Bushra Faisal Al-Sebaie; 7/10/08
It is sad that we have to import pictures of the Grand Mosque from China. It is also regrettable that if we want to know our own public’s opinion on certain issues, we have to look overseas and consult organizations such as Gallup. There had been a lot of discussions in the last decade on the rights of women in Saudi society. The argument has finally been settled, at least among those concerned. People now differentiate between the rules of Islamic Shariah and cultural traditions, which have the upper hand on a number of issues concerning Saudi women. Meanwhile, officials have postponed taking a decision on these issues because society is not ready to accept more reforms. … On Dec. 21, 2007, Gallup published the results of a survey of Saudis on women’s issues. It was clear from these results that the majority of Saudi men were in support of women’s rights. The poll found that 55 percent of men and 66 percent of women were in support of women’s driving, 75 percent of men and 82 percent of women supported the right of women to work in any job they like outside the home, and 83 percent of both sexes supported the right of women to keep their own income for themselves.
See: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=13§ion=0&article=114083&d=7&m=10&y=2008
Tags: Saudi Arabia, Womens Rights