Woman in Short Skirt Sparks Debate, and Arrest, in Saudi Arabia Video of the woman walking around a historic town went viral in the conservative kingdom By Margherita Stancati
https://www.wsj.com/articles/woman-in-short-skirt-sparks-debate-and-arrest-in-saudi-arabia-1500413989
Saudi Arabia’s police detained a woman for appearing in public wearing a short skirt and a cropped top, a violation of the country’s strict dress code, state media said on Tuesday.
A video of the woman walking around the historic town of Ushayqir, which first surfaced on Snapchat, went viral on Saudi social media over the weekend, sparking a fierce debate in the kingdom, with some speaking out in her defense and others calling for her swift punishment.
The woman, who hasn’t been officially named, was detained by police in Riyadh for wearing “immodest clothing” and the case was referred to the public prosecutor, state television said.
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and a key U.S. ally in the battle against religious extremism, enforces one of the world’s strictest interpretations of the religion, largely the product of the ruling monarchy’s longstanding alliance with the powerful Sunni Muslim clerical establishment.
Women must wear loose, head-to-toe gowns known as abayas in public, though exceptions are made for foreign officials and their spouses. Most women wear all-black abayas and choose to wear face-covering veils known as niqabs.
Translation: “Had she been a foreigner, they would’ve raved over the beauty of her waistline and the attractiveness of her eyes. But because she’s Saudi, they’re after her prosecution.”
“The law must apply to her,” said a tweet from the account of Aisha Al Otaibi, ahead of the woman’s detention. “Europe forces women to remove their veils. In our country law is based on Islamic Shariah, and it must be respected. She insulted it and must be punished to teach a lesson.” The Twitter user’s profile said she is based in Jeddah.
There is no written penal code in Saudi Arabia, where judges issue verdicts based on interpretations of Islamic law, or Shariah.
The reaction to the video reflects internal tensions over the future of the kingdom, with those who are pushing for change pitted against those resisting it.
“A woman wanders in the heritage town of Ushayqir. The world has not come to an end—it’s a pleasant sight. There is no insult in it. She’s a human, she is a person,” said a tweet from the account of Waleed Al Nasser.CONTINUE AT SITE
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