Khalaf Al-Harbi Okaz A member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) attempted to raid the pavilion of the United Arab Emirates at the Janadriyah National Heritage and Culture Festival. Troops from the National Guard hurried to pull him away amid cheers from spectators who were appalled at the man's actions. Certain people tried to exploit this incident to destroy the image of the festival for many reasons, some of which are obvious and known and others that are not so obvious and a bit suspicious. Janadriyah is a celebration of the Kingdom's rich culture. On display are regional cuisines, handicrafts, architecture, markets and folk dances. Organized by the National Guard, I doubt anyone would visit the festival if it was held in a city other than Riyadh because it would not contain any attractive exhibits. Despite the relatively innocuous nature of the festival, members of the “commission to resist life and stifle happiness” tried their level best to sabotage a heritage festival that is one of the few tourist attractions in the Kingdom's capital. Prior to this latest incident, the commission members attempted to sabotage the Riyadh International Book Fair. Book lovers came to the event in the hopes of meeting their favorite authors and getting exclusive access to the latest books. They were, however, greeted by people who were waiting to steal their happiness. It seems that such actions are part of a larger effort to create a dull and depressing world where people cannot find happiness or joy. This is precisely why men escape to rest houses, women aimlessly roam malls and young men cruise the streets until the early hours of the morning. It is also for this reason that people eagerly wait for the summer vacation to start so they can take the first plane out of the country. Many families even consider traveling abroad as an opportunity to get together and strengthen family ties since living in the Kingdom means living a life of seclusion. It says a lot about our collective condition when a single man can impose his beliefs on an entire society. One man can irritate millions of people just because he is wearing the so-called dress of religion. He does not care about the right of the people to live their lives freely. The spectators who clapped their hands when the Haia member was pulled away from the UAE pavilion would think twice before cheering if the situation was slightly different. Our situation has become so pathetic that we consider depression a normal state and view happiness as a brief moment that we will later regret. This is the heritage of misery and unhappiness. The real festival is not the one organized within the walls of the Janadriyah village but in this spacious world that is totally devoid of life and joy.
