Just as God’s providence led the Israelites to Egypt and then years later delivered them from the hands of an oppressive pharaoh, it was God’s plan that led Kristin and husband Decker to Saudi Arabia to teach the children of royalty and God’s mercy that delivered them from crisis.
Providence, faith, trust, mercy and deliverance are the main themes that run through Decker’s insightful story, The Unveiling: An American Teacher in a Saudi Palace (ISBN 1-58939-912-
Kristin and Randy served as tutors for the royal family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and learned much about the culture of Saudi Arabia, religious influence of fundamentalist Islam upon Muslim leadership, and common conflicts with Western culture.
The royal leadership of Saudi Arabia has a good understanding of the Western culture, is providing positive leadership, and has exciting dreams and visions for their country, stresses Decker, but is being held back by resistance from the fundamentalist Islam element which fights any progressive moves made by the Saudi royal leadership.
“Legalism in any religion, whether Christian, Jewish, Hindi or Islamic, created two classes of people, those who kept the rules and those who didn’t, says Decker, who holds a master’s in theology from Fuller Theology Seminary. “The group that kept the rules began to feel more righteous and superior to the others. Legalism thereby became the author of self-righteousness and sabotaged mercy. The only antidote to spiritual pride that I knew of was God’s mercy and grace.”
There is hope if American leaders can engage in personal dialogue with Mideast leaders and if Western leaders and citizens gain a better understanding of the Muslim people and the Islam belief system, adds Decker.
The Unveiling tells of the experiences of the Deckers after they accepted positions as private tutors for a visionary princess in Saudi Arabia. The princess wanted her children to learn critical thinking so she opened a secret school. The American teachers became champions of her dreams but within a year the medieval system of palace intrigue threatened to close the school and break the princess’s heart.
The Deckers were so enchanted by the gilded lifestyle of royalty that they initially dismissed the whispered tales of harsh cruelty and intrigue. When the Deckers were unexpectedly detained, falsely accused of insulting the princess, and forced to sign false confessions under threat of imprisonment, their eyes were forced open to a harsh reality about the closed society of Saudi royalty.
The Deckers became victims of a world dominated by Sharia law which creates a substandard class of individuals who are denied inalienable rights and basic dignity. Because the head male of the family has the final say in all matters, the government will not intervene on behalf of victims of crime. Because the treatment of women and foreign workers is so appalling, Decker says, “there is still a need to tell their stories, many of which have been incorporated into The Unveiling.
“Even though Americans may consider people around the world to be of equal value and worth,” concludes Decker, “our different world views, values and behaviors influence the way we relate to one another. In the political arena, Westerners are often working with people who do not value the same freedoms we do and have never learned to evaluate events and issues critically.”
About Kristin Decker
Before serving as tutor to the royal family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Kristin Decker spent 10 years teaching inner city students in Los Angeles. After living for a year in Athens, Greece, she returned to America and is teaching American history to 8th graders in Texas. She wrote The Unveiling while husband Randy was dying of cancer and published it on the day of her wedding anniversary. She has a master’s degree in theology and a bachelor’s degree in education. She now teaches classes and presents at conferences aimed at increasing the understanding of Americans about the Muslim people and the Islam religion.
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Media Contact: For a review copy of The Unveiling: An American Teacher in a Saudi Palace or to arrange an interview with Kristin Decker contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Publicity at scottlorenz@
