Comments on: Tahawy on Saudi Arabia treatment of women

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:10:29 +0000

As an international community we can boycott and bluster all we want, but personally I suggest a better response is prayer.

Gender apartheid will continue in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere until the people themselves recognize it is wrong and that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Right now, there are a lot of folks in Saudi wondering what the problem is. The girl broke the rules of the prevailing religion and she was punished, first by a pack of animals and then my an equally viscious court system. Things are as they should be, right? Khalas.

Remember, race apartheid in South Africa was “only” in effect from 1948-1994 and it hadn’t been codified by religion. In fact one of the most outspoken groups against apartheid was The South African Council of Churches (SACC). Gender apartheid in Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has been around since the 7th century and IS the religion as practiced in KSA. I seriously doubt a SACC equivalent will step up and take a stand as they would literally be biting the hand that feeds them.

By: patfromlogan

patfromlogan — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:01:49 +0000

Sphinx seems blame the victim. In the case of S. Africa, and for that matter, slavery in the US, the victims of oppression only were successful because of other’s help. In many instances, such as the Chinese revolution where over-seas Chinese provided aid, outside help or pressure is needed.

By: links for 2007-11-29 : Outsider On The Inside

links for 2007-11-29 : Outsider On The Inside — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:28:03 +0000

[...] Mona al-Tahawy on Saudi Arabia, Treatment of Women at The Arabist (tags: Saudi Arabia Women Human Rights Violation Arabist Middle East Rape Justice) [...]

By: Global Voices Online » Saudi Arabia: Treatment of Women

Global Voices Online » Saudi Arabia: Treatment of Women — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:52:37 +0000

[...] practices (only one manifestation of its backwards ideology) have been tolerated far too long, notes The Arabist, from Egypt, who links to an op-ed about the situation of women in the Kingdom. Share [...]

By: amre el-abyad

amre el-abyad — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:19:03 +0000

There is no such thing as an international community, which is nothing but a normative framework for the the economic interets of the hegemonial powers. As for the international community austricating Britoria, well, that very same community is supporting Israel, and turned a blind eye to the destruction of Iraq and to overthrowing its legitmate government.

Besides Saudi women should speak for themsellves. Water always reaches its own level, the Saudi society will change autonmously when the internal forces og change have gathered enmough moementum and manifest itself in a political environment and socio-cultural contexts that call for that change.

By: Shavit69

Shavit69 — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:56:02 +0000

Quote:”Decent countries around the world fought the evil of racial apartheid by turning South Africa into a pariah state. They barred it from global events such as the Olympics. Businesses and universities boycotted South Africa, decimating its economy and adding to the isolation of the white-minority government, which finally repealed apartheid laws in 1991.” End quote.
It is all true, but the writer of this article forgot that there is one big difference between South Africa and Saudi Arabia - oil.
South Africa doesn’t have it (they have uranium though, and did business with it with France and Israel and maybe other countries, but Uranium isnt worth as much as oil because not everybody needs it)
Oil have become the blessing and the curse of Saudi Arabia and whole arab world. There is no way any Western country will ever support Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, as long as they need oil.
About Women rights in Saudi Arbia - it’s not just women rights that aren’t there, its the whole “box” of what is called “human rights”.
If you steal in Saudi Arabia, your hand will be cut off. If you raped, and the authorities doesn’t like it, you will get emasculated. (if I’m not mistaken)
And of cours there is a big difference in the law between a Royalty or someone importaned that committed a crime, and someone who is not so important.
So when talking about Women rights in Saudi Arabia it’s important in my view to see it from a wider look.
All in all, without Israel, the holy places (the whole Holy Land, Medina and Mecca) and oil - the west will never have cared about the Middle East as it is, it will simply look at it as another Africa.
But I want to think that 9/11 changed it all.

By: Sphinx

Sphinx — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:51:12 +0000

Hang on a moment. I seem to recall that in South Africa significant numbers of blacks resorted to guerrilla war in pursuit of justice. Not many blacks openly supported the status quo. In the end, only Saudi women will liberate Saudi women. If they don’t have the will, no one else can do it for them. So far too few of them seem willing to take the slightest risk. Mona’s parallel just doesn’t work. Sorry.

By: Noor Hammad

Noor Hammad — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:41:02 +0000

Great article.

Unfortunately any condemnation of Saudi’s ridiculous practices comes, more often than not, in the form of bigoted attacks on Islam.

It is the fact that Saudi Arabia has “… succeeded in pulling a fast one on the world by claiming their religion is the reason they treat women so badly”, that little opposition is heard from other Muslim nations for fear of the Saudi atrocities, such as the recent rape case, being framed as ‘Islamic’ atrocities rather than the actions of an oppressive government (and the male population it rules) who has used its perverted interpretation of Islam to justify its chauvinistic practices and secure its grip on power.

The same tactics are at play when the Saudi’s deny that democracy is compatible with Islam.

Noor Hammad

By: SP

SP — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:57:17 +0000

Excellent! It’s ridiculous to see how some Westerners suddenly cry cultural sensitivity when it comes to Saudi.

It’s only fair to point out, though, that men don’t have significant political rights in Saudi either.