Kuwaiti girls use mobile phone while driving

More women use mobile phones while driving than men, a local study conducted on motorists’ use of mobile phones revealed. The study showed that 62.5 percent of women talk over mobile phones or send text messages while at the helm of their vehicles compared to 37.5 men.

This study was conducted by a research team from the Kuwait Society for Traffic Safety last month. More than 100,000 vehicle users were surveyed in this study, in which important traffic issues considered the root cause of car accidents were also identified.

Both men and women, citizens and expatriates, drove 100,000 cars in a month across different areas in Kuwait regardless of the traffic situation. According to the study, women aged between 18 and 35 used mobile phones the most while driving, especially sending text messages or chatting through the BlackBerry, IPhone.

I drive a lot and I have noticed that most women use mobile phones during driving. Women glued to their phones concentrate less on driving which leads to car accidents. I don’t use the phone while driving, though there are times when I use the device hands free. I witnessed an accident that was caused by a woman spoke over phone and failed to concentrate. She wanted to take an exit road from the Fifth Ring Road while she was in the left lane. The car hit her vehicle, It’s really dangerous,” Abdulridha,
a 50-year- old citizen told the Kuwait Times.

Women do not fully agree with the study’s findings. “I think that this percentage is fabricated because I think most people use mobile phones while driving. I see men and women using the phone while driving. I do use the phone while driving but when I do, I always try to use the device hands free. I try to take only really important calls. I know I shouldn’t be doing it but I am trying to stop. It’s just so hard,” stated Linda a 27-year- old Canadian.

Fatma, a 29-year- old Kuwaiti believes that the statistics released are not accurate. “I agree that many people in Kuwait use mobile phones while driving. I see that men have this bad habit more so than women. My brother met with an accident because he used the phone while driving. I don’t use the mobile phone when I drive. Everything has it’s time. So I wait till I reach the place and then call back . If it is really urgent , I stop by the side of the road and make my call,” she noted.

For many the act of sending text messages while driving is more dangerous, “I never send text message while driving. Here, you not only reduce concentration, you deviate your attention from the road to look at the screen of your mobile phone, and accidents usually happen within seconds. I always see women and men using mobile phones while driving. They may harm the innocent as well,” stressed Noof, a 24-year- old woman.

Nawar Negm has been awarded the title of Arab Revolution Woman of the Year 2011

Nawara Negm is an Egyptian activist, journalist, and blogger.

Nawara Negm (aka Nawara Nagem or Nawara Najem) is a spokesperson of the ''real'' opposition in Egypt, and not those who just rode the wave in the very last minute, and those who would leave whenever it got tough.

Nawara Negm was actively present in Tahrir Square Cairo January-February 2011, along with the rebellious youth standing up against Hosni Mubarak''s dictatorship. She witnessed most of the twists, including police brutality and the "Baltajiya" phenomenon (hired x-cons that brutalize civilians) topped with molotov cocktail attacks, all of which attempted to terrorize the protesters and put a stop to the legitimate peaceful manifestations.

Nawara Negm proved very valuable in reporting to the media her observations, including Al Jazeera TV.

After Mubarak''s second speech, in which he reiterated he was not leaving power, Nawara Negm promised she would bring him to justice for the crimes he has committed and the innocent blood that was spilled. The opposition''s demands changed from Mubarak must leave, to Mubarak must be judged. She also accused his regime of being behind all the fabricated Coptic-Muslim tensions and explosions, which she explained are a way to undermine any popular revolutions and to tear down the social and religious fabric of the country. She added that Mubarak is punishing the people of Egypt for daring to ask for their rights, but that he will not get away with it.

As a journalist, Nawara first wrote for El-Helwa newspaper, then for Al-Wafd Newspaper (owned and run by opposition party Al-Wafd), before joining Al-Dustour daily newspaper. Nawara also works as an editor and translator for News Channel Information Technology Egypt-Kanat al Maaloumat al Msriya(one of the specialized channels Nile TV).

Nawara Negm graduated from Ain Shams Faculty of Arts - English Department. To note that she is no other than the daughter of the leftist poet Ahmed Fouad Negm and Islamist thinker and journalist Safinaz Kazem.

The inspirational Nawar Negm has been awarded the title of Arab Revolution Woman of the Year 2011.

Advancement of women across the Arab and Muslim world

The female figurehead of Tunisia's victorious Islamist party has said that its brand of Islam would help rather than hinder the advancement of women across the Arab and Muslim world.

Souad Abdel Rahim, whose stylish appearance in smart suits and silk blouses, worn without a hijab or headscarf, has made her a key element of Ennahda's rise to prominence, told The Daily Telegraph: "The doors are open for women now."

She said the victory of the party in last week's parliamentary election, in which it won 90 out of 217 seats, sent a message to other moderate Islamist parties across the region that they should provide a "framework" for women to advance themselves.

"We can sense that there has already been an impact. Even in Saudi Arabia, women can now vote," she said, referring to a recent decision by the king to open municipal elections to women for the first time.

Ennahda was suppressed under the secular dictatorship of President Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali, who was overthrown in a popular revolution in January.

Its leader, Rached Ghannouchi, returned from London after two decades in exile in triumph, but his electoral victory rested on his insistence that the party would preserve Tunisia's liberal traditions and respect democracy.

Saudi youth needs and interests

Everybody's youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
In the journey to propelling creativity, Saudi youth have never lagged behind. Imagination and passion are now seeing the fruit of their labor. Youth is indispensable; they are the future.

In this independent view of Saudi Arabia, more initiatives as Youth in Depth, or YND, will give voice to axiom and hopefully eradicate ignorance. In educating minds, many initiatives are harbored by established personalities, and Youth In Depth is another step toward the bigger picture. Their X factor is the youth.
YND is a non-profit organization that produces a monthly newsletter made by the youth for the youth. Young minds have developed the newsletter in an aim to highlight contemporary talent, achievements and interests of the Saudi youth. They have adopted a role to encourage youth to be more active and to take on more effective roles in society.

YND’s team told Arab News: “We hope to accomplish all of this by helping youth express their opinions, views, suggestions and concerns. We want their voices to be heard! We also hope to achieve all of this in original ways that are interactive and engaging rather than plain informative.”
So, if you are an aspiring writer, have a talent and seek to reach out to the core of Saudi Arabia, this might be your cue. Arab News got in touch with the young initiative and found out what they have to offer.

Introducing the YND Team
The Founder is Yara Hejazi, a junior banking and finance student at Dar Al-Hekma College. Adeem Subaihi is the general manager. Haneen Krimly is part of the editorial board and web development, Ghusoon Hussain is in the editorial board, Sarah Koshak handles public relations and Najla AlBassam is their graphic designer. Heba AlAttas and Rakan Felemban work in the media committee, Yasmeen Hejazi and Moaiad Al-Homaid handle event management, and finally, Badr Abdulghani works in the Marketing and Distribution Committee.

Tell us about the writers, their backgrounds and how you all came together.
We at Youth in Depth believe that everyone has the right to be heard, which is why we allow all young writers to have a chance to get published. There is an enormous group of talented writers in our community, many of which barely get recognized. So, basically, anyone can become a writer for YND, as long as you have the talent and you have something to say!

How did it all begin?
The organization officially launched on April 2010. Yara, our founder, conducted an online survey to understand more about the youth’s needs and interests, then she began to reach out to the community and the team started to take form. At first, it was only Yara, Adeem Subaihi, Sarah Koshak and Haneen Krimly.

Who is your target? How do you plan on making a difference?
Our target at the moment is everyone from ages 15 to 28. We look for talented Saudis who want to express themselves and want someone to understand their concerns and recognize their achievements. YND targets all the Saudi youth in Jeddah, for now, and in all of Saudi Arabia later on. We are planning to make a difference by inspiring youth and encouraging them to put themselves out there, to reach out to their community and prove their importance in our society.

Tell us about the newsletter’s philosophy.
The newsletter’s philosophy is basically: Understand the youth’s concerns, figure out their interests, highlight their talents and recognize their achievements. We gather all of that and publish it for readers to see and perhaps feel that inspiration and encouragement they need to get started with their own projects.

How is the response so far?
The response has been overwhelming. We’ve been receiving all sorts of positive feedback from readers and youth supporters. Many people responded to the fact that we inspired them, and in return, they started with their own projects hoping that we’d write about them. And we did. We’re just so amazed by the extremely gifted youth we have in our community. We like to keep it small and simple because our aim is not to fill up over 30 pages of low quality content. We only want simple but rich and effective articles with worthy stories to tell.

Where can we find a copy of YND?
Our distribution points consist of high schools, colleges and universities, coffee shops, malls and more. The physical newsletter is published every couple of months, although we are proud to announce that our blog has just been launched on Oct. 1. The blog has even more exclusive, rich and inspiring articles that couldn’t make it on the physical newsletter because of the word count limitations. You can view these amazing articles by logging onto: www.youthindepth.org/blog
For a detailed list or a digital copy of the physical newsletter, you can check out our website at www.youthindepth.org

What do you plan on achieving or changing through your publication? What usually derives the matter of YND?
We love to see our young generation reading something with attention and interest. We hope this newsletter brings more people back to reading articles that inform and inspire them. Yes, each issue has a certain theme that relates to current situations and events. We usually plan the structure of every issue a while before it’s supposed to be published. We always try to give the priority for new and upcoming projects and initiatives over those that have already been talked about. Our purpose is to give these youth groups and initiatives a little push by showing our full support and to give others the confidence that they can do the same.

Nail Art for Arabian Girls

Gone are the days when nail care and décor simply meant a manicure finished with base and top coats of nail polish. These days you don’t even have to wait for your nails to grow long!

With artificial nails and elaborate pictorial adornment, nail care has become nothing less than another integral part of the female desire to be completely beautiful — hand to toe.

Today, acrylic and gel nails give nail-biters and girls cursed with brittle nails an escape from the tomboyish hands they have always had to endure.

Nail Art, located on Al-Kayyal Street in Jeddah, is one of the few beauty salons that do artificial nail sets — and do them well.

The process is long, but worthwhile. Artificial nail tips are glued onto your natural nail, and then gel or acrylic is placed over it to smooth it out. The amazing part is that the nails look natural even sans nail polish!

The set usually lasts around two to four weeks, depending on the individual. The pros of acrylics are that polish lasts longer on them, nails are stronger, and you can indulge in whatever length you desire without the hassle of having to wait and grow them out.

The cons are the price and the effect on your nail bed. Nails are usually filed so that the tip sits on perfectly.

This means once removed your nail is weakened from being filed and covered. The upkeep of the nails entails the refilling of the gap from your cuticle to the acrylic.

Nail Art charges SR15 to refill a finger and SR35 per finger for the whole process (SR350 for a whole set). This is expensive, especially compared with prices abroad.

Nail Art also specializes in — well, nail art. This entails elaborate miniature designs painted on the nail using a fine-tip applicator, called a stylus, or a Nail Art Pen — which are definitely part of a global trend.

Ladies can get flowers, butterflies, and even leopard-print designs on their fingertips, making even this minuscule part of their body an eye-catching accessory or canvas for art!

At a cost of SR20 per nail, this too is quite a cost for beauty. A complete set with designs is a little youthful, while more sophisticated women might opt for just a single nail art design for some added flair.

You can also have your artificial nails pierced and wear nail rings as well. Glitter and crystals can also be glued on.

Nail art is definitely a younger trend, while artificial nails have no age appropriateness because depending on the person, you can either get natural-looking French manicured ones, or if you are a preteen, acrylics decorated with miniature portraits of Miley Cyrus!

The Nail Art salon is an ultra-girly place. With its deep pink interior and bubbly staff, it is the ultimate girl hangout.

Targeted toward the younger crowd with its trendy service and nail decadence, Nail Art is one of the few places you can walk into with bitten, short nails and walk out of with flawless, feminine ones in less than two hours!

Iran frees actress Marzieh Vafamehr

DUBAI: Amnesty International says an Iranian appeals court has overturned the lashing sentence against an actress who appeared in a film critical of the Islamic republic’s hard-line policies.

Amnesty’s website says Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison earlier this week after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.

There was no report on Saturday on Vafamehr’s case in Iranian media.

Vafamehr appeared in the Australian-backed film “My Tehran for Sale,” which was shot in the Iranian capital. It tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities.

It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran.

Tweet your mother’s name to show love and pride for her

JEDDAH: Saudi tweeters have created a hashtag called IsmOmi (Arabic for “my mother’s name”) in an attempt to break a longstanding taboo that prevents Saudi men from mentioning the name of their mothers.

The hashtag enables them to say their mother’s name and allows them to bypass a critical society.

Hashtags are created by adding # to a “tweet” on Twitter. They are terms invented to add to tweets on a given subject and build a community of tweets or build toward a “trending topic.”

Saudi tweeters see this as a way to express their love and gratitude for their mothers. It is also considered a step toward empowering Saudi women. Saudi tweeter Khalid Al-Ahmed believes the hashtag is a healthy way to break down some of the social customs that he sees have unnecessarily burdened Saudi society for decades.

“Women’s names have been the obsession of Saudi men forever. They see this as something they must protect and keep unrevealed. It is shameful for them if people know the name of their mother, sister or wife,” he said. “A Saudi man would blackmail another if he knew his mother’s name,” he added.

Saudi women are frustrated by this attitude and Saudi men should be more reasonable, according to a tweet by Abeer Hamdoun. “Refraining from mentioning your mother’s name is the first step toward undermining Saudi women’s rights. The younger generation are too shy to say their mother’s names for no reason at all,” she said.

“Our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) was not shy of his mother’s name and King Abdulaziz used to call himself Akho Noura, which is Arabic for Noura’s brother,” she added. Ahmed is a 28-year-old man who changed his Twitter name to “Omima’s son” to celebrate the love and pride of his mother.

“I don’t see anything wrong with saying my mother’s name to random people. It’s like saying any other name,” he tweeted. “Without my mom I wouldn't be here. Her name is Omima, and you bet I'm proud to mention it,” he added.