Books at Bookhabit.com http://www.bookhabit.com 2008-10-06 19:04:15 Overview Stephen of Arabia A True Tale of Romance and Life in Saudi Arabia by Stephen Smith Stephen of Arabia is the story of the forbidden marriage between an American man, the author, and a Saudi woman, Jasmine, who risked death by challenging the strict Wahabi Islamic code that defines her country's religion, culture and government. Stephen Smith, an ex-Marine officer, is the only American man who has ever married an original Saudi woman. Jasmine is a physician who was attending her medical residency in Canada. It was love at first sight when they meet in Miami. Stephen is a Yacht Broker and Piano Player at the Coconut Grove Hotel. Jasmine is down for a three-day reprieve from her rigorous medical schedule. After three days, she returns to Canada, but agrees to meet him a month later in Boston. After their rendezvous' in Boston, Stephen moves to Canada to be with her, but their relationship is kept a secret to avoid Saudi colleagues who would report her to the Saudi embassy. Wahabi Islam is a Sunni sect, practiced only in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Dating is forbidden. Marriages are arranged by families, and a Saudi woman is permitted only to marry another Saudi Wahabi. The Saudi Mission at the embassy in Ottawa is assigned the task of monitoring the behavior of Saudi women who attend college in the US and Canada. For acts as simple as holding hands, or marrying without her father's consent, a woman can be charged with severe crimes by a Sharia court. And most certainly, she cannot marry a man purported to be an American Christian. She would be kidnapped, deported and tried in a Saudi court. Determined to marry the man she loved, a liberal Islamic cleric is persuaded to marry them, but he warned that repercussions would follow. On their honeymoon in Boston, a Kuwaiti colleague spotted her holding hands with her husband. Her marriage had not been approved by her father, and no one even knew that she was married. Soon she was ordered to appear before an arrogant Saudi ambassador. She and Stephen appeared together at the ambassador's residence. The ambassador viewed her as littler more than property, terminated her residency at St. Mary's and revoked her Saudi citizenship. A person without a country who had lost everything, she and the author struggle to reclaim all that had been lost. Finally, when the Canadians fail to restore her position, they move to LA where she completes her residency. In a plea for help, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Ambassador to the United States, met them. He was sensitive to their problem and approved their marriage, but there were more dangerous bridges to cross. Her father makes a surprise visit to LA and turns their Marina Del Rey home into a virtual mosque. Fed up from her father's arrogance and strange ways, violent arguments erupt. He storms out to a mosque on Venice Boulevard. Stephen eventually bites his lip, and he and her father make amends. He finally approves the marriage. With the blessings of both Prince Bandar and her father, the road ahead seems to be paved with gold. But in 1990, Gulf War One is imminent. Jasmine insists that she must return to Saudi Arabia in the event of heavy casualties among her people. Against Prince Bandar's advice, they move to the Kingdom. Jasmine goes to work at Saudi ARAMCO Medical Center. Stephen is rocketed to a high level position as the Director of Business Development for a powerful sheikh, where he forges multi-million-dollar joint ventures with American Fortune 500 companies. Accepted as one of them, especially rich sheikhs, Stephen begins to visit secret speakeasies where prostitutes from Bahrain perform exotic dances. He attends extravagant weddings, and even draconian funerals, learning every aspect of the Saudi lifestyle. He ran the gamete of the Saudi social scene, meeting all classes of Saudis to include rich sheikhs and the hopelessly unemployed. After 911, the Saudis are in shock and denial, distraught that their people were capable of such an atrocity. Arguments and cultural disagreements gradually replace hugs and kisses for a couple who gave all for love. Years later, after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, their marriage unravels at the seams. It is a sad day when they meet at an Islamic court for their divorce. After twenty years of freedom, romance, and love, once again a single woman, she returns under her father's custody. Veiled with black abaya, she steps into the backseat of her father's Mercedes 600, the point from where she would eternally view the world. The same culture that had brought them so close together as they fought for love and freedom had torn them apart. After twenty years, Jasmine was home again . . . * * * Stephen of Arabia is an electrifying adventure to Arabia, and a passionate love story, an implausible story of how love, courage, and an insatiable desire for freedom eventually allowed the author to be accepted into Saudi society and to gain unique insights into the Saudi people and their secretive, largely misunderstood, beliefs and way of life. The author circled the Kaaba at the Holy Mosque in Mecca, and he and his wife attended posh Saudi parties, illegal speakeasy discotheques owned by young sheiks, gala weddings and heartbreaking funerals, experiencing many different aspects of Saudi culture during a time of rising tensions in the Middle East. Readers are entertained to enlightenment with original humor as an average American man interprets the Saudi culture. The first book of its kind, the author paves the way to an understanding of Saudi beliefs and values as the reader comes away with an accurate account about how Saudis really feel about Americans and American foreign policy, and most importantly, why they feel that way. In the Afterword, he explains how peace can be born from empathy and understanding, offering hope that peace is not an impossible dream. Many books about Saudi Arabia been written, most drawing conclusions based upon conjecture. Stephen of Arabia is an account of real experiences. The time has come to hear the real story. Heretofore hidden behind the veil, the time has come for America to finally meet a Saudi woman. The book is of great value if it simply makes readers think. Names of some of the characters have been changed to protect the author's family. Names of prominent political figures, however, have not been changed. The characters, locations, and the events in the book are real. http://www.bookhabit.com/book_details.php?book_id=807