Bill Gates Tells The Truth In Saudi Arabia

Monday

I HAVE BEEN reading The Women's Crusade in the New York Times, and came across the following passage and I knew I had to share it with you.

Bill Gates recalls once being invited to speak in Saudi Arabia and finding himself facing a segregated audience. Four-fifths of the listeners were men, on the left. The remaining one-fifth were women, all covered in black cloaks and veils, on the right. A partition separated the two groups. Toward the end, in the question-and-answer session, a member of the audience noted that Saudi Arabia aimed to be one of the Top 10 countries in the world in technology by 2010 and asked if that was realistic. “Well, if you’re not fully utilizing half the talent in the country,” Gates said, “you’re not going to get too close to the Top 10.” The small group on the right erupted in wild cheering.

Bill Gates just went up a few notches in my esteem. The article I've quoted here was written by Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof, the authors of
Half the Sky and the creators of the Girl Effect. I urge you to throw yourself into helping girls around the world. Go to the Girl Effect website and get involved. Recruit your friends and family into the cause. This is a purpose we can all get behind. Join the Girl Effect on FaceBook to get updates.

Read more about how helping girls can save the world in the book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

17 comments:

Damien 9:34 AM  

Citizen Warrior,

This is the Bill Gates of Microsoft we're talking about? I'm impressed. He's smart, rich, and apparently brave as well. He's also correct.

Citizen Warrior 1:55 PM  

Yes, Damien, the owner of Microsoft and one of the most successful men in the world, and also shaping up to be one of the most generous philanthropists in history.

Unknown 2:57 AM  

I once believed this guy was evil, but in the long term, he never ceases to amaze me. Pardon my former ignorance; long live Bill Gates!

Herbert Graup, Hamburg 12:31 AM  

I am impressed.
Most people think that Islam is peaceful. But it is not. More than 200 phrases are against women and non-muslims.
This religion is evil. What can one expect from a man like Mohammad? He married a girl when she was 9, had sex with her when she was 13 and when he died he forced her (she was 17) to never have a man again in her live!

Also it is said that he killed himself more than 100 jews oin one day by chopping off heads.

Who ever does something like that: Do not await a peaceful religion from him

Gufran 9:52 AM  

To Herbert Group

You guys are real evil people who are trying to spread hatred against one religion and one person....you buggar how dare you say something like that for the greatest man World has ever seen....you will know when you die...

POed Lib 4:38 PM  

What's amazing is that Gates is interested in the people of Saudi Arabia using all of the people-power in Saudi Arabia, but in this country, Gates is pushing, pushing, pushing for the unemployment of thousands of US workers in favor of workers from other countries. If you are in favor of employing people in your own country, Bill, end the H-1B visa. Employ Americans in America.

Anonymous 2:01 AM  

This is in reply to POedLib, urging Mr. Gates to show some concern for the techies in the US. What POedLib doesn't know is that the ruling elite of all countries take pride in NOT identifying with their own serfs, but, instead, think of themselves as a member of an international group of elite, who don't think about boundaries.

In fact, most of the top 1% of US corporate leaders are actively contemptuous of working-class Americans, think they are stupid and clueless, easily lead by patently absurd promises and empty rhetoric, overpaid and unappreciative.

They absolutely hate to see working class Americans owning real estate, driving cars, sending their kids to college, taking vacations, etc. If you travel to a country like Peru, or Italy or Mexico, the upper managerial class lives like working class peole in the US do.

Bill Gates, like the rest of the 1%, and like the politicians they have put in place, is committed to destroying the middle class. If you go to countries ike Singapore, or ARgentina, or Greece, you will see nurses, college professors, pharmacists, - skilled, educated peole, living in concrete apartments, with plastic furniture and mopeds if they are lucky.

AS long as we keep electing people who have enough money to advertise on TV, we will continue to get this crap.

Anonymous 8:41 PM  

Bill gates should look into Islam, it was ignorant of him to quote such thing about utilizing half the talent without first asking the question Why? why are men and women separated. If only he knew the great status that Islam portrays women in he would have be amazed. Also I find the word "philanthropists" funny. In Islam giving back to the needy and promoting the welfare of others is a way of life.

Anonymous 6:17 PM  

And to think that so many give such praise to Steve Jobs...

Anonymous 3:26 AM  

amazing how amazed people are about bill gates ... he's the good guy in the it world ... jobs always was the bad guy he never did anything for charity.

Anonymous 11:41 AM  

Gufran: Who said we hate one religion? Most techies hate religion as a function, you just happen to defend one of the most harmful branches of your particular brand of insanity...

Anonymous 4:23 AM  

Then why they are there if they happened to be ignored? Wouldn't they be home if that was the case?
I think the problem there was with segregation and that is their culture, their lifestyle, it is not up to Gates to determine how people live.
So, an argument is not valid in a proper sense, but makes a good anecdote to spread in internet.

Citizen Warrior 12:25 PM  

Women do not have human rights in Saudi Arabia or in most Muslim nations. All women everywhere should have the same human rights granted to men.

Unknown 2:36 PM  

Please read the quran.

Citizen Warrior 1:44 AM  

The Quran is Islam's most holy book. Sixty-one percent of the Quran is about non-Muslims. Writings about what Muslims should do is religious. Writings about what non-Muslims should do or how Muslims should deal with non-Muslims is political. Therefore, based on Islam's most holy book, Islam is more political (61%) than religious (39%).

There are 245 verses in the Quran that could be considered "positive verses" about non-Muslims. Every single one of those verses have been abrogated (nullified, overridden) by later, negative verses about non-Muslims. Not one positive verse about non-Muslims is left.

In contrast, there are 527 verses of intolerance toward non-Muslims, and 109 verses specifically advocating violence towards non-Muslims. Not one of these verses has been abrogated.

My conclusion: Non-Muslims who like Islam don't know much about it.

Citizen Warrior 1:44 AM  

I have read the Koran. I didn't like it one bit.

Anonymous 1:57 PM  

Did a random search if Bill Gates was Muslim based upon desktop background loaded on Windows 7. It has many half moons. After google search I am more intrigued........

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