Saudi Arabia beheads woman for 'witchcraft' - Chicago Tribune

A woman was beheaded in Saudi Arabia for practicing witchcraft and sorcery, the kingdom's Interior Ministry said, prompting Amnesty International to call for a halt in executions there.

Amina bint Abdel Halim Nassar was executed Monday for having "committed the practice of witchcraft and sorcery," according to an Interior Ministry statement. Nassar was investigated before her arrest and was "convicted of what she was accused of based on the law," the statement said. Her beheading took place in the Qariyat province of the region of Al-Jawf, the ministry said.

In a statement issued late Monday, the human rights group called the execution "deeply shocking" and said it "highlights the urgent need for a halt in executions in Saudi Arabia."

"While we don't know the details of the acts which the authorities accused Amina of committing, the charge of sorcery has often been used in Saudi Arabia to punish people, generally after unfair trials, for exercising their right to freedom of speech or religion," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's interim director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy, practices a puritanical version of Islam and is governed by Shariah, or Islamic law. In the deeply conservative kingdom, sorcery, witchcraft and blasphemy are all offenses that can be punishable by death.

The London-based Saudi newspaper Al-Hayat quoted a source in the country's religious police who said authorities searched Nassar's home and found books on sorcery, a number of talismans and glass bottles filled with liquids supposedly used for the purposes of magic. The source told the paper Nassar was selling spells and bottles of the liquid potions for about $400 dollars each.

CNN could not reach Saudi Arabia's religious police or Justice Ministry for comment.

Amnesty says Nassar's execution is "the second of its kind in recent months. In September, a Sudanese national was beheaded in the Saudi Arabian city of Medina after being convicted on 'sorcery' charges."

The human rights group said the number of executions in Saudi Arabia has almost tripled in 2011.

"So far at least 79 people -- including five women -- have been executed there, compared to at least 27 in 2010," the Amnesty statement said.

This is not the first sorcery case in Saudi Arabia to spark outrage from human rights groups. In 2008, Lebanese TV host Ali Hussain Sibat was arrested on charges of sorcery while in Saudi Arabia on a religious pilgrimage. In 2009, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. While Sibat has not been executed, he remains in prison.

Saudi Arabia's judicial system also made headlines this month for the sentence imposed on Australian national Mansor Almaribe, who was convicted of blasphemy while performing the Hajj in the kingdom, and sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in prison. The Australian government is pleading Almaribe's case

Saudi women ' sexy eyes ' public-Digitaljournal.com will cover them in the

 "Sexy eyes" Saudi women soon will cover them in a public place. Saudi Arabia, the Government is engaging in a public place without the woman's "temptation eyes" in Saudi Arabia that men would do well. Riyadh-Saudi Arabia's "Orwellian" Committee of promotion of virtue and Vice, this "preventive Sheikh Motlab Al Nabet and sexy eyes" in a public place with the women's law, so that you can offer them cover must be announced to be considered for. The daily beast

report of the Commission, which said: "men to Nabet in their eyes, especially the enticing people ... Would interfere with the force women to cover, then [We].

"The right to do already, in Saudi Arabia women are required to by law." "" long black abaya robes called "feet to the head of the women wear Abaya, almost all parts of the body of the covers. A little slit-like space, she is in the public eye-to-left so that you can see the woman. "Abaya" will appear in public without penalties and public whipping punishment for women dare Saudi. But now, even this small Kingdom of godly men required allowance vision of Saudi Arabia seems to attack. The daily mailaccording to the women have to cover their eyes came after he offered too in a public place is pure promotion of virtue and prevention of Vice President, walked the streets for the Council's "sexy eyes" and women members of the pious, the tricks of the decline. According to men's eyes the fascinating story of the eye to the corruption in the direction of women when husbands were attacked. With an eye to fight after straying hands was stabbed twice. The promotion of virtue and prevention of Vice, founded in 1940 for the Saudi Arabia Council of Saudi society morals watchdog. It's in accordance with the law society, the morality of the nose is to keep a strict rule. BollywoodIslamic morality, according to the Commission's zeal for it because the month of Ramadan in the fire at the school allowed the evacuation of the women refused. The Holy months in the sight of women dressed "immodestly" men and women to expose the body can cause your sins eying lustfully. It is the women's Committee on their evacuation from building killing 15 seduce men without them the best way to go, while considered a fire claimed after the delay. Bollywood in accordance with the Committee, also said a ban on women driving is responsible for. A woman in Saudi Arabia travel without the approval of the husband or male guardian is not allowed. Girl girl in September, driving bans for violations was sentenced to 10 lashes, but was spared when Abdullah would be willing to intervene. The daily beastin accordance with the Committee on the promotion of virtue and Vice, "sexy eyes" prevention law did not provide a definition of the Saudi Arabia

guess try to be brave journalist: "caught without makeup makeup look good or beautiful eyes., if women's issues.

But will be "legal" definition of sexy eyes "after taking the issue to provide journalists

Saudi Arabia: come to the conclusion that" it is so stupid ...I'm not sure what to say. They were to stop this. Many people will oppose this in the country.

They are not silent. "Stupid? Apparently the Saudi State, don't think so. The promotion of virtue and the daily beastevils prevention, the Commission, depending on the country's full support. Recently, Prince Naif Saudi throne Council by virtue of

and State support promise: "Council extolled ... Is supported by all sides, so the pillars in Islam must be supported. If

you're Muslim, you need to support the Committee. "King Abdullah, the Commission, gave an extra 200 million Rial is satisfied with work recently ($ 53 million) to promote better allow it to avoid the obligations of virtue and Vice. How much it will take a thousand years ... The direction of the Saudi authorities of the other strange human evolution and execution of them? Oh good Lord, now there is ' sexy ' police? How the heck does one get from ' considered ' sexy-eyed women? We the scarlet letter, or at least did not progress in Saudi Arabia, it seems! ? ?...This gives you an idiot. The following is an invisible chastity? This talent. Believe me this is going to be completely public in Saudi Arabia as the Taliban prohibited women from appearing in the when to when they will govern Afghanistan for 90. Solution: uni-brow serious answer to growth: the United States for Iraq's sexist and a great deal to say anything about this.

Why Granting Saudi Women the Vote Is An Empty Gesture - Foreign Affairs

King Abdullah's surprise announcement late last month that Riyadh would grant Saudi women a handful of the same political rights as men was a prime example of how his government intends to respond to the clamors for political reform pulsing through the Arab world: promise potentially historic moves that will occur at some point in the distant future, but avoid immediate, tangible change.

In his announcement, Abdullah said that he intends to appoint women to the 150-member Majlis al-Shura, an unelected advisory body, beginning with its next term, 18 months from now. He also promised that women would be able to run as candidates and to vote in elections for municipal councils, starting when those elections are next held, in 2015. Together, the two moves, at least in theory, give women the same political opportunities as men -- limited though they may be. The Majlis has no legislative or budgetary powers. The municipal councils also have very little power, and only half of their members are elected; the rest are appointed by the government. This feebleness may be why turnout was low in many areas during the most recent elections, which were held last week.

Abdullah's response is calibrated to achieve two goals. First, it placates the small but growing slice of the population calling on the ruling royal family to share power and to end the second-class treatment of women. The ban on women driving has become a flashpoint in Saudi society. Second, the King's move seeks to avoid a backlash from religious conservatives, who, because of their influence among the kingdom's population of 21 million, can agitate against the government and pose bureaucratic roadblocks to royal decrees bringing changes. The long lag before both reforms are enacted seems to be intended to give opponents time to get used to them. To be sure, whether Abdullah's decrees are remembered as landmarks will depend on how they are implemented when the time comes. His announcement left unclear whether women would be appointed to the Majlis in equal numbers as men, and even whether they would be seated in the same room, in defiance of the country's strict custom of gender segregation. Also up for discussion is whether women will be allowed to serve as committee chairs, and whom the government will favor in its appointments -- conservatives or progressives, activists, women from the upper class, or those with ties to the royal family.
 
For their part, religious conservatives will lobby hard to minimize the impact of female participation. Some conservatives have suggested that women should be allowed to speak to the all-male chamber only through closed circuit television. The kingdom's most senior religious official, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Aal Al Sheikh, gave lukewarm praise to the step, saying that it has "a lot of benefit," but it was hard to believe he had reached that conclusion without significant persuasion from the monarch. Just five years ago, Aal Al Sheikh had denounced the idea of women in the Majlis as one of the "plots of the enemies" of Islam. The pushback to the king's announcement, however, started almost immediately: two days after he spoke, a judge in Jeddah sentenced a woman who had been caught driving to ten lashings. Because of the timing and the heavy influence of religious conservatives in the judiciary, the sentence was widely interpreted as a sign of disapproval of Abdullah's initiative. For his part, the king voided the sentence a day later, in order to diffuse international outrage and assert some power over the conservatives.

Abdullah's decision was certainly influenced by this spring's events in the Arab world. As uprisings shook Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, thousands of Saudis signed petitions for political reform, which in some cases included calls for a constitutional monarchy. Perhaps the biggest impact of the Arab spring in Saudi Arabia was on women, who were moved to use social media to voice their anger and dissent at the many restrictions on their personal autonomy. "We were surprised that [Egyptians and Tunisians] spoke out," the Riyadh blogger Eman Al Nafjan said in a recent interview. "But it's made us realize that we can do it too." One group focused on an initiative called Baladi, which aimed to win women the right to vote. The liberal organizers claimed success after the king's September 25 decrees. "Women in Saudi Arabia are leading the Saudi spring," Hatoon al-Fassi, one of the Baladi organizers, told Bloomberg News.

Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the world in which the population is generally more conservative than the government.

Meanwhile, a larger circle of young Saudi women launched a more aggressive campaign, Women2Drive, which aimed to have the ban on female drivers lifted. In June, some 60 women defied the ban and drove themselves on errands. Many posted videos of their civil disobedience on Facebook and tweeted about what they had done. The campaign, which is widely supported in the kingdom -- even women from traditional families have voiced their support to end the ban -- and drew international attention, undoubtedly pushed the king toward making his recent announcement.

Yet it is telling that Abdullah did not lift the driving ban outright. Such a move would have been the kind of immediate, tangible change that, while attractive to many young Saudis, would likely trigger major protest from the conservatives who view female driving as a Rubicon leading to social disorder.

Driving-Care2.com (blog) about five Saudi women arrested

At least two weeks before took to the streets by the Saudi Arabian women driving 42 diverse cities. Saudi Arabia bans women from driving while the law is written, or high-ranking clergy with the strict Sunni Islamic fatwa women, Wahhabism, and then issuing a religious edict to do so in the brand are prohibited. Women are banned from driving in other cities of Riyadh and ignored since. But on Tuesday, five women were detained in the Red Sea coast city of Jeddah as they drove a rights activist according to Eman Al-Nafjan.

According to the New York Times, four women were riding in a car at the age of 21-22. Religion is being arrested by the police, they Manal Al-Sharifwas taken to a police station, Saudi women chose jail whose arrest signed a pledge drive again as sparking the overthrow of the driving prohibition campaign and talk to a reporter before she again drives or forced to sign the pledge.

The fifth woman in the neighborhood of Suleimaniyah individually, were arrested Tuesday night while driving.

Nafjian guardiansaid:

"This is like the first big pushback from the Agency. We are not sure what this is doing at a time when the campaign started by the Government for more lines

Women's right activist, "informal Union major Saudi the New York Times " bloggers and academics, is explained by "these arrests in Saudi Arabia women are about driving our most basic human rights will encourage this ridiculous abuse in direct defiance of more women behind the wheel." citing Tunisia, Egypt and other inspiration, was a revolution for driving high levels of Saudi women "backups" and we called the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the West and other women leaders have indicated their support for the campaign in Europe in fact.

However, Clinton's support for the campaign's put her in position and "delicate" Saudi Arabia is a close u.s. ally with the Obama administration, the United States amid a revolt took place throughout the Arab world "stability and continuity to the Middle East and Gulf, the Saudi authorities to provide more and more dependent on Saudi women drivers that Clintons.", "acting in his own right in favour of an outsider like myself, and instead of" questions to occur again: How far, or to protect the interests of its own maneuvering while in Arab countries will stick out of the neck to support the democracy movement United States?

Saudi Arabian women driving back up Clinton-Washington Times

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton after remaining silent for the first time this week bowed to international pressure, the Islamic women's driving of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia based lifted the ban on women who wish to have indicated their support.

"This woman is brave, you are doing right and what they are looking for. By that, and Mrs. Clinton"move and support them, Frank told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday, and feminism.

Mrs. Clinton Saudi Arabia women in the comments group, which supports the whole the Department of State for driving Victoria Nuland said the day after, the spokesman said the human rights problems openly selected Secretary ' quiet diplomacy ' is supported, but through the

Catherine Ashtonon Wednesday, the European Union , Saudi Arabia women, came from Foreign Minister in her support Maja Kocijancicaccording to the spokesman.

EU treatment where they stand up for their rights, "he said in support of the people. " Saudi women who [NULL] is that equality requires taking to exercise their rights."

Saudi Arabia womenMrs. Clinton's initial silence on the driving exercise highlights the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Benjamin Joffe-Walt, United States diplomatic sensitivity towards human rights Change.orgCommunity action website, their campaign Saudi women about driving for being used by said Editor.

" Saudi Arabia these statements can be seen as very meaningful, by" Mr. Joffe-the Washington Times said in an e-mail to walk. " The Saudi Government Clinton means nothing if the [wife] Saudi women to do this a month ago have statements she started putting pressure on."

Support Saudi womendriving a month ago on the door of the largely unorganized and growing international support for the exercise highlighted. Change.orgpostings about 25 women through informal group in order to support his cause in person has collected more than 100,000 signatures in 150 countries.

Saudi Arabia Governmentfatwa or religious edict, man, according to the 1991 prohibiting women from taking the wheel by the clergy in the driver's license issued. In the oil-rich Kingdom, as well as a woman in a car, operating on a bicycle was the only country in the world.

Nadya Khalife, human rights watch women's rights researcher for the Beirut-based driver or male guardians employed home said banned without waiting for a call from a woman's mobility in driving at night.

When you start a campaign to topple the driving ban on women's rights activist Manal Shah on May 21, Saudi Arabiadriving in Alkhobar al-Reef, allegedly arrested. The 32-year-old Internet security consultant was arrested by Saudi authorities for 9 days. She has since "Saudi Arabia Rosa Parks," America's civil rights marchers in black-only section of the public bus in the 1960s, refused to ride has been called.

Saudi Arabia women for Member athletic organization via email and Facebook. They held a protest on Friday, country driving ban when the international drivers license Saudi women for several dozen solidarity throughout the country.

" Saudi Arabia with 20 years in the making, this is the home of a woman who grew up in a revolution," Ms. Khalife said.

Women are banned from driving in Saudi Arabia-the Christian Science Monitor about Islam

Saudi Arabia in 1990, 11/6 "culture" is a driving ban, 47, and Saudi women defied the ban when the veiled King Abdul Aziz Highway Riyadhand 14-vehicle convoy drove on. They are in their military vehicles during Desert Storm and Saddam Hussein, former Iraq attacks in the United States women in Gis Kuwaitarrived in the Kingdom of Kuwait was inspired by the women.

Their uprising these women were arrested and imprisoned for several hours and confiscated their passports. They were summarily dismissed from their jobs for one year banned from traveling abroad. Soon after, Saudi authorities banned the fatwas, or religious edict on women driving by the explicit issue.

Ironically, it is essentially a ban on the Islamic monarchy, especially since it is unIslamic is a matter for. Muslim women have been made Mecca lack of male relatives, without limitation, for centuries a pilgrimage: solo The recognition of their travel as individuals of their rights in the Islamic Group.

One of the Agency's evidence of women's freedom-Al-ayyam on Muslim Sahaba ( Prophet Muhammadfellow,)-take a look at the very genesis of the only. Early Islamic feminists have all faith in Islam dear literate role models. The most illustrious Prophet and Khadija, the first Muslim, the Prophet's first wife, Aisha, the wife later canonized in Islamic history.

Khadija, Muhammad's first wealthy merchant woman and the employer (a trusted intermediary) she later marriage proposal provides. She continued her business dealings after marriage and is considered an archetypal Muslim women entrepreneurs. The possibility of economic gender equality within Islam, Khadija, and she traveled often exemplifies and independently as a trader.

Aisha and her autonomy, knowledge, and her spouse during the cherry blossom is famous for the outstanding leadership that would completely. The Prophet himself publicly acknowledged her scholarship: "red headed one learns your anti-religious!"

Two women are well-Al-Momeneen-as the mother of the faithful, among the most esteemed of Islam. These women are seen as full Islamic Group of Trustees.

Both are conducted their business whether Islam is clearly marked on the papers, trade or training independently. Both of them as a means to complete the task and the horse has been documented to be a camel. Both the role of women in rural and pastoral of Arabia once allowed at work when the home is operating throughout their operating outside the home.

Saudi women car movement: we Islamophobia-international business times is not an excuse for

United States media Saudi women's movement long Saudi law, banning women from driving to the revocation in religion and culture conflating should be careful about.

Saudi fatwa ­ ­-, or religious edict-getting behind the wheel at car women activists Manal Al-Sharif as banning women in Islam and its role in the [NULL] is about a very bold statement page , and today "brave woman drives car ban them religion to take on." entitled stir publishing

Article included in Google News on the subject were among the most popular.

It's her article while the author notes that "cultural beliefs held [women] wheel, you will not be able to get behind" this title conflates religion and culture.

It prohibits women from driving to many Islam and Islamic theological society are aware of this. Qur'an or Islam holy text later Saudi edict can prove there is no evidence.

Mohammed, Islam's last Prophet's time had no car. And nothing Islamic law car graces for the Protocol.

In addition, Saudi Arabia banned women from driving the Islamic country.

The Middle East, and Manal Al Sharif after his democracy movement non-Muslims in the West of this democracy, women's rights and can do without Western intervention in the Middle East.

This is the refer-a-good time of the spring international community Arab eternal unrest [NULL] are worried about the Arab world for the democratization of Arab and Muslim world for good: the West and the United States women's rights or democracy, not a monopoly. Reply-the West is this title like the Islamic women's rights in the comments about the pose that monopoly re-emphasizes-traditionally women's rights and to the West and Islamophobia, as opposed to the crackdown on the democracy movement in women's rights advocates Nawal El-Saadawi women in the Arab world's hidden face of Eve she wrote in the preface of the classical extreme.

In Washington, d.c. women can actually comment issues and solidarity indigenous movement, but senselessly bash Saudi Arabia Embassy drive around Arab Islam and Muslim women, on their own terms what Manal Al-Slavic House stands on the right to take a stand against.

Saudi women challenge drive-Baltimore Sun (blog)

The conservative Arab Kingdom, in the account and behind the wheel themselves to publish pictures of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Reuters)-some Saudi women appeared, driving ban challenge through social media and answered the phone.

"Women2Drive" and "women's rights in the drive to KSA" in the same group, defiance, a variety of day Facebook group more than 15,000 supporters, drawing on it.

"My husband and I drove and police officers stop me driving without a license, gave the ticket stated" Maha Al-Gahtani, Riyadh, in the name of her traffic tickets with a picture of the inhabitants of posted on Twitter.

"Or any other women did not see the driver to be disappointed," he said. "I did it right."

Driving ban, besides Saudi Arabia must be written from a female in the male guardian approval-father, husband, brother or son-to leave the country, work, or even a specific medical.

Saudi Arabia is Sunni Islam's yum version are applied by an absolute monarchy, ruled. Religious police patrol the street public separation between men and women.

Two women, Shaima Osama and Manal Alsharif recently driving ban, throughout the Arab world institution inspired by challenges that seem to ignore, was arrested for.

"My driving with dad around the neighborhood for 20 minutes," Dima Ikhwan her Friday posted to your Twitter page.

One woman in Riyadh at midnight, she police undetected by the local supermarkets soon after the face veiled driving driving myself showing posted this video on Youtube.

Reuters women's account could not be resolved and how many women defied the ban were could not be verified.

Alsharif's arrest after she was driving his posted a video on Youtube last month to commit another woman. After 10 days in detention, the distance from yourself Alsharif campaign, driving women to do the same thing is referred to as the best left to the authorities.

"Alsharif woke up the arrest of many of the women were threatened because they don't want to be arrested," Mariam Alawi, in Jeddah, and United States driver's license, resident said not to participate in the campaign.

"I will ignore the ban on driving campaign it will provoke the authorities just because driving in Saudi Arabia that legalizing women will interfere with the process," Alawi said.

But activists claim Wajiha Al-Huweider, the exercise is to ignore the ban more women will get steam.

"It will be a day or demo, it's as if we drive, to allow women to see the new law will continue until the first day of the exercise," Huweider said. "Maybe we will see more women in the coming days."

(See Asma Alsharif; Alistair Lyon edited by Reed Stevenson)

Jewelry-AFP released Saudi Arabia detained a woman driver

Bail (AFP)-3 hours ago released Saudi Arabia detained a woman driver

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — Saudi authorities Monday to Manal Al-Shah jewelry leaf, conservative United Kingdom Women driving ban violations, who were detained during the free her lawyer said.

"We have today decided to bail free Manal. Her release procedure step on the way down, "Adnan Al-Saleh, afp, then now would be closed.

Sharif Abdullah had called upon her release, Saleh afp his client in prison, after the meeting on Sunday.

Sharif, 32-year-old computer security consultant, May 22, the nose is in the eastern Saudi city of bar around her car driving yourself video on Youtube was arrested after publishing.

One of the divorced mother in the video transport often a headache. Saudi Arabia is by no means a driver hiring women to drive them the way male family have to rely on goodwill.

Authorities on Thursday decided to extend the Kingdom of women's rights within the debate sparked after her arrest 10, Sharif's detention.

Sharif's release is called, the Agency said on Monday signed by acquired 3,345.

It is the Kingdom "pending drive women's rights on the question of a clear decision" she demanded the release of Abdullah, solved.

Title Facebook page "we all know Manal Al-Sharif: Saudi women's rights and solidarity for the phone" was 24,000 supporters on Sunday.

However, another Facebook page "iqals"-planned June 17 wheels are taking banned protest of the Kingdom of women in their car and driving to Saudi women to win a men 's-Gulf many traditional headdresses with use the code that called a man.

June 17, organizers of the demonstrations in Saudi Arabia, the law prohibits women from driving and ban-based men and women whose legal un-chaperoned mix up in the air that prevents the Puritans of Islam, depending on the version of the United Kingdom issued a religious edict from (fatwa) highlighted.

Copyright © 2011 afp. All rights reserved. ?»

Saudi women drivers-pot of emotions gulfnews.com

Many Saudi Arabia with Sharif Al Manal, even the current Saudi Arabia [NULL] her to drive a vehicle for Saudi women's comments sure if formed. Divorced women's vague allegedly imprisoned in distress surprise comments range.

Esmail, Jeddah residents, says, "seriously don't know why women can't drive them in Saudi Arabia and it if asked. Ban has nothing to do with Islam; traffic law enforcement women drivers are handled, you must make some changes. However, you can change the date not be enforced and the slogan; We remember women driving no support our nation's most respected views and solve it. "

Nadia, also add from Jeddah: "this is never resolved for some reason or another, seem to get to the ongoing problem. We solve this problem is the time to. Driver to entails financial strain many people and what is more than you can afford.

"The other problem is that the male members of the family strain. How they do their child and family and at work or school woman driver if you need to perform their jobs? As long as we women regarding the status quo remains, the country from the rest of the world will never advance to sign up. We need to resolve these issues, not a big concern of women away locks, and they aren't even there, instead of pretending that we can move forward? Sight, mind! "

Leila says: "Manal Al-Sharif and other like her are paving KSA [the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 's] female Neanderthals to suppress for too long the rule to eradicate. Her idol is considered so many Heroes — especially for me! You do this step and the good luck June 17, the guts to take on women's Bravo! And who stood behind this and their mother, wife, daughter, sister, and this basic rights appealing for women who all fellow citizens support all Bravo! "

Selina A. admits: "I [Manal's driver] it where we can not get. The Government all doesn't work that way. Yes, it's a bold move, but the driving laws, which would not be enabled to know though. Or any decisions. So did not want to raise hopes. And the right. "

Riyadh Majid: "I fully support women driving, my wife is her weird best of drivers in the country who with the help of a strange men's needs, rather than a task I would rather drive yourself. In addition, I would like we can get past this problem and more interested in education, environmental issues, poverty, unemployment, innovation, productivity, and more like our community prosperity is essential to focus on the issue. "

Mohammad says: "in short, she's behind the wheel another stupid. Just as she got some press coverage problem gonna help her and they approve tomorrow issues does not mean you're going to. Just get people seeing the women behind the wheel allows you to the latest legal and sexual harassment when driving all aspects of management, such as that men and women is all about traffic rule violators for need to jail terms. "

Forward

Kamal: "will see waiting for day girls in my country for the drive. certainly we in the old heart and the clergy, but a large opposition in front we will not stop, please see. Just before I die I'd like to see happen. women will be driving some negative aspects like the first one other change [TV, radio, Internet, phone, etc] but positive much more attractive. "

Eastern provinces in Mo I Rana Rossvoll: "I believe that what she did to her country's policy totally wrong and failed to comply with the regulations. However, the results were much better than a sense of guilt. "

Abeer from Riyadh: "Manal Saudi Arabia has become Parkes! Why our nation will never excel to her arrest. When you throw aside automatica lly-50% + talent pool, can result in anything good. "

Dammam Yousef added: "I was distressed. I had to move the country forward. Is actually declining and steps of the intolerance of women's rights back towards the continued battling with. "

Daran said adding: "this is the right of choice for anything except. why women should be denied, and on what basis? We have already decided on the Islamic driving does not prevent women. The following? Let me choose. And the Government to amend their laws to support the motion. "

Such public opinion and has followed the arrest international criticism on the basis of the questions the Lady her imprisonment extended another 10, said Riddle. That her five-year-old son too while infections had to be hospitalised. That progress augur well for?

Tariq A. Al-Maeena Saudi Arabia socio-political commentary. He Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

More Saudi women records driving video-New York Times (blog)

Shah manal al-Reef, Saudi activist, 2008 television interview in Saudi Arabia to discuss the role of women.

Shah manal al-Reef Saudi activist who is more at least 10 days is detained women drivers in Saudi Arabia to ignore the prohibition of women for the encouragement, was arrested this week, her lawyer told the Ap on Thursday.

Mr Sharif, a 32-year-old IT consultant allegedly showed her driving around the city of Khobar last week upload video to Youtube to disturb public order for the was arrested on Sunday .

Robert booth and Mona Mahmood report Mr. Sharif's arrest since the guardian of different Saudi women video clips of driving themselves, and more than 20,000 fans are Facebook page posted them she-only.

The English-language Arab News, Saudi newspapers reporting that, Adnan Al-Saleh, Ms. Sharif's lawyer denies his client once and for all other local newspapers said the report in the Wednesday in tears and broken down her arrest after she had repented. According to her lawyer Ms. Sharif and said, "I did cry and does not stop."

Arab News also reported:

Both sexes of 1000 citizens on the one hand, the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Al-Sharif asked the immediate release of the guardian of the petition for signature. Zheng activists, bloggers, academics and students.

Fellow activists who Ms. Sharif during the last week of the drive, Wajiha suggestions Howeidar, my colleagues in the Government of the Kingdom of her friend mobilization planned mass June 17, to protest the ban on driving schedule, and support for Facebook and Twitter were used to the fact that especially threatened Neil MacFarquhar camera process.

The guardian, she was driving around town, she discussed the ban and the amount Howeidar with it shows a campaign against it on the site of the Ms. Sharif's transcript copies driving video has been posted. Three years previously, Ms. Howeidar mark mark international women's day on Youtube, behind the wheel of his a similar video was published.

Eman Al Nafjan, who is on Twitter Saudiwoman , recorded as according to blogger Yang Sharif's arrest by the religious leaders to uniformly in a country that does not support the ban [NULL], stimulating debate about. Writesshe is.

Ultra-conservative Manal has come out in full force against. Sheikh Nasser Al-Omer on the issue of women driving preaching . At the beginning of the video he claims he who United States field, oil Saudi Arabia plan to take the United States are drawing up expert in American newspapers read threatens Iran TV channel as well. So driving women's issues not raised right or whether it is prohibited by Islam; is for it is supported by the Liberals who Shia started by conspiring against the country are secular Jews and the West. [...]

On the other hand, who has come out in support of Manal sheikhs and driving ban. Sheikh Dr. Eissa al-Ghaith, judge, with the support of women driving their Facebook page page on. Dr. Sheikh Mohammed Al Ahmari Manal and driving prohibition for his support very candid . And the recent past, a highly respected Albani who laughed the woman driving from Islam should be banned, including proposed sheikhs.

Saudi Arabia: security forces clamp down behind the alleged campaign that ...-Los Angeles Times

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SAUDI ARABIA: Security forces clamp down on those allegedly behind campaign to defy ban on women drivers - latimes.com body {background-color:#ffffff !important;}ul#root li.navLink a {padding-top:17px; padding-right:4px; padding-bottom:16px; padding-left: 5px;} Subscribe/Manage Account Place Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals Classifieds Custom Publishing World HOME LOCAL L.A. Now Politics Crime Education O.C. Westside Neighborhoods Environment Obituaries Findlocal U.S. Politics Now Top of the Ticket Science & Environment Obituaries Religion WORLD Afghanistan & Pakistan Africa Asia Europe Iran Iraq Latin America Mexico Under Siege Middle East Business Money & Co. Technology Personal Finance Small Business Company Town Jobs Real Estate Autos SPORTS Lakers Clippers Dodgers Angels USC UCLA Kings Ducks Soccer High Schools Bleacher Report ENTERTAINMENT Movies Television Music Celebrity Arts & Culture Company Town Calendar The Envelope Findlocal Health Booster Shots Fitness & Nutrition Medicine Behavior Healthcare Reform Hospitals Living Home Food Image Books Findlocal Brand X Magazine Your Scene Cars Travel California Hawaii Mexico Las Vegas Europe Travel & Deal Blog Destinations Opinion Editorials Op-Ed Letters Opinion L.A. Deals Save: Deals Go: Travel Eat: Food Wear: Apparel Live: Everyday Needs Play: Electronics Drive More Mobile Site Subscribe / Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds Weekly Ad#inTheNews {min-height:20px;} Advanced Search Advanced Search X include all of these words: include any of these words: include this exact phrase: exclude: Select a date range this week past 30 days past 3 months past year Create a custom date range From: To: Babylon & BeyondObservations from Iraq, Iran,
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SAUDI ARABIA: Security forces clamp down on those allegedly behind campaign to defy ban on women driversComments (11) May 23, 2011 |  8:08am

Saudi Arabian authorities have clamped down on women's rights activists after a bold call by a group of women in the ultra-conservative kingdom on social media sites on the Internet to break a ban on women driving.

Saudi police arrested at least two people linked to the campaign and shut down a Facebook page meant to promote civil disobedience, according to the Abu Dhabi-based English-language newspaper the National.

Saudi security forces loyal to King Abdullah, whose family has ruled the kingdom for 80 years, arrested Manal Sharif, a 32-year-old computer security consultant, and her brother, the National reported.

On Facebook and Twitter, activists had launched a campaign calling on women in Saudi Arabia who hold international drivers' licenses to get behind the wheel on Friday, June 17, and drive their cars to protest the country's ban on women driving.

Their call is a daring initiative. Women who have defied the ban in the past have lost their jobs, been banned from travel and denounced by members of the country's powerful extremist religious establishment.

The women say their planned move is not a protest nor an attempt to break the law, but rather a bid to claim basic rights as human beings.

"We women in Saudi Arabia, from all nationalities, will start driving our cars by ourselves," read a statement posted on the group's Facebook site, I will Drive Starting June 17, before Saudi censors took it down. "We are not here to break the law or demonstrate or challenge the authorities. We are here to claim one of our simplest rights. We have driver's licenses and we will abide by traffic laws."

Their Facebook group had garnered more than 11,000 supporters and around 3,000 people follow the group's account on Twitter.

Critics say Saudi, a staunch U.S. ally and largest exporter of oil in the world, has a horrific record on human rights and women's liberties. In addition, it's said to be pumping cash into global Islamic organizations that promote extremist Islamic thinking across the Islamic world, including the nascent democracies in Egypt and Tunisia.  

But some Saudis themselves are trying to challenge the conservativism of their own country.

On recent incident suggests things are already heating up on the women's ban driving issue. A few days ago, 30-year-old Saudi housewife and mother Najla Hairiri told Agence-France Presse how she drove her car in the streets of the Saudi Red Sea port city of Jeddah for four days before getting stopped.

She took the decision "to defend her belief that Saudi women should be allowed to drive" and said she wasn't afraid of being hauled into detention for flouting the driving ban because she felt she was setting a good example for her daughter and other young Saudi women.

"I don't fear being arrested because I am setting an example that my daughter and her friends are proud of,'' she said, adding that she also offers driving lessons for women. 

Below is a video clip showing Saudi women's right activist Wajeha Huwaidar driving her car in a rural part of the kingdom on International Women's Day in 2008 and talking about the problems that come with not letting women drive in Saudi Arabia. 

 

Saudi Arabia adheres to a strict interpretation of the ultra-conservative Wahabi version of Sunni Islam. Aside from being banned from driving, Saudi women face a myriad of other restrictions. They cannot travel on their own without getting authorization from a male guardian, cannot receive an education without male approval, and are not allowed to cast ballots in municipal elections -- the only kind of elections that currently exist in the absolute monarchy.

If the call for defying the driving ban on women materializes on June 17, it will not be the first time women in Saudi Arabia will have gotten behind the wheel and taken to the streets in protest. On Nov. 6, 1990, a group of women drove through the streets of the Saudi capital Riyadh before getting pulled over and stopped.

Several of the women reportedly lost their jobs and were denounced as by powerful religious figures.

Recent comments by Saudi religious clerics about the June 17 campaign suggest the sight of women driving in the streets will go down with the religious clergymen as badly as it did in 1990.

Saudi cleric Mohammed Nujaimi told Bloomberg News that the women's plan was “against the law" and that driving does “more harm than good” to women, because they might intermingle with males who are not their relatives, such as mechanics and gas-station attendants.

 -- Alexandra Sandels in Beirut

Photo: A screenshot of the Facebook group  "I Will Drive Starting June 17". Credit: Facebook. Video credit: YouTube

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Comments (11)

The Saudi royal family are idiots. By being so firmly anti-change that they can't even concede on a little issue such as females driving (which most in power have at least SAID they realize is outdated and irrational) they're validating the point that there can be no change in the kingdom without eradication of the monarchy itself.
Instead of bribing his subjects with two months salary and a day off, the king could tackle big issues in the kingdom himself, addressing all the concerns of the opposition groups and taking the credit for all the improvements himself, saying, "Look how in tune we are with the people's needs. You don't want democracy- a good king will take care of business without all the gridlock of the democratic process. The royal family is the force moving this country forward"
I'm beginning to think the Saudis wrote that secret handbook every Arab leader seems to have when it comes to movements of change.

Posted by:MLE |May 23, 2011 at 10:38 PM

@Desert nomad

I agree that Saudi Wahhabism is one of the most extremist brands of Islamic doctrine, but it's not like other forms of FUNDAMENTALIST Islam are much better. Look no further than other Sharia-infested regions like Egypt & Pakistan to see that ANY form of Sharia Law is Draconian and barbaric:

http://pewglobal.org/2010/12/02/muslims-around-the-world-divided-on-hamas-and-hezbollah/

----

% of Muslims who want DEATH PENALTY for those leaving Islam:

Egypt (84%)

Pakistan (82%)

-----

% of Muslims endorsing STONING TO DEATH of adulterers (98% WOMEN):

Egypt (82%)

Pakistan (76%)

---

SHARIA LAW IS SUCH A MAJOR VIOLATION OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS THAT IT CANNOT BE TOLERATED IN CIVILIZED NATIONS...PERIOD.

Posted by:Verballistic |May 23, 2011 at 07:52 PM

Would someone please give the Saudis a calendar?
It is 2011 not 1120.

Posted by:Dave Smith |May 23, 2011 at 06:48 PM

Re: dancing scorpion and others who have made comments, firstly Saudi follow the 'wahabbi' sect which is different to traditional Islam is also banned as traditional Islam gave rights to women. These camel riding donkeys who became rich overnight due to oil are ignorant bedouins and the royal family are linked to mr Wahhabi- please google mr w as he is part of this mess. I am an expat and can truly say I have found it easier to follow traditional Islam in uk rather than Saudi. Driving is the least of my concern, I can't even walk outside, what use is a car when I can't use my feet!!!

Posted by:Desert nomad |May 23, 2011 at 02:01 PM

Sarah and Esther...Hmmm

Posted by:Dancing Scorpion |May 23, 2011 at 12:08 PM

Several studies in America have shown that "women" are the cause of more traffic incidents than males. The answer to Arabia's problem is simply to refuse licenses to "women." No one, after all, wants the intermingling of women at the gas station with ignorant, horny men. And women having to fill their own gas tanks and coming home stinking of gas sounds really repulsive. They also shouldn't be allowed to smoke. Tabacco and "ganga," quite popular in Arabia, adversely affect the unborn. Islam should be respected for the
medieval, non-democratic blood religion that it is. It simply doesn't fit well in the post Magna Carta age of the unwashed, loud-mouthed masses. Therefore, I always strongly urge Muslims not to immigrate to Europe or America. Stay home, stay where you belong, I say. Good advice is very hard to come by, anymore.

Posted by:Dancing Scorpion |May 23, 2011 at 12:05 PM

Saudi Arabia is the same fascist state whose RELIGIOUS POLICE in 2002 forced 15 young schoolgirls back into a BURNING school building because they were not "properly covered" with veils, burqas, etc.

The girls all perished in the fire, in a blatant example of the BARBARIC nature of a Draconian code known as Sharia Law. Sharia Law places ridiculous, twisted rules over & above human rights and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

As for those claiming Iran is somehow less fascist than Saudi Arabia it should be pointed out that the ONLY difference is that Saudi Arabia is a SUNNI fascist state & Iran is a SHI'ITE fascist state. If you dont believe me, go to YouTube and do a search for the phrase "Neda Agha Soltan Killed" and you will see a chilling video showing the death throes of a brave young Iranian woman who was brutally gunned down in the streets of Tehran by Iran's RELIGIOUS POLICE aka Adolf Ahmadinejad's thuggish goon squad.

Posted by:Verballistic |May 23, 2011 at 11:44 AM

Sarah, you are %100 on the target. Isn't it amazingly clear how Iran phobia has become a norm and a daily occurrence here!

Posted by:Esther Haman |May 23, 2011 at 09:56 AM

I LOVE IT. MORE POWER TO THESE BRAVE WOMEN OR ARABIA. PUT THE FAT FASCISTS TYRANTS IN THEIR PLACE. PROPHET MOHAMED DID NOT WANTED IT THIS WAY AND HE NEVER DEMANDED HIS WIFE TO TAKE THE BACK SIT TO HIM.

Posted by:Esther Haman |May 23, 2011 at 09:52 AM

Why are we in Afghanistan again? The US needs to be in Saudi Arabia , Bahrain, and Yemen to not only free the people from the dictators of those countries and their ultra-conservative Wahabi version of Sunni Islam, but to also secure their oil and prevent the funding of Islamic extremist groups with money from oil sales.

It really is no surprise that Osama Bin Laden and his suicidal cronies who flew planes into the Twin Towers were from these countries in particular. An environment of extremism fosters more extremism and allows it to spread like a cancer.

Posted by:The_Enlightened_One |May 23, 2011 at 09:16 AM

If Iran was preventing women from driving, stories like this would have been on the front page of every western newspaper.

Posted by:Sarah |May 23, 2011 at 08:34 AM

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About the ContributorsMaher Abukhater
Borzou Daragahi
Jeffrey Fleishman
Amro Hassan
Meris Lutz
Ramin Mostaghim
Ned Parker
Raheem Salman
Alexandra Sandels
Edmund Sanders
Batsheva Sobelman

Carnegie Middle East Center

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Saudi players, goes to jail - Christian Science Monitor

While the President Barack Obama was his speech on the political changes in the Arab world, with a call to the "universal" rights of women to be respected, all we , ally Saudi Arabia --one of the more patriarchal societies on Earth - became ready to put a young woman in jail for having the temerity to take the wheel of a car.

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Manal al-sharif, an activist of women's rights, downloaded YouTube video to conduct themselves in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, last week. The video is part of a campaign encouraging Saudi to take a page from the Arabic online rules uprisings and to challenge oppression while driving on 17 June of this year. Over the weekend, Ms. Sharif was arrested and is currently detained on charges that it disturbed public order ".

Video it downloaded has since been taken down (although some of these shocking images used in this history of Al-Jazeera), like the Facebook group, she started, although a similar page was recently restored by emulators.

The de facto ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia has long been the front line for the small group of Saudi women's rights activists. During the first Gulf war in 1990, the presence of the soldiers of women driving Humvees in Saudi Arabia has inspired a group of rich woman Saudi to organize a demonstration at the wheel, with 14 cars routing around the capital, Riyadh - with male relative caregivers - for half an hour before being arrested by the religious police.

This group, who argued that they should have the freedom to go to the store or drive to work by themselves, have been hailed as whores and worse by the Mutaween, the young thugs that the Government can apply public "morality" that emerges from the Saudi version of Islam. Most of the women concerned were forbidden to travel abroad for a year as punishment.

This time, a Saudi Mutaween online group gathered to attack the Saudi Sharif and aerospace. YouTube and Facebook have filled with vile attacks on Sharif of anonymous keyboard warriors.

As practice, women's rights have improved little in Saudi Arabia since 1990. Women always require the authorization of a male relative to travel abroad and are severely limited in their employment opportunities by separate workplaces and school. Many of the Saudi youth say there are culture underground dissatisfaction at the level of repression in the country and that they would like a change. But in a country where even the polling is controlled by the Government, it is difficult to say how this feeling extends.

With the harsh action against Sharif, it is clear that the Government does not want to know.

King Abdullah is said to be for easing restrictions on women (he opened the first country and only joint university, named after him, in 2009), but the reactionary clerical hierarchy of the country does not. Clerics wield considerable informal power, with many Saudi mean agreement with the proposal that women should be closely controlled by their husbands, fathers and brothers. (Women are beginning to challenge this system of trusteeship, however; see exhibit nice today by correspondent for monitor caryle Murphy on a Saudi doctor woman who is appealing the Supreme Court for the right to choose a husband).

There is probably not much Obama - or any President of the United States - could do to change the culture of Saudi Arabia. Wealth of the country and the position as reliable, producer mass oil has always earned him a much lighter U.S. key on other nations human rights problems. As admitted Obama "it will be time when our short-term interests align perfectly with our region's long term vision.".

But it was a speech that "Saudi Arabia" is not even mentioned, in which promised Obama "we will continue to insist that the Iranian people deserve their universal rights and a Government which does not stifle their aspirations."

For what it worth,Iran, is given a best rating for the equality of the sexes that Saudi Arabia.

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