Romantic mobile phone calls and messages [Archives:2006/935/Reportage]
By: Hakim Almasmari
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“How much I like you and how much I care for you.” “During the nights, I dream of waking up and seeing you standing beside me.” “I love you so much, but you're killing me with your ignorance.” “If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right.” “My love for you is brighter than any light.” “The way we must go is long, but we will win every fight.” “Sometimes, when you miss someone, you look at his picture. But when I miss someone special like you, I close my eyes or look at the moon.” “Never frown if you are sad – you never know who could be falling in love with your smile.”
These are some of the many romantic messages sent from one mobile phone to another to attract both men and women. It's becoming a widespread phenomenon, especially among the younger generation. A few years ago, this type of issue almost never existed. Mobile phones were rare and limited among citizens; therefore, the spread of this phenomenon was rare. As years passed and mobile phones became more widespread, more and more youngsters began indulging in romantic conversations and sweet messages.
According to a limited survey i conducted with university students in Sana'a, 35 percent of those surveyed blamed satellite channels for the spread of such ideas among Yemenis, while 30 percent blame Gulf tourists who flock to the country and the different mentality they bring with them. “Gulf residents visit Yemen, spreading what bad they already have there to Yemen,” said 25-year-old Abdul Rahman, worried about the phenomenon's rapid spread.
Sami Mohammed, 18, admitted that he sends an average of 10 messages a day – all to different women. “I know what I'm doing is wrong, but it's only a stage that we pass through. Eventually, in time, we will think of it as inappropriate and wrong.”
Young men and women in Sana'a are beginning to view mobile phones as a part of life. It has become more like an addiction, with sending or receiving calls or messages becoming an obligation in everyday life. “I can't live without it. I receive or call at least 30-40 times during the day,” said 22-year-old Wael Al-Salahi, admitting his mobile phone use. “If our financial situations were any better, I don't know how selfishly we'd end up using mobile phones for useless reasons,” he added.
Locals realize that such use's spread in cities far exceeds that of villages and urban areas. Only in rare incidents will a villager send a message or contact the opposite gender by phone. The reason for this is that villages are small, making it easier for such news to spread to family members or neighbors, thereby causing more trouble and bad than good. Cities are larger and parents are busier, making the chance of getting caught by a guardian harder and more difficult.
Recently, the father of a female university student happened to take hold of his daughter's mobile phone. Shockingly, more than 40 sent love messages were saved in her phone. The father canceled the phone line at once. “She could be innocent, but these messages reveal how widespread this crisis has become,” the girl's father said, preferring to remain anonymous. “This is the last time my daughter will possess a phone as long as I'm alive,” the worried parent added.
Many question why this phenomenon is spreading at such a quick pace. Najib Ali, a psychiatrist living in Europe, said, “Yemenis were not exposed to the many developments that happened around the world in the late '90s. When the chance was given to them, it was almost impossible to resist.” Originally from Syria, Ali now is living in Germany. “This was expected to happen to all countries in the world, not only Yemen or the Middle East,” he added.
Some parents fear that the phenomenon's spread could harm their children's future and erase all cultural values from the life of the next generation, whereas others view it differently. “We were all young, and at that age, children and teenagers want to experience new ideas and prepare themselves for the future ahead of them,” said father of four Ali Salman, who experiences problems with his children regarding the issue. “I am having problems with my children, but it's only fair to have them learn from their mistakes,” he added.
It is claimed that such incidents can damage cultural values and the respect citizens have for each another. Culturally in Yemen, if a man respects and loves a woman, he has full right to ask for her hand in marriage. But with the spread of such romantic phone calls and messages, it is easier for men to toy with women's feelings, in some situations leaving them alone to suffer the shame and outcomes of these relationships.
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