(The laws against women in Saudi Arabia)

[soulslicer]

Recently, I read up an article about the strict laws governing women in Saudi Arabia. Some of those laws are unfair gender-wise as we all know and you would have probably heard of them. By the way, these laws are classified under a strict Islamic Doctrine called "Wahhabism." I can't believe that an oil rich state like SA could still practice such age old laws. Anyway, I just created this thread for discussion, after finding out about the "gang rape" incident which I read about on hl2.net

1. Women are not allowed to drive

2. Women must reportedly seek permission or "judicial guardianship or support" for activities such as seeking employment, taking up studies or traveling.

3. Women must never be in the company of other men other than their male relatives in the public

4. They must be veiled in black when they are outside in the public and they cannot dine alone in restaurants.

(Veiling was created in the past not only to protect women modesty but also to protect them from the "dust winds" as well imo. What is the point of enforcing it now?)

5. They did not have the right to vote or have identity cards until 2001 after a public outcry.

6. They need permission from an immediate male relative if they want to buy property, apply for a divorce or gain custody of their child

7. If a women is involved in a legal process, judges insist that two men (relatives) must come to court and identify her, despite having a ID card.

8. A women's testimony in court is always worth half that of a man's one.

Some of the laws here are absolutely pointless in my opinion, especially the veil one. All of them are a deliberate and clear-cut attempt to downgrade the status of women in SA. Discuss.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I can't believe that an oil rich state like SA could still practice such age old laws.

Habeeb it!




EDIT: And continuing with the theme of irreverence, I agree that Something Awful's treatment of women is utterly disgraceful.

O serious: no shit bad show.

 

[No Limit]

1. Women are not allowed to drive

Thank Allah.

Yeah, their laws suck. But what are you going to do about it? They are perfectly happy with the idiotic system that they have in place. This will change once we stop exploiting them and they have a little more time on their hands to think about some of this shit instead of thinking how they will feed their families. We were just as crazy not too long ago, these things take time and in time it will change. And the sooner we stay out of it the sooner these changes will come.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I doubt it's productive or correct to assume the assured victory of some sort of triumphal human rights Providence.

Something should be done but there's the question of what, if anything, would work. Maybe there's a crack - I'd argue your "perfectly happy" since the words "public outcry" do appear at least once in slicer's quote.

 

[No Limit]

I doubt it's productive or correct to assume the assured victory of some sort of triumphal human rights Providence.

Something should be done but there's the question of what, if anything, would work. Maybe there's a crack - I'd argue your "perfectly happy" since the words "public outcry" do appear at least once in slicer's quote.

We in the western world mostly live in a happy little world. So its perfectly normal for us to feel sorry for these people and we get an urge to want to do something about it, thats a normal feeling. But the simple fact is that there is nothing we can do about it, thats life, life sucks. They need to change on their own and they will. Hopefully that change will happen in my lifetime, but it might not, I have no clue.

And I would say that most are perfectly happy. Ignorance is bliss, and their government with our help is making absolutely sure that their people remain as ignorant as humanly possible.

Anyway, what the hell am I doing on this message board at 12:15 am on a friday night bullshitting with you, I think I'm out for tonight.

 

[HunterSeeker]

I agree with No Limit, this is a culture we are talking about. They need to want to change to truly change, we cannot force them to change. We cannot truly do more then support those that want to change, and then only covertly.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

^ sums it up perfectly.

Doesn't change how any more disgusting it is however.