In an interview on Israeli TV in Arabic, Professor Menahem Milson discussed the novel Banat Al-Riyadh ("Girls of Riyadh") by Saudi author Dr. Rajaa Al-Sanie.
The novel, which describes the lives of four young women in Riyadh, is structured as a series of e-mails sent anonymously by one of the young women.
Banat Al-Riyadh, published in 2005, sparked much controversy in the Arab world, especially in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, with some praising it for its boldness and literary merit, and others condemning it as provocative.
Menahem Milson, Professor of Arabic Literature at the Hebrew University and Chairman of MEMRI, is the author of several works on Arabic literature, including Najib Mahfuz: The Novelist-Philosopher of Cairo. He was interviewed by Mr. Nazih Khayr.
The interview, with English subtitles, can be viewed here. For an English translation of the interview, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1589.
