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Saudi clerics call for ban on women appearing in media
by AFP on Wednesday, 25 March 2009

NO WOMEN: Hardline clerics in Saudi say images of women in popular newspapers and magazine are 'obscene' and should be banned. (Getty Images)Hardline Saudi clerics have called on the government to ban women from appearing on television and to prohibit their images in print media, which they called a sign of growing "deviant thought."

In a letter to new Information Minister Abdul Aziz Al Khoja that appeared on websites this week, the 35 Islamic clerics also condemned the increase of music and dancing on television, as well as images of women in popular newspapers and magazines that they labelled "obscene."

"Our faith in you is great to carry out media reform, for we have seen how perversity is rooted in the ministry of information and culture, on television, radio, in the press, literary clubs, and book fairs," the letter said.

It cited an alleged plan to "westernise" Saudi women by "reducing their rights to a question of removing veils, wearing makeup and mixing with men."


It added that the ministry had permitted the import of "obscene newspapers and magazines that are filled with deviant thought and pictures of beautiful women on its covers and inside."
"There should be no Saudi woman on television, in any case," they said.

"There is no doubt that this is religiously impermissible."

The clerics, including justice officials and academics from a conservative Islamic university, cited several cabinet-endorsed orders and policies from years past which they said supported their argument.

They appeared to be challenging a growing push for liberalisation of tough restrictions on women, including near-mandatory use of black, full-face veils, which are rooted in its ultra-conservative Wahhabi version of Islam.

Both Saudi television and print media increasingly feature women, while Arabic-language magazines showing women in Western garb and makeup are also widely sold in the country.

The letter came in the wake of an information ministry-sponsored book fair in Riyadh in early March at which religious conservatives complained that men and women were allowed to mix freely, and that some books on sale violated Islamic principles.

The book fair was marred by the muttawam, or Islamic morality police, harassing a woman author promoting her book and trying to prevent men from obtaining her autograph.

I believe that its commonly referred to as;

ONE STEP[ FORWARD TWO STEPS BACKWARD

Hopefully the clerics will be ignored.

Del wrote:Hopefully the clerics will be ignored.

Wishful thinking Del.

I sincerely don't believe this will happen in SA either. Just my opinion. Mind you they still are waiting to drive legally....the law against them driving is still in place even though women do drive (but run the risk of ultra-harsh punishment if they commit an offence).

These people are idiots who live in the dark ages! Ignore them! The Saudi royal family would never allow that anyway!

Chocoholic wrote:These people are idiots who live in the dark ages! Ignore them! The Saudi royal family would never allow that anyway!

and you say the SA royal family wont allow it because they are your friends??????


come on.

rudeboy wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:These people are idiots who live in the dark ages! Ignore them! The Saudi royal family would never allow that anyway!

and you say the SA royal family wont allow it because they are your friends??????


come on.

They are part of her "entourage"

I was in Riyadh last year and I find it strange that inside Faisaliah Mall the majority of stores sell "western" women's clothing and lingerie.

yujinn wrote:I was in Riyadh last year and I find it strange that inside Faisaliah Mall the majority of stores sell "western" women's clothing and lingerie.

And why not?

gtmash wrote:

rudeboy wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:These people are idiots who live in the dark ages! Ignore them! The Saudi royal family would never allow that anyway!

and you say the SA royal family wont allow it because they are your friends??????


come on.

They are part of her "entourage"

I think she uses that to say for her friends as she used in the other post!!!!

sage & onion wrote:

yujinn wrote:I was in Riyadh last year and I find it strange that inside Faisaliah Mall the majority of stores sell "western" women's clothing and lingerie.

And why not?

sorry, I meant "revealing" "western" women's clothing and sexy lingrie which I find strange, unless women there like to dress up with those with their girl-friends. What's the purpose of wearing those among women?
And also I have this notion that since they're so conservative, why do they let men see those 'indecent' wares?

yujinn wrote:

sage & onion wrote:

yujinn wrote:I was in Riyadh last year and I find it strange that inside Faisaliah Mall the majority of stores sell "western" women's clothing and lingerie.

And why not?

sorry, I meant "revealing" "western" women's clothing and sexy lingrie which I find strange, unless women there like to dress up with those with their girl-friends. What's the purpose of wearing those among women?
And also I have this notion that since they're so conservative, why do they let men see those 'indecent' wares?

No problem to dress like this in private.

sage & onion wrote:

yujinn wrote:

sage & onion wrote:

yujinn wrote:I was in Riyadh last year and I find it strange that inside Faisaliah Mall the majority of stores sell "western" women's clothing and lingerie.

And why not?

sorry, I meant "revealing" "western" women's clothing and sexy lingrie which I find strange, unless women there like to dress up with those with their girl-friends. What's the purpose of wearing those among women?
And also I have this notion that since they're so conservative, why do they let men see those 'indecent' wares?

No problem to dress like this in private.

True. Private.

Yes, SA is #$%^% up, but that is the least of their issues.