Manama: Much to the chagrin of conservative families, youths are perfecting the art of communicating with one another, away from watchful eyes.
Shayma felt the excitement swell up, an elating mixture of enthusiasm and anticipation, as she switched on her pink computer. She knew she had a message waiting for her, and she kept teasing herself that it would be cruel to ignore it.
Tossing aside her barely-touched cappuccino, the computer wizard found the message she had expected and immediately started reading every word avidly. It was a very flirtatious message and she loved it.
Then it was her turn to send a message to the young man whom she had never seen, but had been in love with for some weeks.
Shayma, in her early twenties, is one of the thousands of girls in the Arab world using the technology available to "shake hands" and start a conversation with men, whom they do not know, away from the vigilance of their families.
All it takes is a computer and websites that facilitate open communication. And then it is up to the men and women to start, reinforce, expand or end their conversations. They can choose to confine their communication to words whizzing across a screen or use microphones or even webcams.
The novel way to communicate discreetly has been welcomed by most young people whose lives are often subject to restrictive traditions.
Much to the chagrin of conservative families, these youths are today perfecting the art of communicating with one another, away from indiscreet and watchful eyes, but amid great excitement.
For Shayma, and many others, gone are the inhibitions about talking to a man she did not know. The complete stranger has now become a familiar face thanks to the computer, and she feels she can "say" anything without her face betraying her feelings.
"The technology is great and has in many ways empowered us girls and women to feel at ease when we express our feelings or make comments. We do respect our mores, and at last we can say that we do have more much-needed space to express our feelings openly," she says, insisting that not all girls are interested in forming relationships, however limited, with males.
"For the girls who do want to communicate with men, the technology is really helping them overcome their coyness. It gives them a unique chance to know some things about the men who could potentially marry them before they make any commitment," she says.
Observers of the Arab world are often intrigued about how parents react to the constant bombardment of the young men and women with sexual images and stories.
"Are parents, willingly or unwillingly, facilitating the sentimental and sexual education of their children?" is a question that Arab journalists and educators hear from Westerners who wonder about the seemingly at odds co-existence of conservative mores and advanced technology in many Arab countries.
While the West has a multitude of magazines and media programmes that are often used by adolescents and young people as guides on matters of love and sex, Arab media outlets that address such issues are extremely rare.
At home, children and parents are invariably embarrassed when the film they are watching features bold or explicit scenes.
Open talks on emotional issues or sexual development between parents and children are rare and are considered taboo, even though educated Arab women today have become more permissive and more understanding towards their daughters.
Fathers, on the other hand, make it a rule to keep their eyes wide open regarding their daughters' attitudes, dress and relations. Their temper is, however, much more relaxed when they deal with their sons towards whom they are almost invariably tolerant.
"It is of course frustrating, but we feel that with the advent of technology, we have been vindicated. We can now interact much more easily with the outside world," says Shayma.
Conservative families are aware of the changes, and they resent them. Many think that action to separate the sexes should be taken at the earliest possibility.
When Salafi MP Jasem Al Saeedi three years ago called for an end to co-education at the University of Bahrain, he waded into deep controversy in a country often seen as the most liberal in the Arabian Gulf, but where conservatives are today making a strong comeback.
Samira Danouni, a teacher at a private school, says: "Conservatives tend to see co-education as a source of family and social problems, mainly when they note that some students tend to wear extravagant clothes and to adopt an inappropriate behaviour that clashes with the more familiar values and principles.
Danouni stressed that no research had dented her belief in the merits of co-education, saying: "However, it is difficult to accept the view of some people who [say] that ... there are more than anatomical differences between boys and girls and that there are emotional and academic distinctions between the two, [therefore] they should be taught accordingly. This is pushing matters a bit too far. Several scientists have dismissed research suggesting that boys and girls are so different they need educating separately as a myth and that the established opinion on the differences between the abilities of boys and girls had no substance."
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief