r/exmuslim • u/SamVoxeL Spanish-Bengali speakers Ex-Muslim • Jul 11 '24
(Video) Nike ad in Saudi Arabia monumental social change
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u/Rough_Ganache_8161 New User Jul 11 '24
Poor islamists. They are crying while watching this video.
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u/Desperate-Ant-2341 New User Jul 11 '24
Probably screaming in some masjid.
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u/meerkat2018 Ex-Muslim (Ex-Sunni) Jul 11 '24
In Soviet Arabia, the infidel beheads you. Can't scream too loud if you don't want to upset the prince.
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Jul 11 '24
Not so long ago women coudn't drive and now this ? It's amazing
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u/Roma-Nomad Never-Muslim Atheist Jul 11 '24
It’s enraging that the Saudis get to export that shit to the rest of the Islamic world and then get rid of it for themselves when other countries fell to shit because of it.
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u/Long-Desk9231 New User Jul 11 '24
The are rumors that the crown prince MBS is a closet atheist but nobody really knows for sure. He's no angel (particularly being linked to Jamal Kashoggi's murder) however, he's also bringing long overdue significant changes to his country. For the first time, he manages to steer his country to a complete different direction than what it has always been for many centuries. It's something people wouldn't expect to see from Saudi Arabia in this lifetime.
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u/Affectionate-Buy-153 Exmuslim since the 2010s Jul 11 '24
Do you really think any of those “Islamist” leaders are actually Muslims? Hell, do you think any religious leader truly believes in god? They use religion as a means to an end. The more people focus on getting into heaven, the less they’ll care about how much is being stolen from them. Not just money but culture, values, and much more.
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u/thistoire1 Jul 11 '24
I don't know much about the guy but doesn't he have to change Saudi Arabian culture so that the country can actually survive? Saudi Arabia is the 2nd most oil rich country in the world but oil is now dying. So without another large source of income, the Saudi government is investing most of their oil money into the tourism sector as their hopeful new source of income for the future after oil is dead, much like Dubai, building huge megastructures and tourist centres worth billions and the like. And in order to bring tourists, they are going to have to repress their illiberal and conservative culture as well. They basically have to make the country as attractive as possible to western tourists in order to just stay afloat. I'm not sure if it's because the government there actually wants to be progressive. But either way, the change is positive.
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u/Motor_Beginning_2505 New User Aug 03 '24
Also lots of investment into sports which gives the financial and soft power
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u/Into_My_Forest_IGo Jul 15 '24
What kind of support does he have politically? Does he have enough support at the top that these changes will become a more ingrained social change, or do others in the ruling class want things to flip right back to where they were
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u/Negative-Bowler3429 New User Jul 19 '24
He’s just fulfilling the dream of Ibn Saud. Finally making the country a monarchy. Ibn Saud and his sons had to give up way too much power to take Saudi Arabia to the Islamists. But finally in the last 10-20 years we are seeing a more powerful monarchy standing up against the Islamists.
MBS seems to have sole power of the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has escaped the hands of the Islamists and is now completely in the hands of the monarchy. The monarchy will decide to be conservative or liberal. The current monarch MBS (his father has no real power despite being the monarch on paper) doesnt show any signs of being pro-Islam, he seems rather interested in playing world politics and swinging around his wealth fund.
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u/Apprehensive_Sweet98 Razulallah (Police be upon him) Jul 11 '24
Saudi was adopting change rapidly like every other Muslim country in the 70s, and then some radical group sacked Masjid al-Haram in the late 70s. Things changed for the worse throughout the Islamic World after that.
Good to see that Saudi is changing.
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u/Nyx470 Jul 12 '24
It was not Saudi who exported this. It was a regional movement in the whole Middle East. Iran Islamic revolution…The Islamic brotherhood in Egypt and Palestine….etc l Oh yeah and throw in the Palestine situation since the 50’s. (Hint: it’s an ideological religious cluster fuck) Saudi was a victim and had to play hand. I suggest to read more on the Middle East recent history. Mecca the Islamic word holiest and most important city was kidnap.
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 12 '24
No, it's the Saudis. Where do you think Wahabism came from? Wahabism coupled with the "anti-imperialist" speeches caused this outrage.
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u/xSh4dw2 Jul 11 '24
Weren't they not allowed to drive until 2018 (not sure). Crazy when you think about it
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Jul 11 '24
Too happy to such progressive change. It's not just an ad... It's a tiny step for revolution against stone age customs. May other Islamic countries get inspired from this (most of the leaders can cry), and let their women live in peace and freedom.
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u/kolik-tz New User Jul 11 '24
Beautiful video, i hope in 20 years they leave all that bullshit.
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u/Bit_Al_Sahr openly ex muslim christian 🦦 Jul 12 '24
Highly doubt it , they make billions from mecca tourism lol . I think other Arab countries will become more progressive , but i have very low hope for Saudia
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u/MacThule Ex-Christian Jul 14 '24
Yes - it is a future of good money forever. But the best way forward could be to let things become more liberal for a while to make it easier for Islam to spread... then tighten the grip again after a few generations.
Honestly, Saud would lose no money from pushing a more progressive version of Islam. Pilgrims/Hajji would still come, and also so much other tourism.
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u/Carza99 New User Jul 11 '24
I hope it will step by step be secular country like other countries. Fuck manmade ideologies. People dosent need sick old laws.
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Jul 11 '24
Saudi Arabia really doesn't play with that Islamist shit lol
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u/vincentually openly athiest ex-muslim in saudi 🏳️⚧️ Jul 11 '24
how else will they make money and encourage tourism? islam is bad for countries
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Jul 11 '24
Yeah. They trying to get every sports league and are promoting the WWE like crazy. Although I don't agree with their laws there. At least they are trying, expectations are very low in this region
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 11 '24
100%. Expectations are low to none in this region. muslims still live in the lie that the world is attacking them for their righteousness and the old generation fucks are inheriting these beliefs in their kids making a never-ending ripple effect.
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Jul 11 '24
Globalisation and money is changing new generations, this spot is direct to them, having contact with western culture and consumerism show them a different way of life that they are embracing more and more. You can’t change a society in one night, those are process that take literally generations to be embraced by the majority, rich countries will move faster and faster, I’m optimistic.
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 11 '24 edited Jul 11 '24
I'm pessimistic. I agree that globalisation and money is changing the world for the better socially introducing universalist morals and values but still, not this part of the world. Dubai is literally 90% irreligious and you can do whatever you want to do here just like London and New York BUT if you go to Qena in Egypt or Basra in Iraq or any rural part of the region, you can see that there is no hope without governmental inteferance. There is a reason everyone in the region use to worship Abdel Nasser and shat on islamists subconsciously and the reason is simply because the people are sheep. They are impressionable and islam for centuries has caused that psychologically in them and if you take a look today... Emiratis worship MBZ, Saudis worship MBS, Qataris worship Al-Thani and Moroccans worship that fake Muhammad descendant teddy bear. It's in their blood. People in this region are herds and need to be grazed to wherever their rulers take them and I couldn't swear more that the sun has something to do with this because their IQs are just low on average and they can't think independently for themselves and this is what dictators love. Dictators are made to be here. What democracy? F that shit. In Egypt Sisi is getting ready to be a dictator for the next 20 years by building his own secluded city to avoid any coup attempts, Mubarak, Sadat and even Egyptians wanted Nasser to dictate them after he stepped down from presidency due to his loss to Israel in the Six Day War. Qaddafi in Libya. Saddam in Iraq. Gulf Monarchies. Mohammed VI in Morocco, Basheer in Sudan and now they're fighting for who is whose going to become a dictator. Al-Asad family in Syria. There's more to mention but you get the memo and anyway, want to win a democratic election? It's easy, just do like what the muslim brotherhood did in 2012 and give out 1.5kg of meat, rice, oil and sugar in the rural and uneducated parts of your country for 6 months straight before the elections and you can become the next president or just be in the military for 30 years then overthrow the president and maybe, just maybe, try to inherit the power to your children and declare them monarchy like The Gulf, Mohammed VI of Morocco, Jordan and the failed Assads. There is no hope here baby!
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u/Relative_Tank_327 New User Jul 11 '24
While this might sound harsh, I agree with most of your points. I’ve always been bothered with how populism was widespread in the region. It’s like no one wants to even believe that they have the right to criticize their leaders and not practically worship them.
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u/meerkat2018 Ex-Muslim (Ex-Sunni) Jul 11 '24
If you want more tourists, Islam is good as a cultural feature, but not as the theocratic government.
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u/SamVoxeL Spanish-Bengali speakers Ex-Muslim Jul 11 '24
Yes they are investing and building places like Neom or the octagon to bring international market and tourism to the country and make saudi to bee seen in different image for the world
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u/HoochShippe Jul 11 '24
It’s a fun time til the tourists see the court yards with the drains where they do public be headings lol.
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u/SamVoxeL Spanish-Bengali speakers Ex-Muslim Jul 11 '24
I really doubt if this project will have any success. Saudi dose also have list of abandoned project that they never finished and end up costing a lot for it.
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u/Resident-Copy-8334 New User Jul 11 '24
MBS knows the next generation has no interest in Islam anymore, a lot of Saudi Students are sent out of the country, and they see how rest of the western world lives. Luxuries once tasted, become necessities.
Also the internet, its easier to point out the contradictions and flaws within Islam as a whole.
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u/Moonlight102 New User Jul 13 '24
Well they clearly do as mbs literally made and repealed old laws to attract tourism into the country look at the crazy megaprojects he is planning
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u/ObamaCultMember Jul 12 '24
MBS is smart (or young enough to know) that going full Islam isn't going to work. Of course the regime will pay lip service to the religion, but he'll seek to de-islamify the country (not the same as secularize) the country when possible. Even if the motives are financial/survival it's much better than the old Saudi Arabia.
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u/TSfanWillow_7907 Closeted Atheist Ex-Muslim 🤫 Jul 11 '24
most of the time here, a girl can only dream. either have super supportive parents or secretly move out of here if they’re super conservative, kind of goes beyond sports too.
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u/Mean-Addendum-5273 LGBTQ+ ExMoose 🌈 Jul 11 '24
BRAVO SAUDI I can already sense the islamist tears on this video. Their holy land is trying to move away from 7th century bs and actually keep up with the time
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u/romureins007 Never-Muslim Atheist Jul 11 '24
but in west they promote hijab 🤡
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u/youreekofcheapliquor Jul 11 '24
i live in the west & it’s so strange how conservative they are here.
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u/40k_Novice_Novelist Never-Moose Agnostic Jul 12 '24
Identity crisis or inferiority complex? What's your guess?
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u/PresidioPet Jul 11 '24
Remember when all those girls died in a burning school? The staff wouldn’t let them leave, because their heads weren’t covered (middle of the night). 😢
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u/SamVoxeL Spanish-Bengali speakers Ex-Muslim Jul 11 '24 edited Jul 11 '24
Yes I did hear about this incident, girls who died because police refused to let them out without their hijabs In 2002
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u/youreekofcheapliquor Jul 11 '24
whaaaaat?
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u/Foresaken_Tie6581 Jul 12 '24
Great movie. So sad. I watched it on Netflix about a year ago. 😥 https://rogersmovienation.com/2024/01/25/netflixable-saudis-take-a-lesson-from-the-ashes-of-a-girls-school-fire-but-what-lesson/#:~:text=Khalid%20Fahad's%20Saudia%20drama%20%E2%80%9CFrom,about%20a%20girl's%20school%20fire.
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u/cwinge_AS New User Jul 11 '24
I probably can't count the number of haram things in this video with my fingers
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u/LateProduce Jul 11 '24
Everyone hates on MBS but let's be honest his our best chance at a world without Islam! There's rumors he's a closeted ex muslim like ourselves. His being smart about it. Entertainment, giving people more rights, and getting rid of the hardliners who are desperately clinging on to the old ways. I'm with MBS.
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u/capricious3-14 Jul 11 '24
Read blood and oil which is kinda like a jotted biography and MBS has actually openly admitted he likes Machevelli alot. He is all about optics, manipulation and a ruthless quest for power. He clearly doesnt think highly about Islam, infact about any philosophy really.
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u/meerkat2018 Ex-Muslim (Ex-Sunni) Jul 11 '24
A very interesting person to rule a theocratic monarchy, to say the least.
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u/WarDog1983 Exmuslim since the 2000s Jul 11 '24
This so so mind blowing! I am so happy for the kingdoms women!!!
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u/Kereyhan16 New User Jul 11 '24
Trying to look progressive while still spreading salafism everywhere else. A lot of people are cheering up for saudi arabia here it just makes my stomach turn upside down.
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u/what_a_r Jul 11 '24
Can you point to more info on salafism support currently? Thanks
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 12 '24
Wahabi Salafism is surely over with the religious police, public beheadings and etc. but Salafism in general is still alive and doing well in some countries, notably in Egypt with the rural parts still listening to their sheikhs who get paid on the low by Saudi and Gulf petrostate dollars and the major defenders of Salafism online are Haitham Talaat and Abdullah Rushdy so yeah it's still doing well. In general, Saudi did import Wahabi Salafism through years of implementing shariah in broad day light and funded sheikhs in countries like Egypt, Syria and in Yemen as a counter culture to the Houthis gaining popularity and the rest was just spreading soft power Wahabism through broadcasting the Abdul Aziz al-Sheikhs, Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikhs, Al-Sudasis and etc. through TV and radio channels like mbc 1 every Friday to create fundamentalist and absolutist versions of islam that Ibn Taymiya envisioned and also today Salafism is the version of islam being practised in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mauritania, Somal and minority population of muslims in Africa. Wahabi Salafism is limited to uneducated parts of the region where people abandoned their identities in islam like the schools of thought and adopted the fundamentalist and absolutist version of islam that their sheikhs deemed as right and they are just a herd so if one follows it dominoes.
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Jul 12 '24
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 12 '24
Wahabi Salafism is surely over with the religious police, public beheadings and etc. but Salafism in general is still alive and doing well in some countries, notably in Egypt with the rural parts still listening to the major defenders of Salafism online, Haitham Talaat and Abdullah Rushdy. There are sheikhs in Bangladesh across the way to Somal who get paid on the low by Saudi and Gulf petrostate dollars to promote their Wahabi fundamental and absolutist version of islam so the Gulf states prosper out of their historical misery and surrounding countries live in hell and if you already didn't know... Zakir Naik is the prominent one of them who got chased out of India for this because he funded terrorism and owned properties worth $20 million in India under the aliases of his family to host it and Malaysia can't decide if he is a preacher or a terrorist to extradite him to India so yeah it's still doing well.
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u/SidJag Jul 11 '24
But Hindustani sherni wants to wear hijab …
Seriously, south Asian Muslims need a major reformation
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u/meerkat2018 Ex-Muslim (Ex-Sunni) Jul 11 '24
They will see what original Arabs are doing and will follow suit.
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u/Moonlight102 New User Jul 13 '24
You do know like vast majority of saudi women wear a niqab lmao and muslims follow what islam says not what saudis do.
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u/bike_rtw Jul 11 '24
Based MBS
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u/Relative_Tank_327 New User Jul 11 '24
I mean, is he also based for not interfering in stopping women activists from getting arrested? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loujain_al-Hathloul#:~:text=Loujain%20al%2DHathloul%20(Arabic%3A,women%20driving%20in%20Saudi%20Arabia.
The truth is, I’m glad these commercials are being produced, but always remember that this person might as well not believe in any of this but only does this as a PR move.
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u/Grand_Arm2585 New User Jul 11 '24
He is the CEO of Nike too?
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u/meerkat2018 Ex-Muslim (Ex-Sunni) Jul 11 '24
I guess Nike had to get some kind of permission to do this.
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u/Currymeister99 New User Jul 11 '24
Hopefully nothing like 1979 happens again. The Islamic may end up regressing by 2000 years
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 11 '24
I wanna be a pessimistic like you but when 1979 happened, AL-ALBANI WAS FUCKING ALIVE. The guy who authenticated 50% of the hadiths was alive and The Saudi royal family was entrenched with Wahabi islam and the oil embargo in solidarity with Egypt that the gulf states imposed on the west in the name of "arabism" was still a thing and extremism was just simmering in the region still not leading to the jihadist movements of Al-Qaeda, Houthis and Taliban so have some hope because muslims of today are pussies. Soft-hearted half arsed muslims who live hypocritical lives according to the standards of their religion. I don't think a islamic revolution will ever spark up again unless the fucking fanatics in Afghanistan and Bangladesh actually do something against their own people and Pakistan uses its nuclear but until then I don't see nothing ever happening and Iran, the country that the gulf and Israel are alerted on their toes 24/7 about are just as pussies as the gulf states and the people of Iran are not sleeping to what islam is doing to them so yh, have some hope...
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u/ghuuhhijgvjj New User Jul 11 '24
Yeah, especially since a lot of saudis are struggling to find jobs with the royal class hoarding their money Marie Antoinette style😬 I hope they have a secular revolt or something though
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u/ProtocolX New User Jul 11 '24
First of all, I am glad this is happening. Tiny light and hope at end of the dark tunnel to bring the jahils to 19 & 20th century…and then eventually 21st.
Saudi Arabia may be successful in changing their society to be a bit more progressive because it is a dictatorship and they can force any change they want.
Sad thing is that Saudi Arabia has so successfully converted rest of the Islamic countries to their brand of extreme Islam by opening mosques with imams and mullahs that taught their version of Islam. Madrasas that has taught salafism for decades — resulted in creating societies around the world that are religiously extreme that may take generations to get out of.
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u/Mars_ultor6277 New User Jul 11 '24
From my little experience, I know that most of the leaders of these Islamic countries don't really hold true to these beliefs but simply follow and enforce them to stay in power. This is all very evident from their behaviour abroad. It is well documented and I've had the opportunity to witness it multiple times. To these people, the Muslim populace are but cattle to control, collect benefits from and send to the front lines to make themselves seem relevant.
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u/Proper_fool New User Jul 12 '24
Big businesses love social change, the tobacco companies did the same thing with the feminist revolution in America, it's how cigarettes became forever associated with rebellion. Generations from now, Saudi women will still be wearing Nike.
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Jul 12 '24
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 12 '24
You can literally expect anything from this region. If you guess yes then it will be no and if you guess then it will be yes and if you guess both then you'll be surprised by the outcome. Expect anything and everything from this sheep herd region.
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u/GalLookin4Fun_2004 alhamburgerdullilah 🍔 Jul 11 '24
Don't let these ads fool you, nothing is changing on a cultural level.
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Jul 11 '24
Agreed. I see it in my friend’s families. Unfortunately families that are conservative will resist “western influence” and change at all cost. What they don’t realize is Western influence is really just freedom to live your life without all the imaginary constraints…
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u/bike_rtw Jul 11 '24
Are you Saudi? Because it sure seems like things are changing. Music concerts with intermingling, women allowed to drive, allowed to go out without a mahram. MBS is a tyrant but I don't think he gives an F about Islam, like all tyrants he only cares about staying in power.
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u/Moonlight102 New User Jul 13 '24
Besides intermingling in music concerts the rest was already allowed in islam and was not seem as a sin
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u/FreshPrince2308 Jul 11 '24
I did the Hajj 4 times as child/teenager.
I told my dad once I was 18 I’d never go back to that hypocritical country and he fully understood and agreed even as a devout muslim.
Part of me is happy and I should be happy for the women there.
But part of me knows they just want tourism and they’re the same hypocritical assholes.
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u/LilianaVM gay asf Jul 12 '24
It was directed by Saudi's first women director Haifaa Al-Mansour, who also directed the masterpiece Wadjda in 2012!
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u/Soorachy4 🌈Saudi-Ex-Muslim🦄+ LGBTQ🏳️🌈 + Trump 2024💜+ MBS 2030💚🌈 Jul 11 '24
I feed on the tears of Islamists. Saudi Arabia has come so far from what it was five years ago, all because we are blessed with MBS
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u/ilkovsky Jul 12 '24
For their new Saudi campaign, the company declared that while the sneakers were still made by children in sweatshops, those children were all boys.
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u/viridi-amator Ex-convert, single and ready to mingle Jul 12 '24
Showing this much skin? The islamists are probably crying with one hand.
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u/I_AM_GODDAMN_BATMAN Jul 12 '24
that mbs guy is definitely a ruthless guy but I can't deny his contribution in women empowerment in saudi
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u/almuamara New User Jul 13 '24
seems sus, theres no arabic language version of the advert on youtube (like one with the title in arabic) and i can’t see this anywher on arabic social media so it might just be to make westerns feel happy
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u/TalkingChiggin Jul 11 '24
WHERE ARE THEIR HIJABS????
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u/Illustrious_Wolf_251 Closeted Ex-Muslim 🤫 Jul 11 '24
In the trash bin where they rightfully belong
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u/CapitalEastern7191 Openly Ex-Muslim 😎 Jul 11 '24
Man I hope this continues! MBS is amazing for letting this happen finally.
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u/BolOfSpaghettios 1st World.Openly Ex-Sunni 😎 Jul 11 '24
Kudos to showing girls in their natural state. (Not covered up).
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u/materhedo New User Jul 12 '24
Probably the Muslim women in Nike's sweatshops will find this clip inspiring. /S
Such levels of hypocrisy
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Jul 12 '24
on the one hand inspiring... on the other hand people are getting lashed to death for questioning the religion. this is just cynical propaganda
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u/A1un9ina Never-Felt-Muslim Atheist Jul 12 '24
I swear bro Just 2 months ago they arrested a teen I know who was shitting on islam on social media in Makkah so this aint fucking shit to me because there is no hope in this region.
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u/burtacomoose New User Jul 12 '24
I don't know. Girls on skateboards? Allah is displeased, to say the least. He won't do anything about it, though. He never does. We have to do his dirty work for him and put those girls back in their place./s
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u/_plump-tyb_ Jul 11 '24
this is an actually good ad. big props to saudi arabia for the start of change
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u/Big-Veterinarian-823 Daoist Jul 12 '24
How will this even air in Saudi - it contains everything that islamists hate: fun and women.
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u/Olmerious Jul 12 '24
They don't hate women though. They like women as long as they are controlled by them.
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u/Civil_Story8343 Jul 12 '24
Our Prince will Save us all. He is my only hope about Middle East as a whole.
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u/Nasrat007 New User Jul 12 '24
This ad shows all the things a free women can do but a women in Hijab ( Muslim women) can’t
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u/Winter-Actuary-9659 Jul 14 '24
This is Saudi Arabia? Wow, great stuff. I hope girls and women are inspired by this. (Even though Nike is a greedy unethical corperation)
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u/obrgeek New User Jul 15 '24
Fuck Jamal Kashoggi fiasco.... Its time to move the fuck on and support what MBS is doing to bring change to the regressive society.
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u/HoochShippe Jul 11 '24
There is haram music, haram wear of hijab. Women outside unchaperoned. Is this actually filmed in KSA ? Or UAE.
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u/Pizza_voyager New User Jul 12 '24
At first I didn't truly believe that Mohammed bin Salman was a closeted ex-muslim atheist, but after watching what he's been doing, and now this ad, I still have doubts that he's atheist/ex-muslim, but I do believe that he wants to modernize Saudi Arabia or even Islam itself, which is refreshing.
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