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Discuss this article (5 Comments)Women told to stay at home
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Wednesday, 23 April 2008
DUTY CALLS: Sheikh Abdul said a woman's duty is to be at home bringing up children. (Getty Images)
A woman’s duty is to be at home, bringing up children, a member of Saudi's Shura Council told a forum on Tuesday.
“We have to understand that the basic duty of women is at home and bringing up children,” said Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, Saudi daily Arab News reported on Wednesday.
Sheikh Abdul was speaking at the two-day National Dialogue Forum in Buraidah during which delegates called for the creation of more employment opportunities for Saudi women.
Sheikh Abdul said that although women should stay at home it was not against Islamic law, which the conservative Muslim kingdom follows strictly.
He said women could work as long as they do not mix with unrelated men.
Under Saudi law women are not allowed to be alone in the company of a man that is not a male guardian, which can either be a father, husband, brother or son. Restaurants, cafes, shops and offices are all required to have separate areas for men and women.
Under law women are also not permitted to work, travel or marry, and can be denied access to health, judicial and other public services without first obtaining permission from a male guardian.
Forum delegate Rafeeqa Al-Dakhil said she had witnessed “thousands” of foreign women working in health care and other sectors, while “Saudi women waited in long queues for jobs”.
Another delegate, Muneera Al-Sheikha, said transportation was a key problem and companies should arrange transportation for their female employees.
Sheikh Abdul's remarks come just days after Human Rights Watch accused the Saudi government of denying women basic human rights under the kingdom's male guardianship and strict gender segregation policies.
The US-based group called on the government to dismantle the "grossly discriminatory" guardianship system and drastically expand the facilities available for women to allow them equal access to public services.
Human Rights Watch said more than 100 women were interviewed for the report, 'Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia'.
READERS' COMMENTS
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Unbelieable!
Posted by Edda on Friday 23 May 2008 at 17:20 UAE time
Excuse me, but these statement must be from another planet, and if not, from the middle ages. I really feel pity for all women in Saudi Arabia and can't really understand how can they be deprived of basic human rights based on the fact that they are women. I hope one day all Saudi women will have a decent, equal life in which they will exist.
Posted by Edda on Friday 23 May 2008 at 17:20 UAE time
Excuse me, but these statement must be from another planet, and if not, from the middle ages. I really feel pity for all women in Saudi Arabia and can't really understand how can they be deprived of basic human rights based on the fact that they are women. I hope one day all Saudi women will have a decent, equal life in which they will exist.
Women at Home
Posted by A man by Instinct! on Sunday 27 April 2008 at 12:13 UAE time
Women should go home and look after a more critical issue which is to raise the nation ... to teach the next generation and raise stronger kids in ideology. People first need to understand that it is a fact that they are either men or women, and then play their role accordingly.
It is not just that man wants to dominate! A true man is raised by a true "MOTHER" which I do not find a lot of nowadays. Just see the new generations and how strangely they behave - they lack substance and the guidance.
After eons you pretend that you have woken up from a long sleep and found that there is discrimination. I will tell you the majority of women do not want to be like men in everything ... but they are those who have disorders and who wants to be like a man.
There is a difference between a father and a mother.
Women are left alone and then they face abuse. Houses are left alone with no guardian and then they face chaos.
Just to make things clear... I am not against women working ... but I am asking them to rethink how they were created, in what body they were fitted and then to work accordingly (and ask yourself as a natural women can I lift heavy stuff like a man, then you will say 'no sure I cannot man was made stronger than women' - this applies to a lot of other activities).
And I really want to know who are those women rights or human rights ... are they aliens? I don't they understand the difference ... but I will tell you who they are ... They are humans to are against GOD; well if they believe in him, and they are not happy with how he created him...
* Note: I am not Saudi ... and I don't say that they are 100% correct ... they are human after all!
Posted by A man by Instinct! on Sunday 27 April 2008 at 12:13 UAE time
Women should go home and look after a more critical issue which is to raise the nation ... to teach the next generation and raise stronger kids in ideology. People first need to understand that it is a fact that they are either men or women, and then play their role accordingly.
It is not just that man wants to dominate! A true man is raised by a true "MOTHER" which I do not find a lot of nowadays. Just see the new generations and how strangely they behave - they lack substance and the guidance.
After eons you pretend that you have woken up from a long sleep and found that there is discrimination. I will tell you the majority of women do not want to be like men in everything ... but they are those who have disorders and who wants to be like a man.
There is a difference between a father and a mother.
Women are left alone and then they face abuse. Houses are left alone with no guardian and then they face chaos.
Just to make things clear... I am not against women working ... but I am asking them to rethink how they were created, in what body they were fitted and then to work accordingly (and ask yourself as a natural women can I lift heavy stuff like a man, then you will say 'no sure I cannot man was made stronger than women' - this applies to a lot of other activities).
And I really want to know who are those women rights or human rights ... are they aliens? I don't they understand the difference ... but I will tell you who they are ... They are humans to are against GOD; well if they believe in him, and they are not happy with how he created him...
* Note: I am not Saudi ... and I don't say that they are 100% correct ... they are human after all!
Not true at all
Posted by Ohood, Riyadh, KSA on Saturday 26 April 2008 at 12:08 UAE time
I would like to comments in some points in the article
As a decent e-newsletter we look up for right and correct information. I am a women working in a mix work environment like many of other females in here. Our religion and law does not prevent us from working with other males. However, it does prevent from being in a closed room a single female with a single male and I think that is right.
In addition, Saudi women have improved themselves in many areas and they even take a lead in others.
(Denied access to health, judicial and other public services without first obtaining permission from a male guardian.)
This statement is totally wrong as I said above I am working alone and away of my family in a mixed area
and we can go to any facility, health, judicial ,other public services and shopping and a lot more, and we even many times come home late.
We are not in a closed, backward system.
So try a little bit to dig out for the truth before publishing the wrong information.
Posted by Ohood, Riyadh, KSA on Saturday 26 April 2008 at 12:08 UAE time
I would like to comments in some points in the article
As a decent e-newsletter we look up for right and correct information. I am a women working in a mix work environment like many of other females in here. Our religion and law does not prevent us from working with other males. However, it does prevent from being in a closed room a single female with a single male and I think that is right.
In addition, Saudi women have improved themselves in many areas and they even take a lead in others.
(Denied access to health, judicial and other public services without first obtaining permission from a male guardian.)
This statement is totally wrong as I said above I am working alone and away of my family in a mixed area
and we can go to any facility, health, judicial ,other public services and shopping and a lot more, and we even many times come home late.
We are not in a closed, backward system.
So try a little bit to dig out for the truth before publishing the wrong information.
Women told to stay at home- Can you please learn from your mistakes
Posted by LUBNA KARIM on Thursday 24 April 2008 at 00:30 UAE time
Despite our constant messages pointing out your mistakes in http://www.arabianbusiness.com/517141-saudi-women-denied-basic-human-rights - Arabian Business has shown it is as ignorant as many western written newsletters. CUT AND PASTE NO VERIFICATION
Once again
In your article on women and human rights you write, "Under Saudi law women are not allowed to be alone in the company of a male guardian, which can either be a father, husband, brother or son." This is false. In fact, the only MEN that women ARE ALLOWED to be alone with are their guardians or close relatives - father, husband, brother, son, grandfather, uncle, grandfather, etc.
May I kindly ask what are you trying to prove - it only discredits your publications. Sorry you are off our 'list of reputable sources of information' as you fail to read what you right even if you are corrected.
Shame on you.
Editor's Reply This is a mistake and we apologise. What we meant to write was under Saudi law women are not allowed to be alone in the company of anyone other than a male guardian, which can either be a father...
The text will be corrected.
Posted by LUBNA KARIM on Thursday 24 April 2008 at 00:30 UAE time
Despite our constant messages pointing out your mistakes in http://www.arabianbusiness.com/517141-saudi-women-denied-basic-human-rights - Arabian Business has shown it is as ignorant as many western written newsletters. CUT AND PASTE NO VERIFICATION
Once again
In your article on women and human rights you write, "Under Saudi law women are not allowed to be alone in the company of a male guardian, which can either be a father, husband, brother or son." This is false. In fact, the only MEN that women ARE ALLOWED to be alone with are their guardians or close relatives - father, husband, brother, son, grandfather, uncle, grandfather, etc.
May I kindly ask what are you trying to prove - it only discredits your publications. Sorry you are off our 'list of reputable sources of information' as you fail to read what you right even if you are corrected.
Shame on you.
Editor's Reply This is a mistake and we apologise. What we meant to write was under Saudi law women are not allowed to be alone in the company of anyone other than a male guardian, which can either be a father...
The text will be corrected.
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