Sabbah Report » Saudi-Woman

Saudi Arabia: Sex-segregated sidewalks and women’s car driving

Haitham Sabbah — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 20:09:03 +0000

One more brain fart by Saudi Mutaween:

Saudi Arabian religious police call for sex-segregated sidewalks - Saudi Arabia's religious police are insisting that authorities of Medina, one of Islam's holiest cities, should build separate sidewalks for women, the Kuwaiti Al-Qabas newspaper said Friday.

The country's Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV), tasked with enforcing Sharia law, believes men and women should not be allowed to mix on the streets of the Islam's second holiest place, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried.

The clerical police, or Mutaween, are authorized to arrest unrelated men and women caught socializing, anyone suspected of being homosexual or a prostitute, and to enforce Islamic dress codes.

The Mutaween enforce Islamic female dress codes, ordering women to wear headscarves and abayas, long black dresses covering the whole body except for face, hands and feet. Women are not allowed to leave their houses without their husbands or immediate male relatives.

Saudi women are also not allowed to ride a bicycle or drive a car, because if the vehicle breaks down, a woman might have to talk to an unknown male.

The police widely apply corporal punishment, including flogging, to punish suspected offenders.

One of the most widely criticized incidents, involving women rights abuse, occurred on March 11, 2002, when schoolgirls were prevented from escaping a burning school in Mecca, because they were not wearing headscarves and abayas. Fifteen girls died and 50 were injured as a result.

I'm just wondering when will these heavenly angles called "Mutaween" will disappear?!

Did prophet Mohammed ordered to have two sidewalks; one for men, another for women? It's ironic to think of having a 'women sidewalks'... I mean, how will they mark them? Paint them in pink? Maybe black to match black abayas and hope that women walking there will become invisible. For God sake, someone with courage should stop this stupidity and send these Mutaween to some true Islamic pre-school and teach them true/basic Islam rules.

On the other hand, for few weeks now, a group of Saudi women are back in the news with their everlasting "Car Driving" rights. A Saudi writer and human rights activist described it well when she said: "Cats and dogs in the developed world have more rights than Arab women," but to be more accurate she should have said "Cats and dogs in the developed world have more rights than SAUDI ARABIA women," for I belive that women in the Arab world, but Saudi, enjoys most of their rights -and sometimes better rights- than many in the 'developed world'. This lady (or group of ladies) is more interested in driving a car than having the right to breath clean air and live normally. But for them it is "something is better than nothing":

Saudi Women Petitioning Govt for Driving Rights - "We demand that the right of women to drive is given back to us," says the petition. "It's a right that was enjoyed by our mothers and grandmothers in complete freedom to (utilize) the means of transportation in those times."

The issue has been a matter of heated debate for many years. In 1990 a group of middle class women were arrested when they staged driving protests. The ban comes from a strict interpretation of the woman's need to be with a legal guardian (a mahram) in public. While this is claimed to be another "Islamic" taboo, but the fact it is not:

"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah said previously that it is not a political issue, it is a social one, and that the government does not object (to women driving)."

...which I believe is true. It is not about politics or religion, but a social matter. Therefore, I personally believe that "Saudi Women Rights Movement" (whoever that be) lacks strategic planning to win back women rights in Saudi. Driving a car is one of the rights, however is not the most critical but for these women who can afford to have a car. What about the "right to live normally"? C'mon, you can't even walk freely in the street... Ladies, you have a hell of a job to educate your society to accept you as an "equal" human being. While I agree that you should have the right to drive a car, however, I believe that will bring you more trouble than you wish and will halt any further improvement in winning more rights. What about the new "women sidewalks" that you have to march on? What about education, marriage, traveling, shopping, work, etc...

Saudi woman’s bearing to stars

Haitham Sabbah — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 20:39:50 +0000

Thumps up for the Saudi ladies.

A female engineer, Nadia Bakhourji, was the only woman who ran for a seat in the engineers' board; and she won (Link in Arabic). Yet more, Alia Hayel Aboutaiyh Al-Howaite has taken the reins as the first female Saudi jockey to compete at the international level, becoimg a World-Class Jockey.

There is more. Until a few years ago, Saudi women were completely excluded from the public sphere. Now their photographs appear in newspapers, and they have their own picture identification cards rather than being disembodied names on their husbands' or fathers' cards. This means that Saudi ladies can and does travel alone now, although she still needs her husband's permission.

Want more? Okay. Nahed Taher, a Saudi lady was appointed chief executive officer of the new Gulf One Investment Bank, to become the first woman to head a bank in the conservative Gulf region.

Soon, Saudi women may take the wheel; Saudi Crown Prince hints at lifting the ban.

Die in your exasperation, you terrorist. May we see you all dead and rotten in your dark graves.

Wafa Bin Laden decided to show her butt, and Sabbah pays for it!

Haitham Sabbah — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 18:00:55 +0000

How come?

Well, last few days were hard on my server load. But last night I noticed that the numbers of visitors to my blog exceeded 11K. This has never happened to me. The blog average number of visitors these days are +2K a day, and with 11K, you are talking about number nearly equal to Global Voices visitors a day. It can't happen all of a sudden. Something fishy is going on!

So, I went down the logs of visitors and started analyzing and searching until I found the reason. It all started when an article about Wafa Bin Laden (a.k.a. Wafah Dufour) was published, which says that she is posing her #^&$ to GQ Magazine as their model for January 2006 issue. From there onward, everyone started searching for her nakkked, nuuude, pooorn, seeex (sorry, had to do this for search engine) photos. And of course, because I wrote about her here and here, so you can guess that my blog name is in the list of most (if not all) search engines. In fact, if you search her name in Google, you will get my blog as the first result (shiiit).

So, the crowed went mad looking for her ass, and I had to pay for that.

Well, since this is the case, and it's all about her, and while everyone and their brother is scouring the Internet today for her pictures - you can take that to the bank. One here, too!

Just so you know, Technorati search might help too.

She's not the model niece Osama bin Laden's looking for - but she is modeling.

The question is, famous relatives, is it a Gift or Curse? "I'm sure it is a gift for her, but it is a curse for me."

Now Wafah Dufour is doing an interview and cover photo for GQ in an attempt to boost her career. Apparently it's not easy being the sexy bin Ladin:

"Everyone relates me to that man, and I have nothing to do with him," she said in the article.

"There are 400 other people related to him, but they are all in Saudi Arabia, so nobody's going to get tarred with it.

"I'm the only one here."

"I want to be accepted here, but I feel that everybody's judging me and rejecting me. Come on, where's the American spirit? Accept me. I want to be embraced, because my values are like yours. And I'm here. I'm not hiding."

See my ass:

WOW!

This is how Wafah Dufour, the al Qaeda leader's niece, will appear in the January 2006 issue of GQ magazine.

Well. Thank you, Wafa. I won't mind sharing this blog with you (maybe share few more things?), but how about you pay me few bucks, since you have established your career of... you know!

Saudi women score twice in first polls

Haitham Sabbah — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 19:14:24 +0000

Following up on my post few days ago, here comes the good news: Two Saudi businesswomen swept to an unprecedented victory in elections to the board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday in the first polls in which women stood as candidates in the conservative Muslim kingdom.

Khamis Mushayt Girl

Haitham Sabbah — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 16:04:00 +0000

The much-missed Saudi blogger behind 'The Religious Policeman' blog is back. Amongst other things, he had this observation on the Saudi Justice System: The 26-year-old mother of three, called the ‘Khamis Mushayt Girl’, convicted of murdering a man six years ago is scheduled to be executed next Thursday... The details are uncertain, because all Saudi trials are conducted in secret, without reporters, and without independent defense lawyers, so there's no-one around to give an objective account.

Saudi Woman Can Vote!

Haitham Sabbah — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 11:57:21 +0000

Well, not all, but 600 of them :-)

So, 600 Saudi women are expected to participate in the elections of the chamber of trade and industry in eastern Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Way to go ladies, Good luck!

Wafa Bin Laden dumps her infamous title

Haitham Sabbah — Sun, 17 Jul 2005 12:58:48 +0000

Update: Since you have come that far, this late, I think I know what you are looking for. The photos are here!

Osama Bin Ladin's niece, is now called Wafar Dufour (yakhhh...). She said that she has been forced to change her name in the wake of constant taunts by people, about her family connection to the terrorist responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

Dufour, whose estranged father is Bin-Laden's half-brother, has been struggling with her music career ever since the terrorist attacks on the twin towers took place. On talk show, 'The Big Night' hosted by Donny Deutsch, Dufour clarified that she has been raised by her mother since she was 10 and has nothing to do with the family.

"It's hard to answer these questions. I just want people in the States to know I have nothing to do with that person and it's hard for me to be always associated. It's a big family and I don't know what everybody else has done.

Dufour's mum, CARMEN BIN LADEN, fears her daughter will be targeted as she was after she wrote controversial book INSIDE THE KINGDOM about her experiences in Saudi Arabia.

Dufour says, "When she wrote her book she was scared for her safety. (She feared) that some crazy fundamentalist would say, 'How dare she write something like this,' and she really is scared for me that someone could hurt me."

I think that's fair. People rarely hear the name Bin Laden and think of music. Wafah Bin Ladin as a title is not musical at all ;-)

Hanadi al-Hindi: The first Saudi woman to gets a pilot’s license

Haitham Sabbah — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 09:18:47 +0000

(Guardian) Saudi women cannot drive, but apparently they can fly.

A Saudi woman who recently obtained her pilot's license in Jordan said Thursday she has been hired by a private aviation company to fly commercial planes.

Although proud of her career, Capt. Hanadi Zakaria al-Hindi said she expects an angry reaction when she arrives back in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Conservatives believe women should be confined to home or jobs that do not entail mixing with men, such as in education and philanthropy.

"I am doing a respectable job," al-Hindi said. "I know I will be facing many angry people, but it is my will, and the will of my father, that I become a pilot."

Al-Hindi, 27, graduated last week from the Amman-based Mideast Aviation Academy and plans to join the private aviation firm owned by billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

A statement carried by the Saudi media in November, Alwaleed said al-Hindi had been hired by his firm, the Kingdom Holding Co. He described the decision as a "historic move for Saudi ladies."

"The hiring of a female Saudi pilot is the first of its kind," the statement said. "The move transcends the traditional role of Saudi women, previously confined to working in the health, education and philanthropic sectors."

Mesyaf (Summer Holiday) Marriage, New form of Prostitution in Saudi Arabia!

Haitham Sabbah — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 11:33:42 +0000

No, I'm not kidding. Alarabiya reported this... marriage (in Arabic) and here is my translation to part of the article, followed by my comments:

After Almesyar marriage, blood, cassette, secret, on home, and the pleasure marriage, lately in Saudi Arabia a new form of weird ways of marriage is spreading called "Almesyaf Marriage" (Summer Holiday Marriage) specially between businessmen and businesswoman, to travel together during summer holidays in a state of husband and wife, but breaks as soon as the return home.

The businessmen have some conditions in these "travel wife", most important is that she should have good command of English language both spoken and written, nice looking, sexy and do not mind attending mixed parties.

Some of the Gulf Ameers put condition that the Saudi woman for such marriages should be from a rich powerful and known families, white skin, pretty face, sexy and accepts to travel with him anywhere in the world, specially during summer, she should have good command in English, and the pay (Maher) is not less than 150 thousand Saudi Riyal plus a car and a top class villa.

On the other hand, it's not only businessmen who are looking for wives. Also Saudi Businesswomen go looking for a husband to become "Mehrem" for her during her travel abroad, in a condition that the husband should give her the permit to travel while he should accompany her, but do not stop her from going anywhere once they are outside Saudi Arabia. All that for in return that he can live with her or she buys him a car, etc...

Sheikh Ahmed Abdulqader, an Islamic consultant and a legal marriage officer in Saudi Arabia say that "Summer Holiday Marriage" is important so that men do not fall in prostitution during their travel abroad, specially that some woman are lately not ready to devote enough time for their husbands due to their life occupation, so the husband understands these circumstances and therefore such different type of marriages become necessary such as "Summer Holiday Marriage".

Mrs. N.C. 33 years old, married her friend's husband with the knowledge of her friend and family, who understood the necessity of her getting married before she can travel aboard to get her Ph.D

Is this legal prostitution or not? Come on, this sucks!!! Is this the rights the Saudi woman are looking for? I mean how can they call for right (these rich ladies) while they act in such a such prostitution mind? Is this the freedom you are fighting for? I mean how you want us to sympathy with Saudi ladies when we hear all of this shit? Com'n, have some dignity and honor, and I'm speaking only to those Saudi woman who accept and believe in such cultural failure. You suck, you are no more than a prostitute and for those men, you are no more than sex sick maniacs, and should be hanged from your balls. I don't even feel sorry for you, you made me feel disgusted, and shame of being called an Arab citizen!

Saudi women rated least free in Arab world

Haitham Sabbah — Sun, 22 May 2005 19:06:47 +0000

Saudi Arabia received the lowest rating on women's freedom in a new survey released at the World Economic Forum 2005 - Jordan.

The survey, conducted by the Freedom House, is the first comparative assessment of women's rights in 17 nations in the Middle East and North Africa.

It found a "substantial deficit of women's rights ... Women are at a profound disadvantage in practically every institution of society, the criminal justice system, the economy, education, health care and the media."

"Only three countries -- Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia -- scored above average in some areas of women's rights, while Saudi Arabia received the lowest scores," the study found.

"While women in the region have made substantial gains in education, none of the countries evaluated meets internationally recognized standards for women's rights protections," the study said.

Wafa: Bin Laden’s niece – A material girl, not Madonna

Haitham Sabbah — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 13:27:06 +0000

Update: Since you have come that far, this late, I think I know what you are looking for. The photos are here!

I was looking at Al Arabiya website when I came across the story of 'Wafa Bin Laden'. A little search and found few articles about her. Anyway, here is the story from some news clips:

She walks down the street on the Upper East Side, thin and stylish. But no one's asking, "Who's That Girl?"

For, almost all her neighbours know who she is ï¿½ despite the fact that she has added a twist to her family name. Her uncle is the world's most wanted. And she's probably one of the most unwanted.

Meet Wafa'a Bin Laden (or Wafah Binladin as she like to spell her name), niece of Osama bin Laden who wants to be an Arab version of Madonna. But a friend quoted in the New York Post said, "She wants to be a pop star but no record company will have her."

Wafah blames her infamous uncle ï¿½ whom she has met just once ï¿½ for ruining her legal and musical careers.

Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell said, "There's only one worse surname you could have to launch a pop career, and that's Hitler."

"At first, we all had sympathy for her and thought she was a nice girl with an unfortunate family connection. But she's this extremely spoilt wealthy girl," a friend said. "And the way she treats people. Now she is trying to make money by giving French lessons. But if you don't want her French lessons, she will hang up and scream, 'Bitch!"'

Wafa'a was born an American citizen while her father was studying in California. She grew up in Switzerland in a multimillion-dollar mansion. She studied law at Geneva University before going on to Columbia for a three-year doctorate.

In 2001, she lived in a $6,000-a-month loft on Spring Street, just ten blocks from WTC. Shopkeepers knew her as a big spender. A saleswoman at Bigdrop reported that she would spend thousands at a time on designer clothes. But in the months before the 9/11 attacks, she left for London.

Binladin is living on Park Avenue, and frequenting New York's poshest clubs and bars. Some city folk are outraged that she should be living a life of luxury so close to the hole in the ground where the twin towers once stood.

She has left her Muslim background behind and adapted herself to Western culture (with all what that means). She even changed the spelling of her last name to the more Western "Binladin".

ï¿½Because of this last name that I have nothing to do with, the western world hates me, and because Iï¿½ve chosen American values, the Saudi Arabian world hates me,ï¿½ the singer lamented.

Her mother, Carmen Bin Ladin, lives in Geneva and has been separated for 15 years from her husband, Yeslam, the half-brother of the terrorist mastermind.

Yeslam Bin Ladin maintains that he has had no contact with Osama for years. He has been accused in a lawsuit filed by victims of the September 11 attacks of ï¿½providing material financial support to international terrorismï¿½ through his half-brother, but has vigorously rejected such allegations.

I donï¿½t speak Arabic. I donï¿½t have a Saudi passport. I play guitar, I write and sing music.ï¿½

Wafah is known as a party girl, who once danced with President George W Bushï¿½s daughter Jenna at a nightclub in the south of France. (Wow, what a privilage!)

Carmenï¿½s marriage to Yeslam disintegrated when he expected their children to be brought up conservatively. ï¿½My husband doesnï¿½t even acknowledge his daughters when he sees them on the street,ï¿½ she said.

According to Wafah, her mother fears ï¿½some fundamentalist will do away with meï¿½ because of her new career. She is currently working on an album and demo tape under the name Wafah Dufour (her motherï¿½s maiden name) and describes her voice as ï¿½sort of Chrissie Hyndeï¿½ ï¿½ a reference to the vocalist with The Pretenders.

She added: ï¿½I am not a bimbo. I donï¿½t want sympathy. I only ask that people try to understand.ï¿½

Ok. I understand. My advice to you: Consult some "Animal Rights Associations." They might grant you some rights as being American. On the other hand, I don't think that the 'fundamentalists' will target a bitch like you, unless you happen to be in a place targeted by them. I mean, who are you to be targeted?!

Cheep propaganda against Arab, their culture and values. I wont say religion or Islam, as I believe that's a personal choice, but all articles about this bitch are going around the Arab culture, freedom, terrorism, US dream, etc... To hell, do what you want. You are nothing more than a digit on the left!