In December 2007, representatives of Jordanian and Kuwaiti civil society organizations successfully produced their own Public Service Announcements (PSAs), after undergoing digital media training organized by the New York-based organization, Barefoot Workshops. The training taught participants how to conceptualize, film, produce, and edit their own PSAs, and provided these organizations a new tool for engaging a wide audience of fellow citizens on key issues of public concern.
Some of the PSAs have already been screened on television and posted to the participant organizations’ websites. All of the PSAs were posted on YouTube, where they have already been viewed in Arabic and English by more than seven thousand visitors. To watch the PSAs, click here.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saudi Arabia: 8,000 Female Graduates to Sue Ministry
TAIF - Some 8,000 female graduates of teachers training institutes plan to sue the Ministry of Education for not hiring them.
The teachers, unemployed since graduating 15 years ago, based the validity of their complaint on Article 2 of the education regulation which mandates the ministry to hire those who have earned a degree from a teachers' institute.
- Saudi Gazette
By Muhammed Seed Al-Zahrani
The teachers, unemployed since graduating 15 years ago, based the validity of their complaint on Article 2 of the education regulation which mandates the ministry to hire those who have earned a degree from a teachers' institute.
- Saudi Gazette
By Muhammed Seed Al-Zahrani
Saudi Arabia: Editorial - Let Us Codify Shariah Laws
The judicial system has often been criticized at home and abroad for its failure to administer justice, largely due to inadequate legal procedures, red tape and rigid interpretation of Shariah law by some of the appointed judges.
Many legal experts have pointed out that the problem with the current system is both qualitative and quantitative. Courts are overburdened, and there is an acute shortage of judges; therefore, courts may take years to rule on simple cases of divorce or family disputes. Furthermore, bureaucracy and red tape create further delays.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah announced a major project to reform the judicial system, and SR7 billion has been allocated to upgrade courts and to train judges in an attempt to reform the entire judiciary. Planned changes include establishing special criminal courts and family courts along with courts for issues related to traffic, the economy, business and sports.
The Ministry of Justice has defined the new jobs that will be available with the start of the specialized courts this year. The ministry will also provide legal training to guarantee more qualified judges and lawyers.
However, Muslim scholars believe that more drastic measures need to be taken to achieve successful reforms.
“To reform the judiciary, we need to reform the Shariah colleges first and upgrade the level of these institutions,” said Dr. Tarek Al-Suwaidan, a prominent Muslim scholar. “There should be a more advanced curriculum, and the teaching standards should be enhanced.”
The reason behind the poor quality of education in these very important institutions is the poor academic standard of their students. The students who enroll in these colleges are the ones who graduate from school with poor or average grades; therefore, they are not usually the brightest. Furthermore, their studies are mostly confined to subjects related to Islamic jurisprudence.
Al-Suwaidan urged the creation of well-rounded Muslim scholars and judges familiar with international law and educated on aspects of modern-day needs and concerns. Students who join Shariah colleges should have a bachelor’s degree in business, law or other specialized fields to make them more knowledgeable and guarantee a higher standard of qualification. Shariah law graduates should be well-versed in current commercial laws and be familiar with cyberspace crime, copyright violations or labor issues.
The inadequacy of current judges and their narrow breadth of knowledge have created many grievances and denied both nationals and expatriates their right to fair trials and legal representation in the Kingdom.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke more than 1,400 years ago, he tailored his words to the people of that time and addressed the issues of those days in terms understandable to much simpler people in much simpler times. In a world made smaller by transportation and telecommunications networks and a world of great cities and global commerce, it is incumbent upon the keepers of Shariah law to ensure the relevance of its interpretation in the daily lives of the millions of adherents to Islam today.
For judges to ignore such advancements either through ignorance or tunnel vision is to jeopardize the relevance of Shariah law in a modern world — an attitude that draws the derision of the world when a young rape victim, already sentenced to prison and corporal punishment, has her sentence increased because she spoke to a newspaper. What message is sent to the people of this Kingdom and the world, for that matter, when a gang of rapists gets sentences of a few years because of “mitigating” circumstances?
The Qatif rape case received public and international condemnation, and there was strong public pressure demanding her acquittal. However, the Saudi judiciary refused to alter its sentence until Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah finally intervened to save the poor victim from the brutal sentence.
What do we tell our own people or the world, for that matter, about how we value the rights of women when her brothers can order her divorce because they don’t approve of the husband their late father chose? The brothers’ contention was that she had shamed her tribe, but we as a people should be ashamed of a legal system where such a case could be initiated, where a family could be broken up and a mother and her children could be forced to live in a shelter. We should support our leaders in their efforts to reform such a system.
How can we take pride in a system that denies a mother’s petitions to gain custody of a child from her abusive husband that becomes moot after the man beats his child to death?
The National Society for Human Rights recently published a report that strongly criticized the judicial system for failing to serve justice. The report outlined many human rights violations, among them rampant discrimination against women, essentially sanctioning domestic violence, awful conditions in Saudi prisons, and the maltreatment of non-Saudis in the Kingdom. The report also railed against the actions of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in its dealings with law-abiding citizens.
“We need to establish civic courts administered by judges who have graduated from law colleges with degrees obtained from abroad,” said Kamel Ahmad Al-Shamsi, a Saudi legal expert. “We need to use the expertise of other, more advanced Arab countries in civic law and sign contracts with cadres who can serve as consultants and judges.”
It is unfortunate that these views are not shared by many of the Saudi judges who insist that students should learn through apprenticeships and with scholars who can trace their learning to Islam’s roots — not from qualified law professors. This is the reason behind the lack of a globally accepted qualification of a Shariah scholar and the absence of globally accepted standards for Shariah rules. Shariah rules continue to be subject to different interpretations from different Muslim scholars who are reluctant to codify Shariah laws, and there is a lack of consensus on many issues that are of major concern to Muslims today.
Some Shariah experts say it may take more than a decade to train more scholars, and even the optimistic ones do not expect a new generation of qualified scholars for at least five years. However, Muslim scholars cannot afford to lag behind and miss the global opportunities for progress and development, they must contribute toward the advancement of their societies. Any misstep could lead our people back to an impoverished past instead of a prosperous future.
The rest of the world will not stop and give us a decade to figure it out. Our indecision and acquiescence on such matters just improve the chances for other nations to better the lives of their people at our expense.
Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, one of the most respected Shariah scholars, recently told reporters that it is essential to train more scholars for Islamic bank supervision to keep up with the global demand. He said: “There are roughly 50 to 60 scholars in the world qualified to advise banks on Islamic law, and as many as ten times more are required to serve in the Middle East alone.” The London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants said: “The rapid growth of Islamic banking had fueled a need for Muslim financial experts. However, scholars must be experts in Islamic law and Islamic banking and, at the same time, have a thorough knowledge of conventional laws and banking systems, which requires a high standard of English.”
Reforming the legal system and training more judges will not be easy; however, it should continue to be a government priority. It is essential for our scholars to be globally connected with the needs and concerns of the international Muslim community. The codification of the Shariah law is, therefore, necessary. Moreover, it is essential not only to outline the rights and duties of citizens and expatriates alike but also to define the responsibilities and limits of all religious officials.
No one should be above the law — not judges, not members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, not the wealthy, not religious scholars. Our country will prosper only when our citizens and our guest workers are guaranteed the protection of the law. Future generations will be able to contribute and compete with the rest of the world only if they are assured the implementation of justice for all — and all can only mean everybody.
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist. She can be reached at samarfatany@hotmail.com.
Arab News
Many legal experts have pointed out that the problem with the current system is both qualitative and quantitative. Courts are overburdened, and there is an acute shortage of judges; therefore, courts may take years to rule on simple cases of divorce or family disputes. Furthermore, bureaucracy and red tape create further delays.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah announced a major project to reform the judicial system, and SR7 billion has been allocated to upgrade courts and to train judges in an attempt to reform the entire judiciary. Planned changes include establishing special criminal courts and family courts along with courts for issues related to traffic, the economy, business and sports.
The Ministry of Justice has defined the new jobs that will be available with the start of the specialized courts this year. The ministry will also provide legal training to guarantee more qualified judges and lawyers.
However, Muslim scholars believe that more drastic measures need to be taken to achieve successful reforms.
“To reform the judiciary, we need to reform the Shariah colleges first and upgrade the level of these institutions,” said Dr. Tarek Al-Suwaidan, a prominent Muslim scholar. “There should be a more advanced curriculum, and the teaching standards should be enhanced.”
The reason behind the poor quality of education in these very important institutions is the poor academic standard of their students. The students who enroll in these colleges are the ones who graduate from school with poor or average grades; therefore, they are not usually the brightest. Furthermore, their studies are mostly confined to subjects related to Islamic jurisprudence.
Al-Suwaidan urged the creation of well-rounded Muslim scholars and judges familiar with international law and educated on aspects of modern-day needs and concerns. Students who join Shariah colleges should have a bachelor’s degree in business, law or other specialized fields to make them more knowledgeable and guarantee a higher standard of qualification. Shariah law graduates should be well-versed in current commercial laws and be familiar with cyberspace crime, copyright violations or labor issues.
The inadequacy of current judges and their narrow breadth of knowledge have created many grievances and denied both nationals and expatriates their right to fair trials and legal representation in the Kingdom.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke more than 1,400 years ago, he tailored his words to the people of that time and addressed the issues of those days in terms understandable to much simpler people in much simpler times. In a world made smaller by transportation and telecommunications networks and a world of great cities and global commerce, it is incumbent upon the keepers of Shariah law to ensure the relevance of its interpretation in the daily lives of the millions of adherents to Islam today.
For judges to ignore such advancements either through ignorance or tunnel vision is to jeopardize the relevance of Shariah law in a modern world — an attitude that draws the derision of the world when a young rape victim, already sentenced to prison and corporal punishment, has her sentence increased because she spoke to a newspaper. What message is sent to the people of this Kingdom and the world, for that matter, when a gang of rapists gets sentences of a few years because of “mitigating” circumstances?
The Qatif rape case received public and international condemnation, and there was strong public pressure demanding her acquittal. However, the Saudi judiciary refused to alter its sentence until Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah finally intervened to save the poor victim from the brutal sentence.
What do we tell our own people or the world, for that matter, about how we value the rights of women when her brothers can order her divorce because they don’t approve of the husband their late father chose? The brothers’ contention was that she had shamed her tribe, but we as a people should be ashamed of a legal system where such a case could be initiated, where a family could be broken up and a mother and her children could be forced to live in a shelter. We should support our leaders in their efforts to reform such a system.
How can we take pride in a system that denies a mother’s petitions to gain custody of a child from her abusive husband that becomes moot after the man beats his child to death?
The National Society for Human Rights recently published a report that strongly criticized the judicial system for failing to serve justice. The report outlined many human rights violations, among them rampant discrimination against women, essentially sanctioning domestic violence, awful conditions in Saudi prisons, and the maltreatment of non-Saudis in the Kingdom. The report also railed against the actions of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in its dealings with law-abiding citizens.
“We need to establish civic courts administered by judges who have graduated from law colleges with degrees obtained from abroad,” said Kamel Ahmad Al-Shamsi, a Saudi legal expert. “We need to use the expertise of other, more advanced Arab countries in civic law and sign contracts with cadres who can serve as consultants and judges.”
It is unfortunate that these views are not shared by many of the Saudi judges who insist that students should learn through apprenticeships and with scholars who can trace their learning to Islam’s roots — not from qualified law professors. This is the reason behind the lack of a globally accepted qualification of a Shariah scholar and the absence of globally accepted standards for Shariah rules. Shariah rules continue to be subject to different interpretations from different Muslim scholars who are reluctant to codify Shariah laws, and there is a lack of consensus on many issues that are of major concern to Muslims today.
Some Shariah experts say it may take more than a decade to train more scholars, and even the optimistic ones do not expect a new generation of qualified scholars for at least five years. However, Muslim scholars cannot afford to lag behind and miss the global opportunities for progress and development, they must contribute toward the advancement of their societies. Any misstep could lead our people back to an impoverished past instead of a prosperous future.
The rest of the world will not stop and give us a decade to figure it out. Our indecision and acquiescence on such matters just improve the chances for other nations to better the lives of their people at our expense.
Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, one of the most respected Shariah scholars, recently told reporters that it is essential to train more scholars for Islamic bank supervision to keep up with the global demand. He said: “There are roughly 50 to 60 scholars in the world qualified to advise banks on Islamic law, and as many as ten times more are required to serve in the Middle East alone.” The London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants said: “The rapid growth of Islamic banking had fueled a need for Muslim financial experts. However, scholars must be experts in Islamic law and Islamic banking and, at the same time, have a thorough knowledge of conventional laws and banking systems, which requires a high standard of English.”
Reforming the legal system and training more judges will not be easy; however, it should continue to be a government priority. It is essential for our scholars to be globally connected with the needs and concerns of the international Muslim community. The codification of the Shariah law is, therefore, necessary. Moreover, it is essential not only to outline the rights and duties of citizens and expatriates alike but also to define the responsibilities and limits of all religious officials.
No one should be above the law — not judges, not members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, not the wealthy, not religious scholars. Our country will prosper only when our citizens and our guest workers are guaranteed the protection of the law. Future generations will be able to contribute and compete with the rest of the world only if they are assured the implementation of justice for all — and all can only mean everybody.
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist. She can be reached at samarfatany@hotmail.com.
Arab News
Saudi Arabia: Decision allowing women to stay alone in hotels draws mixed reaction
Riyadh: The recent decision by Saudi authorities to allow women to stay alone in hotels is facing strong opposition from conservatives. On the other hand, many, particularly businesswomen and human rights activist, are welcoming the decision.
The decision allows women in the kingdom to stay in a hotel or a furnished apartment without a male guardian. Earlier Saudi women were not allowed to stay in hotels unless they have a male relative or guardian with them. “Earlier, Saudi women faced numerous difficulties when circumstances force them to stay in a hotel alone,” said Abeer, an employee in a health institution.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry sent a circular to hotels asking them to accept women even if they are alone provided all the information is immediately sent to the nearest police station.
By Mariam Al Hakeem
The decision allows women in the kingdom to stay in a hotel or a furnished apartment without a male guardian. Earlier Saudi women were not allowed to stay in hotels unless they have a male relative or guardian with them. “Earlier, Saudi women faced numerous difficulties when circumstances force them to stay in a hotel alone,” said Abeer, an employee in a health institution.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry sent a circular to hotels asking them to accept women even if they are alone provided all the information is immediately sent to the nearest police station.
By Mariam Al Hakeem
Saudi Arabia: Women See a Brighter Road on Rights
By Faiza Saleh Ambah
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, January 31, 2008; Page A15
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 30 -- Buoyed by recent advances in women's rights, advocates for the right of women to drive in Saudi Arabia -- the only country in the world that prohibits female drivers -- say they believe the ban will be lifted this year.
The women's group has collected more than 3,000 signatures in the past five months and hopes that King Abdullah will issue a royal decree giving women the right to drive.
Since taking the throne in 2005, Abdullah has championed women's right to work and often takes official trips overseas with delegations of female journalists and academics. The king has said that he does not oppose allowing women to drive but that society needs to accept the idea first.
"I think the authorities want people to get used to the idea and will lift the ban before the end of the year," said Wajeha al-Huwaider, 45, an educational analyst and co-founder of the group.
The group, which sent the king petitions in September and December asking him to lift the ban, is working on a third. "Every time we gather 1,000 signatures, we will send them," Huwaider said.
She and co-founder Fouzia al-Ayouni said they were encouraged by the recent easing of certain strictures on women and statements from senior officials saying the driving ban is more social than religious or political.
In November, the foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, told Britain's Channel 4 news that there was no Saudi law prohibiting women from driving.
"Myself, I think they should drive," he said, but added: "For us, it is not a political issue, it is a social issue. We believe that this is something for the families to decide, for the people to decide, and not to be forced by the government, either to drive or not to drive."
Saudi Arabia follows a strict form of Islamic law that does not allow women self-guardianship, mandating a male guardian for women of all ages. A woman cannot travel, appear in court, marry or work without permission from a male guardian, sometimes her own son.
Until recently, women were also barred from checking into hotels and renting apartments unless they were with a male guardian. But a royal decree announced this month now allows women to stay in hotels and furnished apartments unaccompanied.
The newspaper Al-Watan reported last week that a circular has been issued to hotels asking them to accept women who show identification. The hotel is then required to register the women's details with the police.
But in this deeply religious and patriarchal society, many believe that allowing women the right to drive could lead to Western-style openness and an erosion of traditional values.
Many women complain that driving is a necessity and argue that not everyone can afford to hire foreign drivers, whose salaries range from $300 to $600 a month, plus room and board. Live-in chauffeurs, often from the Philippines or the Indian subcontinent, are considered unlikely to develop relationships with the women.
Several times a week, Haifa Osra, 31, one of the first members of the group, walks 10 minutes from her apartment to an Internet cafe to sort through the details of the women who have signed the latest petition.
This week, she approached four women at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and asked them to add their names.
Haifa Khashoggi, 48, a homemaker, agreed that women should be allowed to drive, "but with conditions."
The other women concurred, saying that initially only women older than a certain age should drive, and not at all hours.
"It's safer and more Islamic for me to drive myself than to sit with an unrelated male driver," said Nadia Nusair, 45, a consultant on educational and family issues.
"It will be chaos at first," said Ibtisam al-Sharif, 47. "But pretty soon, driving will be accepted and everyone will find it normal."
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, January 31, 2008; Page A15
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 30 -- Buoyed by recent advances in women's rights, advocates for the right of women to drive in Saudi Arabia -- the only country in the world that prohibits female drivers -- say they believe the ban will be lifted this year.
The women's group has collected more than 3,000 signatures in the past five months and hopes that King Abdullah will issue a royal decree giving women the right to drive.
Since taking the throne in 2005, Abdullah has championed women's right to work and often takes official trips overseas with delegations of female journalists and academics. The king has said that he does not oppose allowing women to drive but that society needs to accept the idea first.
"I think the authorities want people to get used to the idea and will lift the ban before the end of the year," said Wajeha al-Huwaider, 45, an educational analyst and co-founder of the group.
The group, which sent the king petitions in September and December asking him to lift the ban, is working on a third. "Every time we gather 1,000 signatures, we will send them," Huwaider said.
She and co-founder Fouzia al-Ayouni said they were encouraged by the recent easing of certain strictures on women and statements from senior officials saying the driving ban is more social than religious or political.
In November, the foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, told Britain's Channel 4 news that there was no Saudi law prohibiting women from driving.
"Myself, I think they should drive," he said, but added: "For us, it is not a political issue, it is a social issue. We believe that this is something for the families to decide, for the people to decide, and not to be forced by the government, either to drive or not to drive."
Saudi Arabia follows a strict form of Islamic law that does not allow women self-guardianship, mandating a male guardian for women of all ages. A woman cannot travel, appear in court, marry or work without permission from a male guardian, sometimes her own son.
Until recently, women were also barred from checking into hotels and renting apartments unless they were with a male guardian. But a royal decree announced this month now allows women to stay in hotels and furnished apartments unaccompanied.
The newspaper Al-Watan reported last week that a circular has been issued to hotels asking them to accept women who show identification. The hotel is then required to register the women's details with the police.
But in this deeply religious and patriarchal society, many believe that allowing women the right to drive could lead to Western-style openness and an erosion of traditional values.
Many women complain that driving is a necessity and argue that not everyone can afford to hire foreign drivers, whose salaries range from $300 to $600 a month, plus room and board. Live-in chauffeurs, often from the Philippines or the Indian subcontinent, are considered unlikely to develop relationships with the women.
Several times a week, Haifa Osra, 31, one of the first members of the group, walks 10 minutes from her apartment to an Internet cafe to sort through the details of the women who have signed the latest petition.
This week, she approached four women at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and asked them to add their names.
Haifa Khashoggi, 48, a homemaker, agreed that women should be allowed to drive, "but with conditions."
The other women concurred, saying that initially only women older than a certain age should drive, and not at all hours.
"It's safer and more Islamic for me to drive myself than to sit with an unrelated male driver," said Nadia Nusair, 45, a consultant on educational and family issues.
"It will be chaos at first," said Ibtisam al-Sharif, 47. "But pretty soon, driving will be accepted and everyone will find it normal."
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Gaza: UN Envoy says Women in Gaza feel coerced into covering their heads
By Barak Ravid
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief says women in the Gaza Strip have recently felt coerced into covering their heads, while Christians there have faced rising intolerance. The UN envoy, Asma Jahangir, visited Israel and the Palestinian Authority last week and published a report on her eight-day trip.
"Women seem to be in a particularly vulnerable situation and bear the brunt of religious zeal. I was informed about cases of honor killings carried out with impunity in the name of religion," she added. Jahangir met with Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzhak Cohen, as well as many others involved in religious affairs. The UN representative expressed surprise to Amar that women were not allowed to serve as religious court judges.
Amar answered that the study of religious law is a burden that women are exempt from, but this did not satisfy Jahangir, who said human rights were advancing and religions were remaining behind. She also criticized the Orthodox religious establishment in Israel.
"There are concerns that the state gives preferential treatment to the Orthodox Jewish majority in Israel to the detriment not only of other religious or belief communities but also of other strands of Judaism," she said. "For example, conversion to Judaism within Israel is only recognised if performed by the Orthodox Rabbinate."
Jahangir added: "I find it difficult to understand that under domestic law persons can be deemed to be 'unmarriageable'," referring to the 200,000 Israeli citizens and residents who have problems marrying since they have no official religion.
She and Minister Cohen disagreed on the matter. She said that "freedom of religion or belief also includes the right not to believe."
Foreign Ministry officials who accompanied Jahangir were surprised when she said Israeli roadblocks not only impede Christians and Muslims from accessing their holy places. They also prevent Jewish Israelis from praying at their holy places such as the Temple Mount.
She faintly praised Israel, saying: "During my talks with members of religious minorities in Israel, my interlocutors have by and large acknowledged that there is no religious persecution by the State. Within the Israeli democracy, I would like to emphasize the important role that the Supreme Court has played in the past and can play for safeguarding freedom of religion or belief."
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief says women in the Gaza Strip have recently felt coerced into covering their heads, while Christians there have faced rising intolerance. The UN envoy, Asma Jahangir, visited Israel and the Palestinian Authority last week and published a report on her eight-day trip.
"Women seem to be in a particularly vulnerable situation and bear the brunt of religious zeal. I was informed about cases of honor killings carried out with impunity in the name of religion," she added. Jahangir met with Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzhak Cohen, as well as many others involved in religious affairs. The UN representative expressed surprise to Amar that women were not allowed to serve as religious court judges.
Amar answered that the study of religious law is a burden that women are exempt from, but this did not satisfy Jahangir, who said human rights were advancing and religions were remaining behind. She also criticized the Orthodox religious establishment in Israel.
"There are concerns that the state gives preferential treatment to the Orthodox Jewish majority in Israel to the detriment not only of other religious or belief communities but also of other strands of Judaism," she said. "For example, conversion to Judaism within Israel is only recognised if performed by the Orthodox Rabbinate."
Jahangir added: "I find it difficult to understand that under domestic law persons can be deemed to be 'unmarriageable'," referring to the 200,000 Israeli citizens and residents who have problems marrying since they have no official religion.
She and Minister Cohen disagreed on the matter. She said that "freedom of religion or belief also includes the right not to believe."
Foreign Ministry officials who accompanied Jahangir were surprised when she said Israeli roadblocks not only impede Christians and Muslims from accessing their holy places. They also prevent Jewish Israelis from praying at their holy places such as the Temple Mount.
She faintly praised Israel, saying: "During my talks with members of religious minorities in Israel, my interlocutors have by and large acknowledged that there is no religious persecution by the State. Within the Israeli democracy, I would like to emphasize the important role that the Supreme Court has played in the past and can play for safeguarding freedom of religion or belief."
Saudi Arabia: NHRS opens to Female Law Graduates
MAKKAH - The National Human Rights Society here began receiving Monday the applications of 40 female law graduates for legal researcher posts in the women's section.
NHRS is the first body in the Kingdom to recruit women in the domain of law, reported Arabic daily newspaper Al-Madina.
The newspaper previously reported that the 40 female law students feared unemployment as the rules do not allow for female sections in law firms.
The female law students are graduates from the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah.
NHRS is the first body in the Kingdom to recruit women in the domain of law, reported Arabic daily newspaper Al-Madina.
The newspaper previously reported that the 40 female law students feared unemployment as the rules do not allow for female sections in law firms.
The female law students are graduates from the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Egypt: Government releases Al Jazeera producer
Howayda Taha, a documentary producer for Al Jazeera, has been released after being held for 15 hours by Egyptian police.Taha was arrested on Monday for allegedly filming without a proper licence, her lawyer and police said.
She is already appealing an earlier jail sentence after reporting on alleged torture in police stations.
Taha was working on a film about farm labourers in a low-income neighbourhood in Cairo when police detained her early on Monday and questioned her late into the evening.
Ahmed Helmi, her lawyer, said on Tuesday she had all the necessary papers issued to her from the Egyptian press centre.
Police confiscated her tapes and sent them to be inspected by the department of artistic inspection, Helmi said. It was not clear if any charges would be raised."She is under a constant police watch, they want to ban her from working in Egypt," he said.
Police said four other people were arrested with her, including three crew members and an Egyptian human-rights activist.
Taha was sentenced in absentia in May to six months in jail and fined $5,600 for working on a documentary highlighting torture in police stations.
She has appealed against the sentence. The appeals court is due to deliver its ruling on February 11.
- Al Jazeera News Service
She is already appealing an earlier jail sentence after reporting on alleged torture in police stations.
Taha was working on a film about farm labourers in a low-income neighbourhood in Cairo when police detained her early on Monday and questioned her late into the evening.
Ahmed Helmi, her lawyer, said on Tuesday she had all the necessary papers issued to her from the Egyptian press centre.
Police confiscated her tapes and sent them to be inspected by the department of artistic inspection, Helmi said. It was not clear if any charges would be raised."She is under a constant police watch, they want to ban her from working in Egypt," he said.
Police said four other people were arrested with her, including three crew members and an Egyptian human-rights activist.
Taha was sentenced in absentia in May to six months in jail and fined $5,600 for working on a documentary highlighting torture in police stations.
She has appealed against the sentence. The appeals court is due to deliver its ruling on February 11.
- Al Jazeera News Service
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Women’s rights body in pipeline
Women’s rights activists in the Kingdom are eagerly anticipating the establishment of Ansar Al-Marah — the first civil society dedicated to supporting women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.
Suliman Al-Salman, founder of Ansar Al-Marah, told Arab News that the society aims to create institutional and individual change that would improve the lives of women in the Kingdom. "After two years of negotiations with the Ministry of Social Affairs, a request to establish Ansar Al-Marah has been initially approved," said Al-Salman, adding that the Shoura Council’s recent approval of the establishment of a National Authority for Civil Society Organizations would speed up the process of obtaining a license for the society to operate.
Ansar Al-Marah comprises 21 men and women from both the Shiite and Sunni communities. Members include researchers, academics, educators and activists. The body aims to increase awareness of women’s right by facilitating ongoing debates on fundamental and provocative women issues; and help women improve their social, educational and cultural levels by conducting studies and research.
Al-Salman said that the society would act as an intermediate body between women and officials. He also denied that there has been a historical bias against women in Saudi Arabia. "Looking back to the 60s and 70s women were moving toward the right direction; they started to take higher educations and play a part in the social development," he said.
Speaking about the current situation of women, Al-Salman said, "The majority of women today are under the dominance of men. They can’t be active members of society because of restrictions over their ability to leave home and arrange transport, and their being unable to get the simplest things unless they go through men."
Al-Salman said that the current women’s assemblies in the Kingdom tend to function under the framework of humanitarian relief. "Women’s issues are complicated. This requires the establishment of several independent societies to serve women," said Al-Salman, who is from Al-Qassim.
The idea for Ansar Al-Marah came up after Al-Salman failed to be elected in the municipal election of 2005. As part of his election manifesto, Al-Salman advocated to support women’s rights. "I decided to continue defending women’s right through other approaches especially after having a full support from activists," he said.
Regarding the criticism of some people who may feel that the society aims to Westernize Saudi Arabia, Al-Salman said, "Helping women to get their rights, which are ignored or suppressed by law or customs doesn’t conflict with Islam, which does not prevent women from utilizing their own money, driving or choosing their own husbands."
He added, "Both activists and religious people are fighting extremism and are willing to exert efforts for the best of our country."
Arab News
Suliman Al-Salman, founder of Ansar Al-Marah, told Arab News that the society aims to create institutional and individual change that would improve the lives of women in the Kingdom. "After two years of negotiations with the Ministry of Social Affairs, a request to establish Ansar Al-Marah has been initially approved," said Al-Salman, adding that the Shoura Council’s recent approval of the establishment of a National Authority for Civil Society Organizations would speed up the process of obtaining a license for the society to operate.
Ansar Al-Marah comprises 21 men and women from both the Shiite and Sunni communities. Members include researchers, academics, educators and activists. The body aims to increase awareness of women’s right by facilitating ongoing debates on fundamental and provocative women issues; and help women improve their social, educational and cultural levels by conducting studies and research.
Al-Salman said that the society would act as an intermediate body between women and officials. He also denied that there has been a historical bias against women in Saudi Arabia. "Looking back to the 60s and 70s women were moving toward the right direction; they started to take higher educations and play a part in the social development," he said.
Speaking about the current situation of women, Al-Salman said, "The majority of women today are under the dominance of men. They can’t be active members of society because of restrictions over their ability to leave home and arrange transport, and their being unable to get the simplest things unless they go through men."
Al-Salman said that the current women’s assemblies in the Kingdom tend to function under the framework of humanitarian relief. "Women’s issues are complicated. This requires the establishment of several independent societies to serve women," said Al-Salman, who is from Al-Qassim.
The idea for Ansar Al-Marah came up after Al-Salman failed to be elected in the municipal election of 2005. As part of his election manifesto, Al-Salman advocated to support women’s rights. "I decided to continue defending women’s right through other approaches especially after having a full support from activists," he said.
Regarding the criticism of some people who may feel that the society aims to Westernize Saudi Arabia, Al-Salman said, "Helping women to get their rights, which are ignored or suppressed by law or customs doesn’t conflict with Islam, which does not prevent women from utilizing their own money, driving or choosing their own husbands."
He added, "Both activists and religious people are fighting extremism and are willing to exert efforts for the best of our country."
Arab News
Saudi Arabia: Female Journalists Seek Fair Treatment
RIYADH - While Saudi female journalists are fighting for other people's rights through their writings, their own rights have been violated for years.
However, Princess Hussa, daughter of Riyadh Emir Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz has requested female journalists to submit any complaint they might have regarding their work conditions to her. "I will forward your complaints directly to Prince Salman," promised Princess Hussa during a press conference held Saturday announcing three awards by the Prince Ahmed Bin Salman Institute for Applied Media, for Saudi female journalists.
The awards will be for the best female journalist, the best female writer, a woman pioneer in the print media.
Journalists attending the press conference were delighted that they would be finally be recognized and their work appreciated.
"I think this is a very good step forward in encouraging women in the media," said Fatima Ba Ismaeel, a journalist for Arabic daily Al-Eqtisadiah.
"Especially in a society that looks down on women pursuing such jobs," said Asma Al-Mohammed, managing editor of the Saudi news page at Arabia.net.
Applicants for the awards must be Saudi national writing for a local publication, for at least 2 years and be between 22 -28 years of age.
However, Princess Hussa said that these conditions are still in the primary stage and can be altered.
The journalists appreciated the support of Princess Hussa and Prince Salman and said they would take up the offer and send their requests and complaints directly to Princess Hussa.
Low salaries, lack of transportation, health insurance, benefits and training are the biggest violations against female journalist and media professionals in the Kingdom, the Saudi female journalists complained.
While a female journalist earns around SR3000-5000 a month, their male counterparts earn double if not more.
"I am always surprised at how low the salaries of journalists are," said Al-Mohammed. "Turki Al-Sedeari, editor-in-chief of Al-Riyadh Arabic daily had said that a newspaper in the Kingdom has to make SR30 million a year to become successful," Al-Mohammed noted.
"Most newspapers make double and even triple this amount per year, but they still pay their reporters and especially their part-timers and freelancers crumbs!"
The majority of print and audio media in the Kingdom relie heavily on freelancers and part-timers, making it very difficult for female journalists to gain a full-time job that includes allowances, health insurance and social security.
Fatima Al-Anizi from Radio Riyadh complained about working for 17 years as a freelancer without being hired full-time, supporting her family on a minimal salary.
Along with the low amount, she didn't receive her salary on time - and once her salary was delayed for four months, she said.
"There is a hunger among Saudi female journalists to work and there is a hunger for news on Saudi women, so we find ourselves running from one event to another," said Al-Mohammed. "Sometimes we freelancers cover 2-3 events a day and still we are paid chicken feed."
Lack of protection was another problem that journalists as a whole face in the Kingdom, complained Aisha Al-Feefee from Okaz Arabic newspaper. "The Saudi Association for Media and Communication was established four years ago but it has yet to provide any service to us media professionals."
"There is basically nowhere to go if you have a complaint against a news organization," said Feefee. With many of the leading editors in SAMC, journalists do not feel safe to complain to SAMC about their plight, worried that they might have to face the consequences when they get back to the office.
Last year, Anizi along with Wafa Baker Younis, a presenter on Saudi TV Channel 1 had spoken about their plight at the Second Forum of Saudi Women in Media and were fired from their jobs for complaining publicly.
Only after the intervention of Prince Salman did the two journalists regain their positions.
"Prince Salman was very upset over the repercussions against the two journalists for complaining at a forum that was established to address such issues," said Princess Hussa.
The majority of Saudi female journalists work as freelancers without any health benefits, but even those with full-time positions don't mean that they get treated on par with their male colleagues when it comes to health insurance.
One female journalist was informed by her organization that their health coverage doesn't cover her delivery while it covers a "male employee's delivery."
"I asked them how can male employees ever give birth? They told me they don't but their wives do and their wives are covered," said the journalist who wished to withhold her name.
"I asked why the wife of an employee had better rights and coverage than I did - and I was their employee."
In addition to low wages, lack of benefits and protection, lack of training is another complaint "Female journalists get into journalism without any training and there's very limited on-the-job training, said Ba Ismaeel.
In her 12 years as a journalist for prominent Saudi newspapers, the only training Ba Ismaeel received was what she paid for herself.
Lack of transportation or the very low transportation allowance given to female journalists was also a problem.
"Since we can't drive, our news organizations should provide transport - with drivers to take us to and back from field work, or provide us with an allowance that covers our transportation cost," said Ba Ismaeel.
Transportation allowances is mostly around SR300 which is very low compared to the SR1,200-1,500 some female journalists pay for a private driver, a company driver or a taxi to take her to conferences and interviews for a month.
- Saudi Gazette
However, Princess Hussa, daughter of Riyadh Emir Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz has requested female journalists to submit any complaint they might have regarding their work conditions to her. "I will forward your complaints directly to Prince Salman," promised Princess Hussa during a press conference held Saturday announcing three awards by the Prince Ahmed Bin Salman Institute for Applied Media, for Saudi female journalists.
The awards will be for the best female journalist, the best female writer, a woman pioneer in the print media.
Journalists attending the press conference were delighted that they would be finally be recognized and their work appreciated.
"I think this is a very good step forward in encouraging women in the media," said Fatima Ba Ismaeel, a journalist for Arabic daily Al-Eqtisadiah.
"Especially in a society that looks down on women pursuing such jobs," said Asma Al-Mohammed, managing editor of the Saudi news page at Arabia.net.
Applicants for the awards must be Saudi national writing for a local publication, for at least 2 years and be between 22 -28 years of age.
However, Princess Hussa said that these conditions are still in the primary stage and can be altered.
The journalists appreciated the support of Princess Hussa and Prince Salman and said they would take up the offer and send their requests and complaints directly to Princess Hussa.
Low salaries, lack of transportation, health insurance, benefits and training are the biggest violations against female journalist and media professionals in the Kingdom, the Saudi female journalists complained.
While a female journalist earns around SR3000-5000 a month, their male counterparts earn double if not more.
"I am always surprised at how low the salaries of journalists are," said Al-Mohammed. "Turki Al-Sedeari, editor-in-chief of Al-Riyadh Arabic daily had said that a newspaper in the Kingdom has to make SR30 million a year to become successful," Al-Mohammed noted.
"Most newspapers make double and even triple this amount per year, but they still pay their reporters and especially their part-timers and freelancers crumbs!"
The majority of print and audio media in the Kingdom relie heavily on freelancers and part-timers, making it very difficult for female journalists to gain a full-time job that includes allowances, health insurance and social security.
Fatima Al-Anizi from Radio Riyadh complained about working for 17 years as a freelancer without being hired full-time, supporting her family on a minimal salary.
Along with the low amount, she didn't receive her salary on time - and once her salary was delayed for four months, she said.
"There is a hunger among Saudi female journalists to work and there is a hunger for news on Saudi women, so we find ourselves running from one event to another," said Al-Mohammed. "Sometimes we freelancers cover 2-3 events a day and still we are paid chicken feed."
Lack of protection was another problem that journalists as a whole face in the Kingdom, complained Aisha Al-Feefee from Okaz Arabic newspaper. "The Saudi Association for Media and Communication was established four years ago but it has yet to provide any service to us media professionals."
"There is basically nowhere to go if you have a complaint against a news organization," said Feefee. With many of the leading editors in SAMC, journalists do not feel safe to complain to SAMC about their plight, worried that they might have to face the consequences when they get back to the office.
Last year, Anizi along with Wafa Baker Younis, a presenter on Saudi TV Channel 1 had spoken about their plight at the Second Forum of Saudi Women in Media and were fired from their jobs for complaining publicly.
Only after the intervention of Prince Salman did the two journalists regain their positions.
"Prince Salman was very upset over the repercussions against the two journalists for complaining at a forum that was established to address such issues," said Princess Hussa.
The majority of Saudi female journalists work as freelancers without any health benefits, but even those with full-time positions don't mean that they get treated on par with their male colleagues when it comes to health insurance.
One female journalist was informed by her organization that their health coverage doesn't cover her delivery while it covers a "male employee's delivery."
"I asked them how can male employees ever give birth? They told me they don't but their wives do and their wives are covered," said the journalist who wished to withhold her name.
"I asked why the wife of an employee had better rights and coverage than I did - and I was their employee."
In addition to low wages, lack of benefits and protection, lack of training is another complaint "Female journalists get into journalism without any training and there's very limited on-the-job training, said Ba Ismaeel.
In her 12 years as a journalist for prominent Saudi newspapers, the only training Ba Ismaeel received was what she paid for herself.
Lack of transportation or the very low transportation allowance given to female journalists was also a problem.
"Since we can't drive, our news organizations should provide transport - with drivers to take us to and back from field work, or provide us with an allowance that covers our transportation cost," said Ba Ismaeel.
Transportation allowances is mostly around SR300 which is very low compared to the SR1,200-1,500 some female journalists pay for a private driver, a company driver or a taxi to take her to conferences and interviews for a month.
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia: UN women's rights expert to visit Saudi Arabia
GENEVA (AFP) — The United Nations independent expert on women's rights said Monday she will visit Saudi Arabia after the kingdom came under fierce scrutiny from a UN committee over its gender equality record.
Yakin Erturk, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, will visit Saudi Arabia from February 4 to February 13 at the government's invitation, her office said in a statement.
Erturk, a sociology professor at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, will meet government authorities, UN officials and individual victims of violence against women during her visit.
She will report her findings to the UN Human Rights Council.
Saudia Arabia is governed by Wahabism, a strict interpretation of Islam that -- in the name of Sharia law -- imposes complete separation of the sexes. As such, it is illegal for a woman to be in the company of a man who is not in her immediate family.
Earlier this month, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women quizzed Saudi officials on numerous aspects of women's life in the kingdom, including the fact that men have the right to twice the inheritance women are allowed, and that women are obliged to have a "tutor" accompany them for many daily tasks.
"Without the presence of this tutor (guardian), a woman cannot study, access health services, marry, travel abroad, have a business or even access an ambulance in an emergency," one of the experts on the committee said.
The Saudi delegation highlighted in a report they submitted to the committee that "Saudi society is still largely a tribal society and changes in mentality allowing new ideas to be accepted take time".
In its report, Riyadh also wrote that "Islam, as a realistic religion, admits that total equality between man and woman is contrary to reality, as various scientific studies on their psychological differences have shown".
The committee overseas the application of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, a UN treaty regarded as a global bill of rights for women.
Yakin Erturk, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, will visit Saudi Arabia from February 4 to February 13 at the government's invitation, her office said in a statement.
Erturk, a sociology professor at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, will meet government authorities, UN officials and individual victims of violence against women during her visit.
She will report her findings to the UN Human Rights Council.
Saudia Arabia is governed by Wahabism, a strict interpretation of Islam that -- in the name of Sharia law -- imposes complete separation of the sexes. As such, it is illegal for a woman to be in the company of a man who is not in her immediate family.
Earlier this month, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women quizzed Saudi officials on numerous aspects of women's life in the kingdom, including the fact that men have the right to twice the inheritance women are allowed, and that women are obliged to have a "tutor" accompany them for many daily tasks.
"Without the presence of this tutor (guardian), a woman cannot study, access health services, marry, travel abroad, have a business or even access an ambulance in an emergency," one of the experts on the committee said.
The Saudi delegation highlighted in a report they submitted to the committee that "Saudi society is still largely a tribal society and changes in mentality allowing new ideas to be accepted take time".
In its report, Riyadh also wrote that "Islam, as a realistic religion, admits that total equality between man and woman is contrary to reality, as various scientific studies on their psychological differences have shown".
The committee overseas the application of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, a UN treaty regarded as a global bill of rights for women.
Saudi Arabia: Steps Toward Women's Rights?
By Stephen McInerney,
Director of Advocacy, Project on Middle East Democracy
The royal family in Saudi Arabia has long been decried as one of the world's most repressive regimes. In Freedom House's annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, released earlier this month, the House of Saud maintained its ranking as one of the seventeen most repressive governments in the world. Perhaps most infamous is the particular lack of rights for the half of the Saudi citizens who are female. When King Abdullah ascended to the throne following the death of his half-brother King Fahd in 2005, many had high hopes that his rule would bring reform and greater freedom to Saudi Arabia, and to women in particular. But the reforms of the first couple of years of King Abdullah's rule were markedly underwhelming, and the area of women's rights was essentially ignored.
However, the past two weeks has quietly seen a flurry of small steps toward greater rights for women in the kingdom. Last Monday, January 21, it was reported that the Saudi government had ruled to permit women to stay in hotels without the presence of a male guardian, effective immediately. On the same day, government officials also confirmed that a decision had been reached to remove the ban on women drivers, with a decree to that effect to be issued before the end of 2008. Lifting the ban on driving would be a move of great symbolic value, as Saudi Arabia is the only country to prohibit women behind the steering wheel, and this fact is the most often cited example to demonstrate the oppression of Saudi women. Also, on Tuesday, January 29, it was revealed that the Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has approved the establishment of the first women's rights organization in the kingdom, to be known as Ansar al-Mar'ah (patrons/supporters of women).
In addition, last Friday, the first-ever women's soccer game was played in a large stadium in Dammam between teams of two Saudi universities, with the stands full of female fans and the score reported in local newspapers. Within a few days, it was announced that the Saudi government will establish women's sport clubs in the country. This is a far cry from the recent past of soccer in Saudi Arabia - just last year a professional men's game was interrupted by the official on the field so that security personnel could remove the one female in attendance - a 12-year-old girl enjoying the game with her family.
Although there have been some reports of complaints by local residents and the governor of the Eastern province over last week's game, it seems that opposition has been milder than in the past, perhaps encouraging the government to move forward with women's sport clubs.
Why Now?
This string of announcements does follow a period of intensified scrutiny and key interactions with the West, as well as some increasingly bold internal demands for reform. In December, the sentencing of a 19-year old rape victim to 200 lashes and six months in prison for being alone in a car with a man who was not her relative sparked international outrage. Following widespread condemnation, including the introduction of three bills in the U.S. Congress demanding that all charges against the victim be dropped, King Abdullah announced his decision to pardon the girl.
In UN meetings that followed in Geneva in January, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women challenged the Saudi delegation on numerous aspects of gender inequality in the kingdom. In response to concerns raised in these meetings, the UN has
now announced that the UN special rapporteur on violence against women will visit Saudi Arabia from February 4 to 13 and give a series of reports on the findings of her visit to the UN Human Rights Council.
January also saw President Bush pay a visit to the kingdom during his eight-day visit to the Middle East. On January 14, as Bush arrived in Riyadh, the State Department officially notified Congress of a controversial agreement to sell 900 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) advanced missile systems to Saudi Arabia. The sale had been delayed in the fall by strong opposition within Congress, which considerably raised the profile of numerous concerns with regard to the Saudi regime including its fostering of extremism, its destabilizing ties to insurgent groups in Iraq, and the repression of its own people.
Conclusions
In short, the Saudi regime deserves credit for these apparent openings in terms of women's rights. Given the timing, the moves appear to be at least partly the result of constructive pressure from the international community including the United States. Needless to say, the Saudi regime still has a very long path to tread in terms of women's rights and equality, but hopefully these measures signal the beginning of a long period of steady progress, rather than merely an isolated burst of activity. The recent moves can also be taken as encouraging evidence that international diplomatic pressure can yield results.
But it is critical that such pressure on the Saudi regime not abate once the long-awaited arms deal is finalized in February and a few positive steps have been taken. It is also essential that recently announced measures such as the lifting of the driving ban be carried out as planned - authoritarian Arab regimes have become increasingly adept at timing announcements of reform to relieve international pressure, then failing to carry out the steps as promised once the outside attention has diminished. If those conditions are met, and the recent moves turn out to be merely the beginning of women's rights reform in Saudi Arabia, then the steps taken in January 2008 will have been very important indeed.
Director of Advocacy, Project on Middle East Democracy
The royal family in Saudi Arabia has long been decried as one of the world's most repressive regimes. In Freedom House's annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, released earlier this month, the House of Saud maintained its ranking as one of the seventeen most repressive governments in the world. Perhaps most infamous is the particular lack of rights for the half of the Saudi citizens who are female. When King Abdullah ascended to the throne following the death of his half-brother King Fahd in 2005, many had high hopes that his rule would bring reform and greater freedom to Saudi Arabia, and to women in particular. But the reforms of the first couple of years of King Abdullah's rule were markedly underwhelming, and the area of women's rights was essentially ignored.
However, the past two weeks has quietly seen a flurry of small steps toward greater rights for women in the kingdom. Last Monday, January 21, it was reported that the Saudi government had ruled to permit women to stay in hotels without the presence of a male guardian, effective immediately. On the same day, government officials also confirmed that a decision had been reached to remove the ban on women drivers, with a decree to that effect to be issued before the end of 2008. Lifting the ban on driving would be a move of great symbolic value, as Saudi Arabia is the only country to prohibit women behind the steering wheel, and this fact is the most often cited example to demonstrate the oppression of Saudi women. Also, on Tuesday, January 29, it was revealed that the Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has approved the establishment of the first women's rights organization in the kingdom, to be known as Ansar al-Mar'ah (patrons/supporters of women).
In addition, last Friday, the first-ever women's soccer game was played in a large stadium in Dammam between teams of two Saudi universities, with the stands full of female fans and the score reported in local newspapers. Within a few days, it was announced that the Saudi government will establish women's sport clubs in the country. This is a far cry from the recent past of soccer in Saudi Arabia - just last year a professional men's game was interrupted by the official on the field so that security personnel could remove the one female in attendance - a 12-year-old girl enjoying the game with her family.
Although there have been some reports of complaints by local residents and the governor of the Eastern province over last week's game, it seems that opposition has been milder than in the past, perhaps encouraging the government to move forward with women's sport clubs.
Why Now?
This string of announcements does follow a period of intensified scrutiny and key interactions with the West, as well as some increasingly bold internal demands for reform. In December, the sentencing of a 19-year old rape victim to 200 lashes and six months in prison for being alone in a car with a man who was not her relative sparked international outrage. Following widespread condemnation, including the introduction of three bills in the U.S. Congress demanding that all charges against the victim be dropped, King Abdullah announced his decision to pardon the girl.
In UN meetings that followed in Geneva in January, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women challenged the Saudi delegation on numerous aspects of gender inequality in the kingdom. In response to concerns raised in these meetings, the UN has
now announced that the UN special rapporteur on violence against women will visit Saudi Arabia from February 4 to 13 and give a series of reports on the findings of her visit to the UN Human Rights Council.
January also saw President Bush pay a visit to the kingdom during his eight-day visit to the Middle East. On January 14, as Bush arrived in Riyadh, the State Department officially notified Congress of a controversial agreement to sell 900 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) advanced missile systems to Saudi Arabia. The sale had been delayed in the fall by strong opposition within Congress, which considerably raised the profile of numerous concerns with regard to the Saudi regime including its fostering of extremism, its destabilizing ties to insurgent groups in Iraq, and the repression of its own people.
Conclusions
In short, the Saudi regime deserves credit for these apparent openings in terms of women's rights. Given the timing, the moves appear to be at least partly the result of constructive pressure from the international community including the United States. Needless to say, the Saudi regime still has a very long path to tread in terms of women's rights and equality, but hopefully these measures signal the beginning of a long period of steady progress, rather than merely an isolated burst of activity. The recent moves can also be taken as encouraging evidence that international diplomatic pressure can yield results.
But it is critical that such pressure on the Saudi regime not abate once the long-awaited arms deal is finalized in February and a few positive steps have been taken. It is also essential that recently announced measures such as the lifting of the driving ban be carried out as planned - authoritarian Arab regimes have become increasingly adept at timing announcements of reform to relieve international pressure, then failing to carry out the steps as promised once the outside attention has diminished. If those conditions are met, and the recent moves turn out to be merely the beginning of women's rights reform in Saudi Arabia, then the steps taken in January 2008 will have been very important indeed.
Saudi Arabia: US University Explores Possible Links
JEDDAH — A high-level team from the University of Colorado is in the Kingdom to explore the possibilities of collaborating, and developing joint programs, with Saudi universities. Invited by Zuhair Hamed Fayez, an alumni of the university and president of Zuhair Fayez Partnership, the Jeddah-based architectural and IT consultants, the team is led by Dr. M. Roy Wilson, chancellor of the university’s campus in Denver.
Topping the list of potential tie-ups is a plan for an architecture program leading to a bachelor’s degree in the subject at Dar Al-Hekma College for Girls (DAHC) in Jeddah. Fayez is currently chairman of the trustees of the college.
The Colorado team includes the dean of the university’s college of architecture and planning, Dr. Mark Gelernter, as well as two other members of the college. A memorandum of understanding between Colorado University and DAHC on helping establish an architecture department as well as cooperation on the existing interior design degree through a possible exchange of students may be signed soon.
At Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz University, the Colorado team discussed the possibility of collaborating with the existing faculty of environmental design. The faculty’s original curriculum was based on one developed by Harvard University.
In Riyadh, the team will visit King Saud University before flying on to the Eastern Province to investigate possibilities there.
One area in which Dr. Wilson is particularly interested in establishing collaboration is medicine. Colorado University at Denver is currently building a multibillion-dollar dedicated medical campus on a former military base in nearby Aurora. When finished, it will be one of the largest and most prestigious education, patient care and research centers in the US.
- Michel Cousins, Arab News
Topping the list of potential tie-ups is a plan for an architecture program leading to a bachelor’s degree in the subject at Dar Al-Hekma College for Girls (DAHC) in Jeddah. Fayez is currently chairman of the trustees of the college.
The Colorado team includes the dean of the university’s college of architecture and planning, Dr. Mark Gelernter, as well as two other members of the college. A memorandum of understanding between Colorado University and DAHC on helping establish an architecture department as well as cooperation on the existing interior design degree through a possible exchange of students may be signed soon.
At Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz University, the Colorado team discussed the possibility of collaborating with the existing faculty of environmental design. The faculty’s original curriculum was based on one developed by Harvard University.
In Riyadh, the team will visit King Saud University before flying on to the Eastern Province to investigate possibilities there.
One area in which Dr. Wilson is particularly interested in establishing collaboration is medicine. Colorado University at Denver is currently building a multibillion-dollar dedicated medical campus on a former military base in nearby Aurora. When finished, it will be one of the largest and most prestigious education, patient care and research centers in the US.
- Michel Cousins, Arab News
Saudi Arabia: U.N. Rights Expert Will Examine Violence Against Women
GENEVA — A U.N. rights expert will travel to Saudi Arabia next month to gather information about violence against women in the country, officials said Monday.
Yakin Erturk, the U.N. special investigator for violence against women, will visit the kingdom from Feb. 4-13 and meet with government and civil society representatives in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damam, according to a statement by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Last month, Saudi's King Abdullah pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to lashes and jail time for being in a car with a man who was not her relative. The case sparked international criticism over the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia, where strict interpretation of Islamic law gives men and women different rights with respect to education, marriage and participation in public life.
Earlier this month, Saudi officials told the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women that the kingdom would likely lift the ban on women driving in the near future and was taking measures to address the issue of domestic violence.
A report last year by New York-based Human Rights Watch found many female foreign workers in Saudi Arabia are physically abused by their employers.
Yakin Erturk, the U.N. special investigator for violence against women, will visit the kingdom from Feb. 4-13 and meet with government and civil society representatives in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damam, according to a statement by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Last month, Saudi's King Abdullah pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to lashes and jail time for being in a car with a man who was not her relative. The case sparked international criticism over the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia, where strict interpretation of Islamic law gives men and women different rights with respect to education, marriage and participation in public life.
Earlier this month, Saudi officials told the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women that the kingdom would likely lift the ban on women driving in the near future and was taking measures to address the issue of domestic violence.
A report last year by New York-based Human Rights Watch found many female foreign workers in Saudi Arabia are physically abused by their employers.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Government tightens grip on internet use
by David Westley
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has begun implementing new laws for controlling the use of technology for terrorism, fraud, pornography, defamation, violating religious values and disregarding public etiquette.
The new information technology law contains 16 articles, and provides a maximum penalty of 10 years and a SR5 million fine for persons found guilty of running web sites in support of terrorist organisations. A maximum penalty of three years and a SR500,000 fine will be handed to anyone found guilty of financial or data fraud, or found guilty of attacking the private life of another subject.
The new law also covers the religious and social use of information and communications technology. Those who produce and distribute IT materials that violate public law, religious values and public etiquette will receive up to five years in jail, and a SR3 million fine.
Those who use information technology to spread and market pornography will face the same punishment.The new law comes into effect as Saudi Arabia faces the world's attention for its treatment of Saudi blogger Ahmad Fouad Al-Farhan.
Al-Farhan was arrested for violating "non-security regulations", and is believed to be the first online critic to be arrested in the kingdom.Al-Farhan’s blog - Searching for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, shoura and all the rest of lost Islamic values - has posted a letter, allegedly from Al-Farhan, which states he believes he was arrested because he "wrote about political prisoners in Saudi Arabia".
According to a Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry source, speaking to Saudi newspaper, Arab News, the new law has been introduced to "combat IT-related crimes that threatens security and safety of human societies".
Punishment will be extended to those who aid those who commit IT crime; while those show that they exhibited intent to commit the crime through their actions, even if the crime didn’t take place, will receive up to half the maximum sentence.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has begun implementing new laws for controlling the use of technology for terrorism, fraud, pornography, defamation, violating religious values and disregarding public etiquette.
The new information technology law contains 16 articles, and provides a maximum penalty of 10 years and a SR5 million fine for persons found guilty of running web sites in support of terrorist organisations. A maximum penalty of three years and a SR500,000 fine will be handed to anyone found guilty of financial or data fraud, or found guilty of attacking the private life of another subject.
The new law also covers the religious and social use of information and communications technology. Those who produce and distribute IT materials that violate public law, religious values and public etiquette will receive up to five years in jail, and a SR3 million fine.
Those who use information technology to spread and market pornography will face the same punishment.The new law comes into effect as Saudi Arabia faces the world's attention for its treatment of Saudi blogger Ahmad Fouad Al-Farhan.
Al-Farhan was arrested for violating "non-security regulations", and is believed to be the first online critic to be arrested in the kingdom.Al-Farhan’s blog - Searching for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, shoura and all the rest of lost Islamic values - has posted a letter, allegedly from Al-Farhan, which states he believes he was arrested because he "wrote about political prisoners in Saudi Arabia".
According to a Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry source, speaking to Saudi newspaper, Arab News, the new law has been introduced to "combat IT-related crimes that threatens security and safety of human societies".
Punishment will be extended to those who aid those who commit IT crime; while those show that they exhibited intent to commit the crime through their actions, even if the crime didn’t take place, will receive up to half the maximum sentence.
Saudi Arabia: First Girls’ Soccer Match
JEDDAH - The first soccer match between female teams has taken place in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, the Al-Watan newspaper said.
No men were allowed in the stadium, and the referee and her linesman, as well as the fans, were also female.
The Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University team defeated their guests, the Al-Yamamah College, from the capital, Riyadh, in a penalty shoot out after the game had ended 2-2 on Thursday.
Al-Yamamah college's goalkeeper was declared "woman of the match."
The match was held at a 35,000 capacity stadium in the city of Dammam.
Saudi Arabia's male national soccer team is one of Asia's most successful teams, currently ranking 57 in the FIFA ratings and has taken part in the last four World Cups.
It is unclear if a female Saudi national soccer team is in the offing and whether they would participate in international competitions.
- Saudi Gazette report
No men were allowed in the stadium, and the referee and her linesman, as well as the fans, were also female.
The Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University team defeated their guests, the Al-Yamamah College, from the capital, Riyadh, in a penalty shoot out after the game had ended 2-2 on Thursday.
Al-Yamamah college's goalkeeper was declared "woman of the match."
The match was held at a 35,000 capacity stadium in the city of Dammam.
Saudi Arabia's male national soccer team is one of Asia's most successful teams, currently ranking 57 in the FIFA ratings and has taken part in the last four World Cups.
It is unclear if a female Saudi national soccer team is in the offing and whether they would participate in international competitions.
- Saudi Gazette report
Bahrain: Female judges proposed for Shariah courts in Bahrain
The recruitment of women as Shariah judges has been suggested as a solution to the problems faced by females at Islamic-oriented courts in Bahrain by the Freedom in the World 2008 report.
It highlights that women face hardships due to delay in court proceedings especially in divorce cases.Although the kingdom recruited the first women judge in 2006 for a civilian court, the Shariah courts mainly dealing with marital conflicts have no female judge.
Published recently by the Freedom House, the report also calls upon Bahrain to sign the optional protocol of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) that allows women to file complaints with the CEDAW committee if they are denied justice in their own countries.
Freedom House is an independent non-governmental organisation that conducted the part on Bahrain with the assistance of Bahraini human rights and woman activist Dr Sabika Najjar.
On the scale of 1-7 with seventh being rated as the least free country, the kingdom was rated fifth on the 'map of freedom’ for political rights and civil liberties.
The report judged the kingdom on five parameters -non-discrimination and access to justice, autonomy, security and personal freedom, economic rights and equal opportunity, political rights and civic voice and social and cultural rights. The report says that despite efforts of the government and NGOs, there was no codified family law in the kingdom.
The recommendations of the report include women to be represented in Municipal Councils. A gender integration plan to increase women in decision-making in private and public sectors was also suggested.
- Khaleej Times
It highlights that women face hardships due to delay in court proceedings especially in divorce cases.Although the kingdom recruited the first women judge in 2006 for a civilian court, the Shariah courts mainly dealing with marital conflicts have no female judge.
Published recently by the Freedom House, the report also calls upon Bahrain to sign the optional protocol of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) that allows women to file complaints with the CEDAW committee if they are denied justice in their own countries.
Freedom House is an independent non-governmental organisation that conducted the part on Bahrain with the assistance of Bahraini human rights and woman activist Dr Sabika Najjar.
On the scale of 1-7 with seventh being rated as the least free country, the kingdom was rated fifth on the 'map of freedom’ for political rights and civil liberties.
The report judged the kingdom on five parameters -non-discrimination and access to justice, autonomy, security and personal freedom, economic rights and equal opportunity, political rights and civic voice and social and cultural rights. The report says that despite efforts of the government and NGOs, there was no codified family law in the kingdom.
The recommendations of the report include women to be represented in Municipal Councils. A gender integration plan to increase women in decision-making in private and public sectors was also suggested.
- Khaleej Times
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Kuwait: Reaction of universities to segregation law not strong
Private universities in Kuwait have not reacted strongly to the decision by Minister of Education and Higher education Nuriya Al Subaih to implement gender segregation law in private universities, starting from Sunday.
The administrative departments at the universities were talking to the Arab Times Monday a day after the law came into effect. The student’s administration department at Gulf University (GUST) said the university is already adhering to the law.
"All the classes in the university are unisex, with different classrooms for boys and girls. GUST has always followed the gender segregation laws in Kuwait." The university is moving to a new bigger campus in Mishref shortly, where again the segregation law will be fully in place, the officer at the department added.
The general information department at American University of Kuwait (AUK) said "we are already gender segregated. However, we hold co-education classes depending on the number of sessions and the availability of faculty for certain subjects."
When asked if the decision to implement the segregation law in private universities will bring about any change in the university, the official said it would be decided by the university management after due deliberations. Australian University of Kuwait (ACK) is also mostly gender segregated, except for classes in some majors, opted by large number of students and requiring more teaching sessions, the students administration department said.
"It’s too early to comment about the changes that will be implemented in the university following the ministerial decision to implement the segregation law."
- Arab Times
The administrative departments at the universities were talking to the Arab Times Monday a day after the law came into effect. The student’s administration department at Gulf University (GUST) said the university is already adhering to the law.
"All the classes in the university are unisex, with different classrooms for boys and girls. GUST has always followed the gender segregation laws in Kuwait." The university is moving to a new bigger campus in Mishref shortly, where again the segregation law will be fully in place, the officer at the department added.
The general information department at American University of Kuwait (AUK) said "we are already gender segregated. However, we hold co-education classes depending on the number of sessions and the availability of faculty for certain subjects."
When asked if the decision to implement the segregation law in private universities will bring about any change in the university, the official said it would be decided by the university management after due deliberations. Australian University of Kuwait (ACK) is also mostly gender segregated, except for classes in some majors, opted by large number of students and requiring more teaching sessions, the students administration department said.
"It’s too early to comment about the changes that will be implemented in the university following the ministerial decision to implement the segregation law."
- Arab Times
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Students Welcome Decision on Unions
The Shoura Council has passed a new University Law that allows the formation of student unions at Saudi universities. The unions will have a representative on the university council, the law said. The members of the unions will be elected by secret ballot and can serve for more than one term. Financing will be from the university budget, donations, gifts and revenue from their activities.
University students and teachers have welcomed the decision to form student unions and said it would improve educational standard and create a healthy environment on campuses. “It’s a very important decision,” said Dr. Abdul Ilah Saaty, vice dean of the Community College at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). “The union will help students raise their voice and express their wishes.” Saaty proposed election of a member from each college to the student union in order to have proper representation.
Abdullah Abdul Jawad, a university student, was excited hearing the news and said the unions would make Saudi campuses more lively and engaging.
Malekah Bakash, a KAU home economics student, commended the Shoura decision and said it would have great impact on student life in campuses. “It will enable students to participate in extracurricular activities in order to show off their skills and capabilities,” she added.
The promotion of dialogue between students and teachers is another major point in favor of student unions. “The unions will break down the barriers between students and faculty members,” Saaty said. He also urged authorities to make student unions an important body at universities to allow students to participate in the decision-making process.
Dr. Hassan Felemban, vice dean of KAU’s Faculty of Science for development, commended the new law passed by the Shoura which will give students a pivotal role in the university system. “The proposed student unions will help in developing responsible students.”
Felemban said unions would also provide a good place for students to achieve practical experience before entering the job market, especially in the area of taking up responsibilities with efficiency.
Professor Muhammad Ismail Abdussalam at KAU’s College of Engineering, described the move to establish student unions as a progressive decision, adding that it would stimulate educational development. “Unions will also help us stay aware of the quality and impact of our educational products and make continuous assessment, keeping in view student views and demands.”
- Arab News
University students and teachers have welcomed the decision to form student unions and said it would improve educational standard and create a healthy environment on campuses. “It’s a very important decision,” said Dr. Abdul Ilah Saaty, vice dean of the Community College at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). “The union will help students raise their voice and express their wishes.” Saaty proposed election of a member from each college to the student union in order to have proper representation.
Abdullah Abdul Jawad, a university student, was excited hearing the news and said the unions would make Saudi campuses more lively and engaging.
Malekah Bakash, a KAU home economics student, commended the Shoura decision and said it would have great impact on student life in campuses. “It will enable students to participate in extracurricular activities in order to show off their skills and capabilities,” she added.
The promotion of dialogue between students and teachers is another major point in favor of student unions. “The unions will break down the barriers between students and faculty members,” Saaty said. He also urged authorities to make student unions an important body at universities to allow students to participate in the decision-making process.
Dr. Hassan Felemban, vice dean of KAU’s Faculty of Science for development, commended the new law passed by the Shoura which will give students a pivotal role in the university system. “The proposed student unions will help in developing responsible students.”
Felemban said unions would also provide a good place for students to achieve practical experience before entering the job market, especially in the area of taking up responsibilities with efficiency.
Professor Muhammad Ismail Abdussalam at KAU’s College of Engineering, described the move to establish student unions as a progressive decision, adding that it would stimulate educational development. “Unions will also help us stay aware of the quality and impact of our educational products and make continuous assessment, keeping in view student views and demands.”
- Arab News
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Kuwait: Lone woman minister survives no-confidence vote
Kuwait's only woman cabinet minister survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday tabled by MPs who accused her of legal and administrative irregularities.
Twenty-seven MPs voted in favour of Education Minister Nuriya al-Sabeeh and 19 against her, while two abstained.
The motion required 25 votes to pass in the 50-member house. Only 48 MPs were eligible to vote as two elected MPs are cabinet ministers who, under Kuwaiti law, are not allowed to take part in no-confidence votes.
During a nine-hour grilling in parliament two weeks ago, Sabeeh was accused of failing to implement a sex segregation law at universities and held responsible for a "serious deterioration" in the educational standards.She categorically denied the allegations.
Sabeeh was appointed to the cabinet last March becoming only the second woman minister in the oil-rich Gulf emirate.
Maasouma al-Mubarak, who made history by becoming the first female minister in Kuwait after women were granted full political rights in 2005, resigned last year after Islamist MPs summoned her to appear before parliament.
- Agence France-Presse
Twenty-seven MPs voted in favour of Education Minister Nuriya al-Sabeeh and 19 against her, while two abstained.
The motion required 25 votes to pass in the 50-member house. Only 48 MPs were eligible to vote as two elected MPs are cabinet ministers who, under Kuwaiti law, are not allowed to take part in no-confidence votes.
During a nine-hour grilling in parliament two weeks ago, Sabeeh was accused of failing to implement a sex segregation law at universities and held responsible for a "serious deterioration" in the educational standards.She categorically denied the allegations.
Sabeeh was appointed to the cabinet last March becoming only the second woman minister in the oil-rich Gulf emirate.
Maasouma al-Mubarak, who made history by becoming the first female minister in Kuwait after women were granted full political rights in 2005, resigned last year after Islamist MPs summoned her to appear before parliament.
- Agence France-Presse
Friday, January 18, 2008
Saudi Arabia: UN watchdog grills Saudi Arabia on women’s rights
GENEVA: Saudi Arabia, appearing for the first time before a UN watchdog for women’s rights, faced tough questions yesterday and was challenged to grant gender equality.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has 23 independent experts monitoring adherence to a 1979 international bill of rights for women.
The world’s biggest oil exporter ratified the pact in 2000 that Shariah law would prevail if there were any contradiction with its provisions.
At a one-day debate on its record, the Saudi delegation came under fire for failing to meet international norms guaranteeing women’s political, economic, social and civil rights.
"Only when women are free to make their own decisions on all aspects of their life are they full citizens," committee member Maria Regina Tavares da Silva told the Geneva session.
Heisoo Shin, another committee member, said that a system of male guardianship "governed virtually every aspect of a women’s life" in Saudi Arabia.
"Without a man’s consent, a woman cannot study or get health service, work, marry, conduct business or even get an ambulance service in an emergency," she said.
A report submitted by Riyadh on its compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women said that there was "no discrimination against women in the laws of the Kingdom."
The Saudi government said while women’s rights outlined in the Convention could be invoked before the courts or state authorities, Shariah must ultimately prevail.
The application of Shariah law in a rape case last month drew international criticism and fanned concerns about the status of women in the conservative Islamic state where powerful clerics demand the strict seclusion of females.
In that case, King Abdullah pardoned a 19-year-old woman who was sentenced to flogging for being in the company of a man she was not related to.
Her indiscretion came to light because she and her companion had been abducted and gang-raped by seven other men.
Zeid bin Abdul Mushin al-Hussein, vice president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, told the experts: "Human rights in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia are based on Shariah."
Saudi officials emphasised progress for women in terms of greater employment and education in the country, where women may now study both law and engineering.
The UN experts are expected to raise further questions on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia before issuing conclusions on the kingdom and seven other countries at the end of their three-week session on February 1.
– Reuters
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has 23 independent experts monitoring adherence to a 1979 international bill of rights for women.
The world’s biggest oil exporter ratified the pact in 2000 that Shariah law would prevail if there were any contradiction with its provisions.
At a one-day debate on its record, the Saudi delegation came under fire for failing to meet international norms guaranteeing women’s political, economic, social and civil rights.
"Only when women are free to make their own decisions on all aspects of their life are they full citizens," committee member Maria Regina Tavares da Silva told the Geneva session.
Heisoo Shin, another committee member, said that a system of male guardianship "governed virtually every aspect of a women’s life" in Saudi Arabia.
"Without a man’s consent, a woman cannot study or get health service, work, marry, conduct business or even get an ambulance service in an emergency," she said.
A report submitted by Riyadh on its compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women said that there was "no discrimination against women in the laws of the Kingdom."
The Saudi government said while women’s rights outlined in the Convention could be invoked before the courts or state authorities, Shariah must ultimately prevail.
The application of Shariah law in a rape case last month drew international criticism and fanned concerns about the status of women in the conservative Islamic state where powerful clerics demand the strict seclusion of females.
In that case, King Abdullah pardoned a 19-year-old woman who was sentenced to flogging for being in the company of a man she was not related to.
Her indiscretion came to light because she and her companion had been abducted and gang-raped by seven other men.
Zeid bin Abdul Mushin al-Hussein, vice president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, told the experts: "Human rights in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia are based on Shariah."
Saudi officials emphasised progress for women in terms of greater employment and education in the country, where women may now study both law and engineering.
The UN experts are expected to raise further questions on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia before issuing conclusions on the kingdom and seven other countries at the end of their three-week session on February 1.
– Reuters
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Role of Saudi Women Increases in Government
JEDDAH — As women’s participation in the Kingdom’s national development increases, special women’s sections with all female staff have opened in several government offices. Several municipality offices in the Kingdom have also opened sections exclusively for women so that they will get more involved in both administrative and field activities of local governments.
And of course permitting women to work in areas which were formerly the exclusive domains of men is a bold move in Saudi society.
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, director of media relations in the mayor’s office told Arab News yesterday that the Jeddah Mayor’s office had recruited 16 women computer operators and information technologists. They began working on the first working day of the new Hijri year which was Jan. 12. "Our office plans to increase women’s participation to other branches including the field inspection of commercial establishments," Al-Ghamdi said.
Women have also been employed in the administrative department of the office.
- Arab News
And of course permitting women to work in areas which were formerly the exclusive domains of men is a bold move in Saudi society.
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, director of media relations in the mayor’s office told Arab News yesterday that the Jeddah Mayor’s office had recruited 16 women computer operators and information technologists. They began working on the first working day of the new Hijri year which was Jan. 12. "Our office plans to increase women’s participation to other branches including the field inspection of commercial establishments," Al-Ghamdi said.
Women have also been employed in the administrative department of the office.
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia: Role of Women Increases
JEDDAH — As women’s participation in the Kingdom’s national development increases, special women’s sections with all female staff have opened in several government offices. Several municipality offices in the Kingdom have also opened sections exclusively for women so that they will get more involved in both administrative and field activities of local governments.
And of course permitting women to work in areas which were formerly the exclusive domains of men is a bold move in Saudi society.
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, director of media relations in the mayor’s office told Arab News yesterday that the Jeddah Mayor’s office had recruited 16 women computer operators and information technologists. They began working on the first working day of the new Hijri year which was Jan. 12. “Our office plans to increase women’s participation to other branches including the field inspection of commercial establishments,” Al-Ghamdi said.
Women have also been employed in the administrative department of the office.
Galal Fakkar, Arab News
And of course permitting women to work in areas which were formerly the exclusive domains of men is a bold move in Saudi society.
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, director of media relations in the mayor’s office told Arab News yesterday that the Jeddah Mayor’s office had recruited 16 women computer operators and information technologists. They began working on the first working day of the new Hijri year which was Jan. 12. “Our office plans to increase women’s participation to other branches including the field inspection of commercial establishments,” Al-Ghamdi said.
Women have also been employed in the administrative department of the office.
Galal Fakkar, Arab News
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Women's Rights Activist Wajiha Al-Huweidar Criticizes Middle Eastern Men and Saudi Society and States
Following are excerpts from an interview with Saudi women's rights activist Wajiha Al-Huweidar, which aired on Al-Hurra TV on January 13, 2008:
(The interview can be seen here)
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: We have raised a generation – I think it began with my own generation – on the belief that we are a special people, that we are the cradle of Islam, that the truth is ours and ours alone, that we are the Saved Sect of Islam. People have begun to believe all these lies, and they use them as pretexts. When we demanded that women be employed in public workplaces, they say: "No, we are a special people." When we demand that women be allowed to drive, they say: "No, we are a special people." No, we are not. In what way are we special? There is nothing special about us. True, we have the two holy cities – Mecca and Al-Madina – but this does not mean that we have a monopoly on religion, and that we are the only Muslims in the world.
[...]
This Saudi patriarchal culture has become prevalent under religious guise, but if you examine everything that goes on in this society, none of it has anything to do with religion. How can it be that people are stripped of their individual judgment, and the Commission [for the Prevention of Vice] is sent to spy on people in the streets, and to determine who errs and who acts properly? Who gave them the right to do this? People have the right to decide for themselves what they do and don't want.
Interviewer: Should women be allowed to decide this for themselves?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: Of course. After all, they are like any...
Interviewer: Despite this commission?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: This commission must be abolished, and the day will come when it will be. Look, the early signs that a wrong ideology is dying are fanaticism and extremism. This is obvious. Have you ever seen a dead body that is soft? When the person dies, the body becomes rigid. Similarly, this ideology will become increasingly rigid, and will reach the height of fanaticism, but it is constantly in the process of dying. Take a look at history. Let's examine what happened to the Church in Europe. It becomes rigid and persecuted ideologies, killing and burning scientists, until people rebelled against it, and this led to its collapse. History tells us that this holds true for all ideologies. Communism...
Interviewer: Are you seeing signs of this collapse?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: This will not happen in our generation. It will take time, but it will happen.
[...]
We, in the East – and I am talking about the East in a broad sense, including Pakistan, Turkey, and the Kurds... The way I see it, these are all wretched people, wretched men. This is obvious. He who has nothing cannot give anything to others. These men have lost what could have given them a real sense of masculinity. They draw their masculinity from Islam, if they are Muslims, of if they are non-Muslims, from the customs and tradition of the very harsh society that gives men more rights than women. Hence, they do not draw any strength from within. In the case of our Saudi society, they draw their strength from the weakness of women too. Most women choose to be weak, because it makes their lives easier. The weaker the wife is, the stronger the husband feels. How can you rely on a man who does not draw his strength from within?
[...]
Do not forget that Eastern men are oppressed both by society and by the authorities. Men face the authorities more than women, and the authorities in Eastern countries are very harsh, to the point that a person can vanish, without anybody ever knowing what happened to him.
[...]
Saudi men strut around like peacocks, as they say, because they were given more than they deserve, and they have authorities beyond what they are capable of bearing. The Saudi man believes he should be president. The moment he graduates from university, he wants to become president. I know that men will say that I am generalizing, but I am talking about the phenomenon, about the vast majority. How come you can hardly find any Saudi laborers? My father was a laborer, and so were many of his generation.
[...]
I do not understand why there is no room for other religions in the vast land of Saudi Arabia. To this day, there is no church for the Christians, no synagogue for the Jews, and temple for the Hindus, even though they constitute a large part of the foreign communities in Saudi Arabia. There are 6-8 million of these people.
Interviewer: There is the notion that Saudi Arabia is the cradle of Islam, as you've said, and that it is the most conservative Islamic conservative Islamic country. That is the response you usually get to such questions.
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: Why do we fear other religions? What frightens us? We should have confidence in ourselves and in our religion. There is no religious text that prohibits the establishment of a church or a temple of any religion. If they want to oppose this in Mecca or Al-Madina – there could be a justification for this, but in the other cities, where there are many foreign workers... How can this be justified? It could be justified because these cities are holy to Muslims, even though Mecca... In my opinion, Mecca should be opened to all the Muslim and non-Muslim peoples of the world. How come the Sheik of the Haram Mosque, to this day, comes from the same family and from the same region – Najd.
Interviewer: What family?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: It is passed down from father to son in the Subayyil family. Why only this family, and why must it be a family from Najd? How come Saudis have a monopoly on Islam? Are the Saudis the only Muslims? If we want to spread the notion of tolerance towards other religions and sects, the Haram Mosque should be given to the different sects.
Interviewer: Which sects?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: All of them. Why must the Sheik of the Haram Mosque be of the Hanbali school? Why can't there be a Hanbali sheik one day, and on other days, sheiks form the Shafe'i, Maliki, Hanafi, Ja'fari, and Isma'ili schools? Why can't there be sheiks of other nationalities? Why only Saudis?
[...]
Saudi society is based on enslavement – the enslavement of women to men and of society to the state. People still do not make their own decisions, but it is the women of Saudi Arabia who have been denied everything. The Saudi woman still lives the life of a slavegirl. So in what way are we different from Guantanamo? At least in the case of Guantanamo, many prisoners have been releases, while we remain in this prison, and nobody ever hears of us. When will we be freed? I don't know.
(The interview can be seen here)
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: We have raised a generation – I think it began with my own generation – on the belief that we are a special people, that we are the cradle of Islam, that the truth is ours and ours alone, that we are the Saved Sect of Islam. People have begun to believe all these lies, and they use them as pretexts. When we demanded that women be employed in public workplaces, they say: "No, we are a special people." When we demand that women be allowed to drive, they say: "No, we are a special people." No, we are not. In what way are we special? There is nothing special about us. True, we have the two holy cities – Mecca and Al-Madina – but this does not mean that we have a monopoly on religion, and that we are the only Muslims in the world.
[...]
This Saudi patriarchal culture has become prevalent under religious guise, but if you examine everything that goes on in this society, none of it has anything to do with religion. How can it be that people are stripped of their individual judgment, and the Commission [for the Prevention of Vice] is sent to spy on people in the streets, and to determine who errs and who acts properly? Who gave them the right to do this? People have the right to decide for themselves what they do and don't want.
Interviewer: Should women be allowed to decide this for themselves?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: Of course. After all, they are like any...
Interviewer: Despite this commission?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: This commission must be abolished, and the day will come when it will be. Look, the early signs that a wrong ideology is dying are fanaticism and extremism. This is obvious. Have you ever seen a dead body that is soft? When the person dies, the body becomes rigid. Similarly, this ideology will become increasingly rigid, and will reach the height of fanaticism, but it is constantly in the process of dying. Take a look at history. Let's examine what happened to the Church in Europe. It becomes rigid and persecuted ideologies, killing and burning scientists, until people rebelled against it, and this led to its collapse. History tells us that this holds true for all ideologies. Communism...
Interviewer: Are you seeing signs of this collapse?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: This will not happen in our generation. It will take time, but it will happen.
[...]
We, in the East – and I am talking about the East in a broad sense, including Pakistan, Turkey, and the Kurds... The way I see it, these are all wretched people, wretched men. This is obvious. He who has nothing cannot give anything to others. These men have lost what could have given them a real sense of masculinity. They draw their masculinity from Islam, if they are Muslims, of if they are non-Muslims, from the customs and tradition of the very harsh society that gives men more rights than women. Hence, they do not draw any strength from within. In the case of our Saudi society, they draw their strength from the weakness of women too. Most women choose to be weak, because it makes their lives easier. The weaker the wife is, the stronger the husband feels. How can you rely on a man who does not draw his strength from within?
[...]
Do not forget that Eastern men are oppressed both by society and by the authorities. Men face the authorities more than women, and the authorities in Eastern countries are very harsh, to the point that a person can vanish, without anybody ever knowing what happened to him.
[...]
Saudi men strut around like peacocks, as they say, because they were given more than they deserve, and they have authorities beyond what they are capable of bearing. The Saudi man believes he should be president. The moment he graduates from university, he wants to become president. I know that men will say that I am generalizing, but I am talking about the phenomenon, about the vast majority. How come you can hardly find any Saudi laborers? My father was a laborer, and so were many of his generation.
[...]
I do not understand why there is no room for other religions in the vast land of Saudi Arabia. To this day, there is no church for the Christians, no synagogue for the Jews, and temple for the Hindus, even though they constitute a large part of the foreign communities in Saudi Arabia. There are 6-8 million of these people.
Interviewer: There is the notion that Saudi Arabia is the cradle of Islam, as you've said, and that it is the most conservative Islamic conservative Islamic country. That is the response you usually get to such questions.
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: Why do we fear other religions? What frightens us? We should have confidence in ourselves and in our religion. There is no religious text that prohibits the establishment of a church or a temple of any religion. If they want to oppose this in Mecca or Al-Madina – there could be a justification for this, but in the other cities, where there are many foreign workers... How can this be justified? It could be justified because these cities are holy to Muslims, even though Mecca... In my opinion, Mecca should be opened to all the Muslim and non-Muslim peoples of the world. How come the Sheik of the Haram Mosque, to this day, comes from the same family and from the same region – Najd.
Interviewer: What family?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: It is passed down from father to son in the Subayyil family. Why only this family, and why must it be a family from Najd? How come Saudis have a monopoly on Islam? Are the Saudis the only Muslims? If we want to spread the notion of tolerance towards other religions and sects, the Haram Mosque should be given to the different sects.
Interviewer: Which sects?
Wajiha Al-Huweidar: All of them. Why must the Sheik of the Haram Mosque be of the Hanbali school? Why can't there be a Hanbali sheik one day, and on other days, sheiks form the Shafe'i, Maliki, Hanafi, Ja'fari, and Isma'ili schools? Why can't there be sheiks of other nationalities? Why only Saudis?
[...]
Saudi society is based on enslavement – the enslavement of women to men and of society to the state. People still do not make their own decisions, but it is the women of Saudi Arabia who have been denied everything. The Saudi woman still lives the life of a slavegirl. So in what way are we different from Guantanamo? At least in the case of Guantanamo, many prisoners have been releases, while we remain in this prison, and nobody ever hears of us. When will we be freed? I don't know.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Jordan: Government moves to curb domestic violence
AMMAN (IRIN) - The Jordanian parliament on 6 January endorsed a family protection bill in a bid to combat rising domestic violence.
The draft law, which still needs to be approved by the Senate before taking effect, imposes stiff penalties on violators, ranging from hefty fines to imprisonment of up to six months.
The bill also gives the authorities the power to detain perpetrators of domestic violence for 24 hours "in order to protect the victim" and the court has the right to bar perpetrators from approaching "safe houses" where victims are sheltered in order to guarantee their safety.
Under the bill, victims can also file for financial compensation in cases of physical harm or psychological abuse.
The bill reflects recent campaigns aimed at curbing domestic violence, said Rim Abu Hassan, a human rights activist from the Jordan Society for Protection from Family Violence.
"This is a necessary law to deal with family violence; it specifies procedures on how to handle this issue and finds alternative solutions that could help families heal any rift as a result of violence," said Abu Hassan.
The law paves the way for the creation of "family conciliation committees" to mediate between victims and perpetrators.
Adult family members are required to report physical or sexual abuse that takes place in their households, according to the draft law.
However, lawmakers rejected an article in the bill that obliged health care staff and school teachers to report to the authorities any incidents of family violence.
Abu Hassan believes it will be hard to combat family violence without obliging officials exposed to such cases to inform the authorities of suspected abuse.
The bill seeks to combat violence against women and children. Some deputies, however, believe the solution is not stringent laws, but awareness-raising campaigns targeting impoverished communities. The law is a necessary tool to remind people of what penalties they face if they harm their wives or children, but we also need to educate people on the issue, said member of parliament Mahmoud Kharabsheh.
The number of domestic violence cases in 2006-2007 rose to 132, according to a recent study covering 11 of the kingdom's 62 courts. Most of the victims ended up having to recuperate in bed for 10 days.
The draft law, which still needs to be approved by the Senate before taking effect, imposes stiff penalties on violators, ranging from hefty fines to imprisonment of up to six months.
The bill also gives the authorities the power to detain perpetrators of domestic violence for 24 hours "in order to protect the victim" and the court has the right to bar perpetrators from approaching "safe houses" where victims are sheltered in order to guarantee their safety.
Under the bill, victims can also file for financial compensation in cases of physical harm or psychological abuse.
The bill reflects recent campaigns aimed at curbing domestic violence, said Rim Abu Hassan, a human rights activist from the Jordan Society for Protection from Family Violence.
"This is a necessary law to deal with family violence; it specifies procedures on how to handle this issue and finds alternative solutions that could help families heal any rift as a result of violence," said Abu Hassan.
The law paves the way for the creation of "family conciliation committees" to mediate between victims and perpetrators.
Adult family members are required to report physical or sexual abuse that takes place in their households, according to the draft law.
However, lawmakers rejected an article in the bill that obliged health care staff and school teachers to report to the authorities any incidents of family violence.
Abu Hassan believes it will be hard to combat family violence without obliging officials exposed to such cases to inform the authorities of suspected abuse.
The bill seeks to combat violence against women and children. Some deputies, however, believe the solution is not stringent laws, but awareness-raising campaigns targeting impoverished communities. The law is a necessary tool to remind people of what penalties they face if they harm their wives or children, but we also need to educate people on the issue, said member of parliament Mahmoud Kharabsheh.
The number of domestic violence cases in 2006-2007 rose to 132, according to a recent study covering 11 of the kingdom's 62 courts. Most of the victims ended up having to recuperate in bed for 10 days.
Monday, January 7, 2008
UAE: United Arab Emirates will soon have women judges
Women in the United Arab Emirates will soon be allowed to become judges, breaking a male monopoly over the profession in the conservative monarchy, the justice minister was quoted as saying on Sunday.
Women are currently being trained at the Judicial Institute to become judges and prosecutors across the UAE once the law is amended, the English daily Gulf News reported, quoting minister Mohammad bin Nakhira al-Dhaheri."
At present the law states that only a Muslim man is entitled to assume the position of a judge," he said, without specifying when the law will be changed.The proposed law, which should cover the judiciary in the seven-member federation, would make the UAE the second Gulf country after Bahrain to allow women to become judges.
Women hold nine seats in the 40-member Federal National Council, with eight appointed by the UAE president to join the half-elected advisory body.
- Agence France-Presse
Women are currently being trained at the Judicial Institute to become judges and prosecutors across the UAE once the law is amended, the English daily Gulf News reported, quoting minister Mohammad bin Nakhira al-Dhaheri."
At present the law states that only a Muslim man is entitled to assume the position of a judge," he said, without specifying when the law will be changed.The proposed law, which should cover the judiciary in the seven-member federation, would make the UAE the second Gulf country after Bahrain to allow women to become judges.
Women hold nine seats in the 40-member Federal National Council, with eight appointed by the UAE president to join the half-elected advisory body.
- Agence France-Presse
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