“A young Saudi Arabian woman was murdered by her father for chatting on the social network site Facebook. The unnamed woman from Riyadh was beaten and shot after she was discovered in the middle of an online conversation with a man, the al-Arabiya website reported.
The case was reported on a Saudi Arabian news site as an example of the “strife” the social networking site is causing in the Islamic nation. Saudi preacher Ali al-Maliki has emerged as the leading critic of Facebook, claiming the network is corrupting the youth of the nation. “Facebook is a door to lust and young women and men are spending more on their mobile phones and the Internet than they are spending on food,” he said. “
I know we say we live in the lucky country but never is it more obvious than in circumstances like these.
Like the woman sentenced to death for naming a children’s teddy-bear Mohammed, these situations sicken and enrage the average person let-alone a woman as myself!
I have often thought, what can I do about it? I would love to travel over there and do something personally about it but I have realised that like our fore-mothers in the western world have done for our women’s rights, like the african-americans did for their equality, they have to take up this fight themself.
I could go over there and try and give them the courage and awareness even to do so but to carry it out they have to fully believe in it themself and right now it is obvious, as a collective they do not! Unfortunately, they are too entrenched in their own religion and culture to even be aware of their rights as a living creature let alone as a woman.
This may seem a little naive but I still think, that if we cared more, in this day and age, we would find a way to help them; our sisters.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/31/wsaudi131.xml
Cilla
23 comments
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April 2, 2008 at 9:13 pm
mark
You know, I’m always a little worried when I see how people in the west react to things like this. There is this interesting, initial assumption, that when things like this make the papers in the Arab World that what has been reported, actually happened. I’m no expert on Middle Eastern Culture, but, even I know that what you read in the papers (anywhere), isn’t always the way things happened. I find that in Saudi as well as other places in Asia, what you think you are hearing, and what you think you are seeing, probably isn’t what you think it is. In fact, I’ve learned that if what you think is happening, is actually happening, you’ve probably been had. I would suggest that when anyone comes across something like this your first thoughts shouldn’t be, “these people are cruel and foolish, wonder why this happened?” But, should be “These people are as smart and caring as I am, wonder what really happened?”
April 4, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Cilla
Thank you for your comment.
C.
June 10, 2008 at 9:50 am
Sara G
hi i am a 20 years old Saudi women i use facebook allday long and used zorpia and tagged before it.
i never been beaten or threaten by any member of my family.
all the women in my family are well educated and are working.
i will not lie and say that Saudi Arabia is perfect country that gives us our full right that we were givin by the islamic law(plz dont believe what u see and hear about the islamic law and if u want to talk about it plz read about it before u talk)
but niether the western countries are perfect.
since u are talking about this girl that she was killed by her sick father lets talk about the man in Austria who kept his daughter in the basement for 24 years and raped her and had 7 children from her isn’t he sick?
and every day we hear stories about fathers who are abusing thier daugters or wives.
and i really i hope that when u talk about the sick stories that happens in saudi arabia dont think that the majority of the ppl living here are like this.
but the thing that i hate the most i s that i cant drive and i really really love driving
P.S Saudi’s are not terrorist and we dont hate u guys we just hate the stuped government that are killing women and children in the muslim countries :S
thank u
June 10, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Cilla
Hi Sara,
Thank you for your comment.
Your positive story is good to hear and gives one faith in such matters.
P.S. We aren’t always in agreeance with our Government’s decisions.
C.
June 24, 2008 at 8:50 pm
anonymos
im a saudi teenager , a princess ,
i know about saudi laws and the goverment , trust me!
saudi isnt as closed minded as people think it is , if it was then y am i online ?! , and im royalty , all my family members are in the goverment !
these stories are only regognized when happining in anywhere in the moddle east !
if u really care about helping girls who are abused help girls in contries like the US or the UK.. there are waaay more problems there!
p.s, i live in New York!
June 25, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Cilla
Hi anonymos,
Thank you for your comment.
I have to say though, that I am aware of the vast difference in circumstances between the rich and the poor in that part of the world.
I wonder how many are as fortunate as you.
I am from AUSTRALIA.
C.
June 26, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Ahmed
Hey
I am from Riyadh, Saudi. I want to say what My sister Sara has said earlier. In addition to she said, I believe that each country in the worl has specific tradition, thus, we (should) respect that anyway.
I see most women in many countries including my country are very educated and have their own rights to do whatever they want, BUT sometimes they have housholders , mostly parents, to control and force them to do what these houshloders want and practice their authority over them. Finally, the bad acts from the housholders in Saudi Arabia are from their, housholders, own culture NOT from Islam.
I hope that my point is understandable.
Thank you.
Best wishes.
June 26, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Cilla
Hi Ahmed,
Thank you for your comment.
I agree, traditions should be respected but I do believe that human rights should NEVER be interfered with no matter what country or tradition.
People are more important than traditions, they/we should be respected above all.
Yes, each household may act in their own right but when they act unlawfully that is what governments are for.
Laws are there to protect the people, not control them. If there are no laws as such in place then there needs to be.
Cheers,
C.
July 24, 2008 at 1:38 am
Ghada
Hey C
I’m a Saudi girl.. of course we didn’t get all of our rights here which Islam gave to us as Mulsim women, because in Saudi Arabia we Saudi women lack many of our rights here because of following and believing in some old & backward traditions and customs which has nothing to do with our peacefull religion Islam.
And today we Saudi women are fighting for our whole rights that we deserved and given since beginning of our great religion.
Yes, there are many women who suffer in my society, but NOT all Saudi women are the same, we also have educated and nice men here,
Men in my family are kind and respect all women.
I have a cell phone and and my own computer, and I surf the internet whenever I want, and in my room.
I’m a working woman; I work as a journalist and at the same time I’m a secretary in The Human Rights commision of Saudi Arabia, and I live a very good life… What I mean, is that Saudi women aren’t jailed like many people think about us in other countries.
And the most important thing to say, is that Islam is not responsible for human rights violations, violence, and terrorism…. Islam is the religion of peace, love, and good manners, but u know bad people are everywhere, even in your country there are good and bad people….. no body is perfect! that’s the way it is!
If u want to know what is Islam and how Islam respect women best, check out this website:
http://www.islam-guide.com/
Peace!
G
July 29, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Your DaD
if u still na blev da wat da abov personz sa dan fuk ur self betch n go to hell….
not saudi but lov da plac
August 5, 2008 at 11:20 am
Cilla
Hmm……no comment necessary.
C.
August 12, 2008 at 10:41 pm
maria
For a rather different perspective on Saudi Arabia than those above and from someone who has lived and worked there, I recommend Ed Hussain’s book ‘The Islamist’ which is an autobiographical account of a London born Muslim, who became a fundamentalist in his teens but later rejected political Islamism and was drawn to Sufism. He spent some time first in Syria then in Saudi teaching English and in his book he reveals how the latter country is even more barbaric and inhumane than are inclined to think.
He was horrified by the racist mentality of the people. He went to see the Karantina area of Jeddah for himself and describes the day he spent there as the worst in his life: in this oil-rich nation he found a place where thousands of African illegal immigrants had been “abandoned, quite literally, under a flyover”. That they are Muslims themselves counts for nothing – they are condemned to a life of misery, poverty, squalor, prostitution and disease. “Muslims enjoy a better lifestyle in non-Muslm Britain than in Saudi Arabia,” he writes. He describes how Saudis habitually call black people “niggers” and how they view Hitler as some kind of hero.
He also described his astonishment at the unashamed attention men paid to his own hijab-wearing wife and the treatment of women in general. His colleagues and students – who evidently trusted him as someone of Saudi origin – told stories of women and men being abducted and raped and of the total obsession with pornography. (Students would use the British Council computers to access hardcore porn because they couldn’t see it anywhere else). Saudis he met readily admitted that the fact women are segregated and forced to cover themselves leads to a very unhealthy mentality. He writes, “Millions of young Saudis were not allowed to let their sexuality blossom naturally and, as a result, they could see the opposite gender only as sex objects.”
No, we are not without our problems in the West. But the difference, as Hussain points out, is that at least we are open about our problems and not trying to deny them or cover them up.
December 30, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Arian
Hi Cilla,
Thanks for your insightful report regarding women’s life in Saudi Arabia. I am a Persian(Iranian) student in Canada and have faced with that people here think that the condition and situation is the same as Saudi Arabia for women in Iran. Probably you think the same, but I have lived 22 years in Iran and have never seen such events. People think all islamic countries are the same, but it is not. I just wonder if you could provide us with an insightful report about women’s condition in my country, Iran. I declare that women’s condition in Iran should improve but it is not as complicated as Arabic countries.
I wish you a merry Christmas and all the best in new year,
Arian
January 18, 2009 at 5:58 am
bandar
Piece be on you, how do we define our rights in a society that already have judge us as caveman how treats their woman as probates rather than a person ! It is a lost cause, I fight for what all know is right love and kindness . but in the name of humanity are we the refection that defends our religion!!!!! That is 1oo% right but most of us have lost the way, if you are saying that human rights is lost in Saudi Arabia then why do you career ? is it because you are a famines our you are a good person how don’t like crawl men? If so, then Our woman have their rights and no one will demolish that ! no sick act of temporally insane person how lost it ! will take that and I’m sad for him he lost his little girl for anger .” Saudi woman they know what they want where and how to achieve it, only time will reveal the cloud that had been shaded on Saudi woooo-man, their name is part of us man which mean they are half the society “.
February 3, 2009 at 11:50 pm
ALi
Hi I’m saudi arabia
sorry i don’t have time but i wont say
For all the talk is not true .. The picture presented seems to be related to
Another problem ..
Saudi Arabia has given full freedom to the men and women ..
I now live in Britain .. I think that women in Britain only
Played at a time is aimed at young people and old age!
Is this freedom
sorry abut that
I think This is true ?
تحياتي لكم سبينر
March 8, 2009 at 11:07 am
Rachel
I am appalled at the complete and utter denial of the way women have been and continue to be treated in parts of the world, especially the Middle East.
There are countless books written by account of Saudi Arabian women. Read “Princess” by Jean P. Sasson. If you don’t feel ashamed at silencing this brave Saudi princesses’ voice by denying her struggle, then shame on you.
Violence happens everywhere. But in a world where 13 year old children are “forced to marry men five times their age, young women killed by drowning, stoning or isolation in the “woman’s room”, a padded, windowless cell where women are confined with neither light nor conversation until death claims them, Servants are forced into sexual servitude and severely beaten if they attempt escape”, this type of violence, control and complete and utter lack for womens’ rights as human beings is abhorrent. And these acts weren’t “rare occurrences”. These were atrocities that happen every single day to all women from all walks of life, even those born of the Royal Family. This account of one woman’s life was told a mere 20 years ago. Women weren’t even considered to be of value higher than that of dirt 20 years ago, and yet everyone wants to proclaim that they now have equal rights to Western women and that Western women need the help more so?
Not all women in all Middle Eastern societies are treated this way; just as not all men are bad. I do not blame religion for the way the men have oppressed their women, instead I blame the men for bending their religion to work for them.
All I’m saying is the atrocities committed by the men on a large scale all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, should not be ignored or denied by anyone, especially by women.
May 4, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Ahmed
Well, stumbled upon this article.
From my experience they (Saudi men) act like they are stubborn or macho (only in front of nationalities he can afford to show-off, u know which are they and the ones which they can’t).. Their extreme disregard to humanity is notorious. Yeah I agree that all the educated Men I Interacted with were very nice BUT how many Saudi men can be considered as “educated” ? well, I would like to share an incident that happened right in front of me. A police man asked a guy the Iquama as he was standing in front of shop at night. The guy (expat) was frightened coz his Iqmama expired 15 days back. Cop checked the Iquama and said, well, ur Iqama is going to expire in 4 months, so u better renew it soon! damn, he can’t even read his own Language properly
Truth is that many of the dudes here are cowards and lives in a false sense of importance the oil wealth gave them. Everything other than driving and intercourse is complex to them. Look at the percent of expats working in key fields like telecom, petroleum etc, even after many years
they still can’t take control of things. (where ever they tried, they terribly failed)
It is true that if all expats leave , this Country would come to a STAND-STILL
Look at the way they treat people from diff: countries and cultures, Man that itself shows the fake ethics/morals and double standards .
May 10, 2009 at 1:58 am
anonymous
i am an asian working in the middle east and i must say that barbarism, racism and women rights abuse are common here. Of course this arab people will deny everything that is really happening here
May 10, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Mr.BOAGAS
Dear Cilla
Please and kindly change the header as no one killed for some how
The story may be right but the photo !!
This girl and any girl should not distribute her Photo any where .
Internet is like the a cup can use for a milk or for alcohol. And all over the world mind have different mentality.
And any time you want to visit SAUDI my wife can show you the WORLD of SWEET Saudi .
Saudi Eng.
May 20, 2009 at 5:11 am
Abdullah
OMG She Is Not Saudi
btw stop hating us
we dont hate u
i wish all the ppl love us as we love them
if u want to see the truth about america and thier games to let all over the world hate us just go to youtube and search about “the arrivels” i dont want u to see the religous thingy….!!!
i want u to see what they most of american what say about thier games to let u hate us from u were kids
love & peace
A
May 23, 2009 at 2:21 pm
betty
I don’t think chatting with a man is a reason to kill her, it’s not even a sin. Which parent is killing his child? A beast not human. Even animals are taking care of their babies.That father will go to the hell for sure, and all the man who is treating bad a woman.
In western countries for abusing you go to jail, and the same happened with the man who raped her daughter.
We have rights and the law protects us we don’t get killed chatting. We are not forced in arranged marriages like in primitive muslim countries.
I heared you can get killed if you cheat on your husband in saudi becasue it’s a sin.
If woman is cheating is her choice, and she has a reason why (her husband from saudi is going in different countries looking for sex). The woman shouldn’t be punished, God will punish her. Her husband or father or brother are not God. Everybody will carry their sins with themselves and God will take care of it.
And let’s not talk about other muslim cultures that are good for the man only. marrying 4 women etc
And you little princess you are lucky you are in NY otherwise the saudi price would beat the princess out of you!!!!!!
June 6, 2009 at 6:38 am
Munira
as salamu 3laykum. Hello, Im a saudian girl and I must first excuse for my bad english…..And my post does not really arrive early^^ Well for sure speaking to stranger men is not right of her. But we all human and do mistake and our god is forgiving because hes the greatest. I do think she surly deserve autority of her parents but this is a way to hard and I feel very sorry about this situation. In our country its not welcome to contact to the other gender but still she does not deserve the death this is not in interest of islam. I do think theres other ways than violence for treatment and theres bad people everywhere not onls in ksa I just wish the world has not all a bad opinion about us. I wish everybody a good evening and take care. May Peace be upon you. salam
October 7, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Syed
sweetheart, we do not need your fucking sympathy.