us will change
We can show the world what we have.
In the next 5 years,
in my opinion,
the Arab countries in general
because, thank God, we have a lot of young Arabs with potential.
I think the next 5 years will be the same as today,
like 5 years ago, like 150 years ago.
It won't change because the people are like this.
How do you see the Middle East in the next 5 years?
What kind of question are these?
I don't even know where I will be in 2025
We will be better because people develop.
People will start to care about other things.
For example now they don't really care about fashion, my field,
but I feel after 5 years, it will be more prominent.
How my country was 5 years ago....
the answer is right there....
history repeats itself in Lebanon.
I don't know, I feel there are big changes happening over here.
In different aspects, economy, politics, social, entertainment.
It will be the same, nothing will change.
In a few years, Iraq might not exist...
maybe, God only knows, but I see this as a possibility.
I hope that we will reach a level
where we're independent and liberated from all the bad things.
Not only the occupation,
but from the negative thoughts and norms.
The more time passes the more people will understand each other
and we will find solutions.
We put our hands together, all of us,
study our projects, and in the next 5 years
prepare a better environment for our youth
so they will have a better future.
I think in the next 5 years,
Tunisia and the other Arab countries will be
will be in a much better place
than where we are right now!
- OK, that's it
- That was the last question!
- Great
- Thanks
Thanks to you and your team
Thank you
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