"Some people think that talking about these issues would open children's eyes on
those taboo topics although our religion tells us about those issues in the
Qur'an. For example Allah mentioned the story of the nation of Prophet Lut,"
she said. "Teachers must use methods that reach out to children. If they are
abused then they must try to resist and tell their parents about the incident
even if the perpetrator is a family member," she said.
She added that if child abuse is not stopped in the beginning, children could
become abusers themselves when they grow older.
Saudi youths also argue that the education system in the Kingdom does not offer
adequate information regarding such issues. Although the Islamic Culture 103
course at Saudi universities discusses marriage laws in Islam, it does not
tackle the intimate side of marriage.
Consequently, young people look for information about the issue using
"forbidden" ways such as the Internet, magazines and indecent movies that may
provide them with wrong answers to queries that are not in line with Islamic
laws.
"The whole matter of sex was kind of mysterious to me during school," said Haya
Salim, a university student at KAAU. "It was considered impolite to discuss
this sensitive subject. Even biology lessons were not enough to satisfy my
curiosity toward the matter. We barely knew about the reproductive system and
how it works."
