'Feminist' Islam

[Black Orchid]

The system of male guardianship is still very much in place in Saudi Arabia and means every woman passes from the control of one male legal guardian to another from childhood to adulthood.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has tried to limit its scope and the kingdom has granted women greater rights in recent years — including the right to drive, run and vote in local elections and play sports in school.

But the reforms have been limited and Ms Eltahawy said Mohammed Bin Salman, who she called the de-facto leader of Saudi Arabia, "is definitely no emancipator of women".

"I think that he has, unfortunately, been able to fool many of Saudi Arabia's western allies and many western media … wanting to say he is emancipating [women].

"He is not … in the same way that South Africa used racial apartheid, Saudi Arabia uses the guardianship system as a form of gender apartheid."

Guardians are male relatives, usually a husband, father or uncle, but in some circumstances a brother or a son can even become his mother's guardian.

"Now this could be a grown woman, a professor, who needs her teenaged son's permission if his older male relatives are dead," Ms Eltahawy said.

"The guardianship system basically renders women and girls from birth to death perpetual minors."

Women need a guardian's permission for things like travelling abroad, marrying or leaving jail, and in some cases, working or receiving medical care.

They also struggle to conduct the business of their everyday life without a male relative — including registering to vote, renting an apartment, and filing legal claims.

A Human Rights Watch report on the system in 2016 found some guardians have even conditioned their consent for women to work or to travel "on her paying him large sums of money".

[Black Orchid]

So how does this impact women?

Ben Rich, a lecturer in international relations and Middle East politics at Curtin University, says despite a recent focus on emerging women's rights in the country, "women still remain extremely in the place of second-class citizenry".

"Much of [women's] legal and economic autonomy is still captured under the guardianship laws, in which they need to have a male guardian — be that their father, their husband, or even in some cases their son — make important legal decisions that they have no ability over," he said.

"[Alqunun's case] is a real demonstration of that.

"Her claims that she's been abused physically and mentally is not particularly unexpected under those types of conditions."

So what happens to women who flee or speak out?

Those who decide to speak out can be put in jail or condemned publicly.

"There are 17 feminists in Saudi prisons who clearly show us the dangers of being feminists and human rights activists," Ms Eltahawy said.

She says the Crown Prince wants to tell Saudi Arabians that activism doesn't work and instead wants people to think that what the regime gives is what works.

"The Saudi regime is terrified the guardianship system could in any way be attacked or called into question by these activists," she said.

"So what that says for the future of activism in Saudi Arabia is that we must pay attention to these activists in prison because we have heard that they have been tortured."

Meanwhile, Saudi females who flee their families are almost always running away from abusive male relatives, often a father or brother in fear they could be killed after publicly denouncing the faith or publicising their identities online.

According to the Associated Press, there are no public statistics available for how many Saudi women try to flee abroad each year, but recent statistics show an estimated 577 Saudi women tried to flee their homes within Saudi Arabia in 2015.

Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters the desire for women to escape these "awful situations" is understandable, but also dangerous.

Experts say cases where women have fled have ended badly, with some women disappearing after being forcibly returned to their countries.

Others are jailed for violating so-called obedience laws and only a male guardian can sign for their release, while some have become destitute or trapped in legal limbo.

In extreme instances, some have been found dead.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-10/ ... d/10703754

[Black Orchid]

So is Ms Alqunun still at risk?
Ms Eltahawy said many Saudis have openly expressed some concern for her situation and are very worried about her.

"And it's not just because, for now, she's gained a reprieve from being deported and repatriated, but also more troublingly her father is a powerful man," she said.

"It's come to light that her father is a governor of a province in Saudi Arabia, which means that he is connected to the highest powers of that kingdom and that means he has a lot of muscle behind him.

"So yes, they can try to find her."

These are the people we should be granting asylum to and where are the new wave loony feminists? Ahh that's right they are running around doing absolutely nothing for these women by saying what a 'feminist' religion islam is and hysterically screeching 'racist' and 'bigot' at everyone who disagrees and actually tries to change things for these oppressed women!

[Neferti]

So is Ms Alqunun still at risk?
Ms Eltahawy said many Saudis have openly expressed some concern for her situation and are very worried about her.

"And it's not just because, for now, she's gained a reprieve from being deported and repatriated, but also more troublingly her father is a powerful man," she said.

"It's come to light that her father is a governor of a province in Saudi Arabia, which means that he is connected to the highest powers of that kingdom and that means he has a lot of muscle behind him.

"So yes, they can try to find her."

These are the people we should be granting asylum to and where are the new wave loony feminists? Ahh that's right they are running around doing absolutely nothing for these women by saying what a 'feminist' religion islam is and hysterically screeching 'racist' and 'bigot' at everyone who disagrees and actually tries to change things for these oppressed women!

Totally agree.

[Outlaw Yogi]

Expecting this topic/issue to become a thread, I thought the feminazis would condemn this runaway as Islamaphobic, being an apostate (abandoned Islam) 'n all.
Yesterday I saw a report/article about 4 feminazis having a topless protest at Marin Place, demanding the runaway be given asylum.
Later on I saw the headline of another report stating she had been granted asylum by Australia.
Seems the feminazis have had to put their ethics where there mouth is ... for a change.

The 1st photo I saw of this 18 year old Saudi runaway looked like she had quite a bushy mono-brow.
Later images look photo-shopped and a bit hazy, giving her a somewhat East Asian appearance.
So I'm wondering if the refugee advocacy industry air brushed her photo to make her prettier/more appealing?

Whatever the case, it doesn't matter, she's abandoned Islam, so good luck to her.

[Neferti]

Canada has invited her to live there.

[sprintcyclist]

Expecting this topic/issue to become a thread, I thought the feminazis would condemn this runaway as Islamaphobic, being an apostate (abandoned Islam) 'n all.
Yesterday I saw a report/article about 4 feminazis having a topless protest at Marin Place, demanding the runaway be given asylum.
Later on I saw the headline of another report stating she had been granted asylum by Australia.
Seems the feminazis have had to put their ethics where there mouth is ... for a change.

The 1st photo I saw of this 18 year old Saudi runaway looked like she had quite a bushy mono-brow.
Later images look photo-shopped and a bit hazy, giving her a somewhat East Asian appearance.
So I'm wondering if the refugee advocacy industry air brushed her photo to make her prettier/more appealing?

Whatever the case, it doesn't matter, she's abandoned Islam, so good luck to her.

yes, good luck to her but i sure don't want her or anything like that here.

[The Reboot]

Now that's an oxymoron.

[Valkie]

Some women want to be dominated and beaten.

Well, that's the only reason I see women protecting Islam.

[The Reboot]

Some women want to be dominated and beaten.

Well, that's the only reason I see women protecting Islam.

Depends. If they were born into that culture they don't know any better and accept their place willingly. For who can deny Allah's will?

But yes, you are right. There are plenty of women with serious emotional baggage and other issues who take abuse because they think the alternative is worse - being alone.