Friday, 04 May 2007
2-day forum takes up issues of gender bias, rights
By Suzan Zawawi
Saudi Gazette
RIGHTS of journalists, obstacles facing female journalists, ethics of Arab journalism and the limited training were some of the issues touched upon by Saudi female journalists in Riyadh Wednesday night.
The two-day forum on "Saudi Women in the Media" was organized and sponsored by writer and journalist Nahed Bashatah, head of the Saudi Women's Information Center.
Saudi women in the field of information and multimedia are known for their struggle to succeed in spite of the fact that they do not have a role in decision-making, said Bashatah. "They do their best in the face of all odds, to continue doing their job to the highest possible standards."
The aim of the annual forum is to support female journalists and encourage them, said Bashatah.
This year's theme was, "how the women and the trends of multimedia impact on economic and social development."
The forum, which was inaugurated by Princess Adelah Bint Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, was a rare gathering of female media professionals from all over the country.
Among the speakers were Hayam Al-Kilani, the first female TV program director; Nawal Bahksh, head of the female section of Radio Riyadh; Sultanah Al-Sudery, a prominent writer and intellectual; Sabria Jawhar of the Saudi Gazette; and Qubul Al-Hajiri, of Ilaf electronic newspaper.
"I would like to make the point that physical segregation should never mean intellectual separation," said Princess Hissa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz, the forum's executive head during her inauguration speech.
"If one adds to this the facts that Saudi media women have the responsibility of reflecting a clear picture of this separate world, one will realize how important is the availability of women specialized in journalism's various branches; economic, political, social, educational, health and sports," said Princess Hissa.
Journalists' rights was the focus of Jawhar's paper. "Through my research for this paper, it became clear that it is very difficult to obtain a list of media regulations. I couldn't even find it on the Ministry of Information website," she said.
The unclear media regulations have resulted in diverse practices in media organizations, said Jawhar.
While male journalists themselves face some problems regarding their rights being violated, female journalists and freelancers face discrimination mostly in terms of low salaries, copyright violations, transportation benefits and protection.
There are no clear regulations that govern the world of freelancers, payment and promotion system, she said.
Another problem is the lack of a monitoring authority that supervises the implementation of ranking scale and structure within a media organization when they do exist which opens a door for manipulation, she said.
After her paper, many freelancers presented their personal story of years of discrimination. Fatimah Al-Anizi, from Radio Riyadh, complained of working for 17 years as a freelancer without being hired fulltime.
After hearing the plight of female freelancers, Princess Adelah requested Anizi and others to document their situation so that she could address the appropriate authorities.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
A Fatwa on Organ Transplant Needed
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
By Sabria S. Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
KIDNEY failure continues to increase as a phenomenon all over the world, and Saudi Arabia is no different. Almost 3,000 people in the Kingdom alone need a transplant of a healthy kidney in order to live.
However, a health official says a Fatwa (verdict) is needed that would allow doctors to use the body parts of dead patient or a brain dead one.
Faisal A. Shaheen, director-general of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, said that issuing such a decision would largely help the Kingdom's government reduce the long waiting list for kidney transplants.
He said that there are almost 450 confirmed brain dead cases in Saudi hospitals.
Issuing a Fatwa would provide as many as 450 hearts and livers in good enough shape for transplant. It could also provide 900 kidneys, more than a third of the current waiting list.
Currently, the Ministry of Health spends almost SR1 billion annually on renal patients inside its hospitals. Each patient costs the government almost SR100,000 a year.
"It will also help in putting an end to the accumulation of the cases inside Saudi hospitals that cost the country a huge amount of money and effort," he said.
The Saudi community lacks awareness of the importance of organ donation, Shaheen said.
In contrast, in the West doctors are even entitled to use the body parts of a deceased donor immediately after his death, without consulting the family, if he elects to become a donor.
There are three million donor cards in Saudi Arabia, but these cannot be used without family's permission of the deceased.
"Here, and according to Shariah, permission of close relatives should be obtained before the use of any body part," he said.
The Saudi Commission of Senior Ulama (scholars) recently permitted tissue and organ transplantation from both living donors and cadavers. The decision marked a new era in organ transplantation in the Kingdom; however, with no crystal-clear Fatwa urging people to donate, the decision has been interpreted in many different ways.
In October 2006, a law was passed in Saudi Arabia to allow and compensate unrelated donors. The government, in cooperation with Prince Fahd Bin Salman Charity, has decided to offer life-long benefits to the donors, including lifetime medical care.
The law aims at stopping Saudi citizens from traveling abroad to Asian countries such to receive organ transplants, which might make them victims of scams or expose them to a variety of health problems.
To regulate live unrelated organ donation without a commercial transaction, Shaheen said, Saudi Arabia formed a committee that meets with the unrelated living donor and interviews him at least three times to make sure that he is donating out of his conscience and with complete willingness - not out of poverty, need or pressure.
The law is now in its final stages, after having been approved by the cabinet. The final stage, he said, is the approval of the Health Service Council chaired by the Minister of Health.
"Our main concern is how to make this new agreement purely altruistic," Shaheen said.
If approved, the law is expected to provide at least 400 kidneys yearly, which will go a long way toward ending organ shortages in the Kingdom, he said.
By Sabria S. Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
KIDNEY failure continues to increase as a phenomenon all over the world, and Saudi Arabia is no different. Almost 3,000 people in the Kingdom alone need a transplant of a healthy kidney in order to live.
However, a health official says a Fatwa (verdict) is needed that would allow doctors to use the body parts of dead patient or a brain dead one.
Faisal A. Shaheen, director-general of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, said that issuing such a decision would largely help the Kingdom's government reduce the long waiting list for kidney transplants.
He said that there are almost 450 confirmed brain dead cases in Saudi hospitals.
Issuing a Fatwa would provide as many as 450 hearts and livers in good enough shape for transplant. It could also provide 900 kidneys, more than a third of the current waiting list.
Currently, the Ministry of Health spends almost SR1 billion annually on renal patients inside its hospitals. Each patient costs the government almost SR100,000 a year.
"It will also help in putting an end to the accumulation of the cases inside Saudi hospitals that cost the country a huge amount of money and effort," he said.
The Saudi community lacks awareness of the importance of organ donation, Shaheen said.
In contrast, in the West doctors are even entitled to use the body parts of a deceased donor immediately after his death, without consulting the family, if he elects to become a donor.
There are three million donor cards in Saudi Arabia, but these cannot be used without family's permission of the deceased.
"Here, and according to Shariah, permission of close relatives should be obtained before the use of any body part," he said.
The Saudi Commission of Senior Ulama (scholars) recently permitted tissue and organ transplantation from both living donors and cadavers. The decision marked a new era in organ transplantation in the Kingdom; however, with no crystal-clear Fatwa urging people to donate, the decision has been interpreted in many different ways.
In October 2006, a law was passed in Saudi Arabia to allow and compensate unrelated donors. The government, in cooperation with Prince Fahd Bin Salman Charity, has decided to offer life-long benefits to the donors, including lifetime medical care.
The law aims at stopping Saudi citizens from traveling abroad to Asian countries such to receive organ transplants, which might make them victims of scams or expose them to a variety of health problems.
To regulate live unrelated organ donation without a commercial transaction, Shaheen said, Saudi Arabia formed a committee that meets with the unrelated living donor and interviews him at least three times to make sure that he is donating out of his conscience and with complete willingness - not out of poverty, need or pressure.
The law is now in its final stages, after having been approved by the cabinet. The final stage, he said, is the approval of the Health Service Council chaired by the Minister of Health.
"Our main concern is how to make this new agreement purely altruistic," Shaheen said.
If approved, the law is expected to provide at least 400 kidneys yearly, which will go a long way toward ending organ shortages in the Kingdom, he said.
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