Archive for the Saudi Arabia Category

Arabian Cleric Decrees Women Can’t Turn on Air Conditioners at Home

By on May 28, 2013


heat_wave

A man identified on Twitter as Abul Ala and claiming to be a Salafist-Wahhabist cleric, has decreed women should not turn on air conditioners or coolers at home, in the absence of their husbands.

According to the Iran-based Al-Alam news network the cleric is alleged to have decreed: “turning on the cooler ventilator is prohibited for women in the absence of their husbands” because “the woman’s act is very dangerous, and may bring about immorality in the society. When she turns the cooler on, someone may notice her presence home, and this might bring about immorality”.

Read the rest here.

This entry is filed under Saudi Arabia, Women's Rights and Gender Apartheid.

Saudi Women Allowed to Ride Bikes but with a Few Restrictions

By on April 4, 2013

Old fashioned bike

A Saudi newspaper says the kingdom’s religious police are now allowing women to ride motorbikes and bicycles but only in restricted, recreational areas.

The Al-Yawm daily on Monday cited an unnamed official from the powerful religious police as saying women can ride bikes in parks and recreational areas but they have to be accompanied by a male relative and dressed in the full Islamic head-to-toe abaya.

Read the rest: Saudi Women Can Ride Bikes But With Restrictions

Ah yes, there’s nothing like a little ride on the bike in your black polyester bag, accompanied by your brother.

This entry is filed under Burka/Hijab/Veil, Saudi Arabia, Women's Rights and Gender Apartheid.

The Saudi Woman Who Dared to Drive a Car

By on April 4, 2013

Manal al Sharif“You know when you have a bird, and it’s been in a cage all its life? When you open the cage door, it doesn’t want to leave. It was that moment.”

This is how Manal al-Sharif felt the first time she sat behind the wheel of a car in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom’s taboo against women driving is only rarely broken. To hear her recount the experience is as thrilling as it must have been to sit in the passenger seat beside her. Well, almost.

Ms. Sharif says her moment of hesitation didn’t last long. She pressed the gas pedal and in an instant her Cadillac SUV rolled forward. She spent the next hour circling the streets of Khobar, in the kingdom’s eastern province, while a friend used an iPhone camera to record the journey.

It was May 2011, when much of the Middle East was convulsed with popular uprisings. Saudi women’s-rights activists were stirring, too. They wondered if the Arab Spring would mark the end of the kingdom’s ban on women driving. “Everyone around me was complaining about the ban but no one was doing anything,” Ms. Sharif says. “The Arab Spring was happening all around us, so that inspired me to say, ‘Let’s call for an action instead of complaining.’ “

The campaign started with a Facebook  page urging Saudi women to drive on a designated day, June 17, 2011. At first the page created great enthusiasm among activists. But then critics began injecting fear on and off the page. “The opponents were saying that ‘there are wolves in the street, and they will rape you if you drive,’ ” Ms. Sharif recalls. “There needed to be one person who could break that wall, to make the others understand that ‘it’s OK, you can drive in the street. No one will rape you.’ “

Ms. Sharif resolved to be that person, and the video she posted of herself driving around Khobar on May 17 became an instant YouTube hit. The news spread across Saudi media, too, and not all of the reactions were positive. Ms. Sharif received threatening phone calls and emails. “You have just opened the gates of hell on yourself,” said an Islamist cleric. “Your grave is waiting,” read one email.

Read the rest: Saudi Woman Drives.

This story makes me both happy and sad – happy because Manal has the courage to stand up to the oppressive laws of her backward  country but sad that she doesn’t have the freedom that females in other countries have had since birth.

This entry is filed under Activists, Saudi Arabia.

Baby Burkas Keep Sexual Molesters Away?

By on February 6, 2013

Baby in Burka in Saudi ArabiaIt’s no secret that, in Islam, if a man is tempted by a woman, it’s the woman’s fault. Hence, women must cover themselves in order to prevent men from being tempted.

Apparently, babies are now responsible for tempting child molesters. In order to prevent instances of molestation, Muslim parents in Saudi Arabia should cover their babies in burkas.

But whatever you do, don’t forget that the greatest threat to the world is Islamophobia.
[ . . . ]
A Saudi cleric has called for all female babies to be fully covered by wearing the face veil, commonly known as the burka, citing reports of little girls being sexually molested.

In a TV interview on the Islamic al-Majd TV, which seems to date back to mid-last year, Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, stressed that wearing the veil will protect baby girls. The Sheikh tried to back his assertion with claims of sexual molestation against babies in the kingdom, quoting unnamed medical and security sources.

Read the rest: Saudi Cleric Calls for Baby Burkas to Stop Molestation.

Female blogger, Laurie Roth has an answer to the temptation of the Muslim males:

If some Muslim males are so out of control that they want all women covered from head to foot to stop themselves from attacking and raping them…and now…cover baby girls to prevent raping them, it seems the rampant abuse, beatings, coverings, and surgical procedures [FGM]on Muslim women aren’t doing the trick. Such men seem to be pathologically out of sexual control.

Those Muslim men who lack basic sexual and moral control should be stopped. No more clitorectomies for women. No more burkas and veils for Muslim women.

It is time for castrations of Muslim males who pathologically abuse women sexually – whether it be their wives, daughters, or little baby girls. Why punish women for the sins of men?

Read the rest: Laurie Roth on Solution for Muslim Male Molesters.

This entry is filed under Burka/Hijab/Veil, Child Abuse, Saudi Arabia.

Tracking Traveling Saudi Women

By on November 26, 2012

Burqa with Prison BarsDenied the right to travel without consent from their male guardians and banned from driving, women in Saudi Arabia are now monitored by an electronic system that tracks any cross-border movements.

Since last week, Saudi women’s male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under their custody leave the country, even if they are travelling together.

Manal al-Sherif, who became the symbol of a campaign launched last year urging Saudi women to defy a driving ban, began spreading the information on Twitter, after she was alerted by a couple.

The husband, who was travelling with his wife, received a text message from the immigration authorities informing him that his wife had left the international airport in Riyadh.

“The authorities are using technology to monitor women,” said columnist Badriya al-Bishr, who criticised the “state of slavery under which women are held” in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

Women are not allowed to leave the kingdom without permission from their male guardian, who must give his consent by signing what is known as the “yellow sheet” at the airport or border.

The move by the Saudi authorities was swiftly condemned on social network Twitter — a rare bubble of freedom for millions in the kingdom — with critics mocking the decision.

Read the rest: Saudi Arabia Implements Electronic Tracking of Women.

According to sharia law, women should not travel by themselves but should always be accompanied by a male family member even if they have permission from their husbands.

This entry is filed under Saudi Arabia, Women's Rights and Gender Apartheid.

Over 5,000 Saudi Girls Under the Age of 14 Are Married

By on November 21, 2012

Young Girl with Text: Muhammad married Aisha when she was six years oldThere have been 5,622 marriages where the bride is under the age of 14 in Saudi Arabia, said Ali Abdul Rahman Al Roumi, a social services academic at Imam Mohammad Bin Saud Islamic University, adding that specifying a legal age would not solve the problem, and may lead to “even bigger problems”.

A number of families from “rural areas” have been marrying their daughters off to older, rich men, according to the Saudi owned Al Hayat newspaper.

We must solve this, by at least looking at the difference in age in cases where the bride is young, in which case it can be deceptive” he said. He did not specify what period of time that figure represents.

Read the rest: More Than 5000 Brides under 14 in Saudi Arabia.  (h/t to thereligionofpeace.com)

And why does the imam not want to specify a legal age for marriage?  Because according to Islamic doctrine, Mohammed married his wife Aisha when she was six years old and consummated the marriage when she was nine.  And if Mohammed did it, then it’s sunnah and permitted for all Muslims.

This entry is filed under Child Marriage, Children's Rights, Saudi Arabia. | 1 Comment

Saudi Cleric Tortures His Five-Year-Old Daughter To Death

By on November 18, 2012

Saudi Girl Tortured to Death by Cleric FatherA five-year old Saudi girl has died after she was tortured by her father, described as a “prominent” religious scholar who often preaches on numerous satellite television channels. 

Lamaa breathed her last breath in an intensive care unit of a hospital in the Saudi capital Riyadh a few days ago, after weeks of suffering from broken arms, a skull fracture and head bruises, her mother told Al Arabiya.

“He used all sorts of torture and abuse against Lamaa,” the girl’s mother said, now divorced from her brutal husband.

The mother explained that after she was divorced she had an “agreement” with her former husband regarding the daughter they shared.

Recently, he took his daughter for two weeks as per “the agreement” but he never returned her back, the mother said, adding that she was “surprised” to receive a call from the public prosecutor in Hotat Bani Tamim, located 160 km south of Riyadh, asking her to go to Shamisi Hospital.

The medical report indicated that Lamaa was tortured with whips and electric shocks. She was even burned with an iron, the mother said.

The hospital matron said the man admitted to beating his daughter, but did not explain why.

Read the rest: Saudi Cleric Tortures Young Daughter to Death.  

This is too despicable for words.  Only by Islamic standards is he a “religious” man.

This entry is filed under Child Abuse, Saudi Arabia. | 2 Comments

Ikea Chooses Dhimmitude Not Gender Equality

By on October 6, 2012

Ikea Catalog Image Before And After Woman AirbrushedIkea is being criticized for deleting images of women from the Saudi version of its furniture catalog, a move the company says it regrets.

Comparing the Swedish and Saudi versions of the catalog, free newspaper Metro on Monday showed that women had been airbrushed out of otherwise identical pictures showcasing the company’s home furnishings.

The report raised questions in Sweden about Ikea’s commitment to gender equality, and the company released a statement expressing “regret” over the issue.

“We should have reacted and realized that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalog is in conflict with the IKEA Group values,” the company said.

Read the rest: Ikea Airbrushes Women From Saudi Catalog.

Dhimmitude is when the non-believer (called a kafir) assumes a state of subservience and submits to the doctrine of Islam. If you’d like to learn more about dhimmis and dhimmitude, read: Two Kinds of Dhimmis.

This entry is filed under Dhimmitude, Saudi Arabia.

History Made When Saudi Shura Lets Women Answer Questions

By on September 18, 2012

Saudi ShuraHistory was made in the men-only Saudi Shura when two women answered questions from the members in a face-to-face debate.

The breakthrough occurred on Sunday when Dr Muneera Bint Hamdan Al Aseemi, the health ministry assistant undersecretary for supporting medical services, and Dr Afaf Al Tuwaijeri, the head of training and scholarships at the ministry, used the podium to answer queries from the Shura members.

The two women were sitting at the parliament gallery following the three-hour debate on the floor between Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, the health minister, and the members. However, when the minister was asked a question related to Al Aseemi’s work, he referred it to her and she came down to take up the podium to answer the query. Al Tuwaijeri followed some time later when the minister again referred a question to her, local Arabic news site Sabq reported on Monday.

Responses from both women triggered warm appreciation from some Shura members, Sabq said.

“Their participation in the debate has made Shura members talk about a rehearsal for the involvement of women in face-to-face Shura debates in the near future,” a member was quoted as saying.
[ . . . ]
The Shura has 12 women advisers whose work is related mainly to issues of women, families and children.

 

Read the rest: Saudi Women Allowed to Answer Questions in Shura.
Those Saudis!  First they gave the women the vote (in 2015).  Now they’re letting females answer questions in the same room with men. They are progressing so fast that sometime in this century, women will be able to drive.

This entry is filed under Saudi Arabia, Women's Rights and Gender Apartheid.

Gender Equality for Saudi Women on the Web? Not Yet

By on September 18, 2012

Saudis Using ComputersA Saudi scholar has played down an Islamic fatwa (ruling) that forbids women from logging in online without an escort.

“The law for internet usage for men and women should be the same, even if the internet has useful and harmful websites,” said Sheikh Mohamed El-Aly, professor of Islamic law at Imam Mohamed Ben Saud University to Al-Youm Online, a Saudi news website, Sunday.

According to Islamic law, women are not allowed to travel without a male escort who is either her husband or a close relative she couldn’t marry, including uncles, father-in-law and adult nieces.

In 2010, Sheikh Saad El-Ghamdi issued a fatwa banning women from logging in online without a chaperon sitting at her side.

“Women are similar to other beings, yet they are weak and emotional, which drags them towards what is against God’s rule … The internet is full with tempting things that will be very hard for the weak woman to avoid … Thus an escort who is aware of her weak psyche, which is prone to sex and emotion, is to accompany her while being online,” said Sheikh Saad El-Ghamdi in 2010.

Who ever said Saudi culture was patriarchal, tribal and misogynistic?

Read the rest: Saudi Sheik Says Women Can Log In Without Escort.

This entry is filed under Saudi Arabia, Women's Rights and Gender Apartheid.

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