Posts Tagged ‘Saudi Arabia’
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
3/3/10
A Saudi husband in his 40s failed in his attempt to kill his wife after he tied her up and tried to hang her from a noose from the ceiling last week. The victim had just given birth five days before the attack. The man took his three children to an isolated room so he could kill his wife without them watching. The wife, with no power to defend herself, was left with no choice but to scream for help. Just as the husband was about to hang her, his father broke the apartment door down and stormed in to rescue her. The husband works at a private sector company in Makkah. According to relatives, the man has suffered from depression in the past year that has changed his behavior completely. Some of the family members blamed his bad nature on black magic. The wife is now staying with her family with the newly born daughter.
(more…)
Tags: Saudi Arabia, Womens Rights
Posted in Asia, Gender & Marriage, Human Rights | No Comments »
Sunday, February 28th, 2010
28/2/09
Members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) in Jeddah’s Al-Rawabi district have been accused of beating a youth and then filing a false police case against his parents that led to them being detained in prison for several days. The commission members are accused of attacking 21-year-old university student Rami Al-Hakami two weeks ago. “I was on my way to pick my sisters up from school when a commission car stopped next to my car. One of the men hit me from behind and then four commission members dragged me to their car. A man beat me up inside the car until I passed out,” said Al-Hakami. “The commission member then took my cell phone and my belongings and forced me to sign a paper; I had no idea what was written on it. It was at that time that my dad called me to ask why I was taking so long coming home. The commission member answered the phone and told my dad that I had been arrested because I was harassing school girls,” he added.
(more…)
Tags: Human Rights, Religion, Saudi Arabia
Posted in Asia, Health & Children, Human Rights | No Comments »
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Suleiman Al-Diyabi; 4/2/10
It is not uncommon to see children searching garbage bins for plastic and metal cans, which they collect for organized gangs looking for materials to sell. A citizen, who chose to remain anonymous, said one day he was coming home just before Asr prayer when he saw two kids aged around eight or nine racing toward a garbage bin. “I was surprised when I saw them jumping in. I went there to see what was happening and I found them searching intensely through the garbage,” he said. “I asked them what they were doing and they told me that they were collecting metal and plastic cans and putting them in plastic bags. I found out later on that some foreigners in a truck would arrive and take the bags from them. “This is the work of organized gangs who are exploiting children and giving our society a bad image,” he said.
(more…)
Tags: Children, Saudi Arabia, Trade
Posted in Aid / Trade, Health & Children, Human Rights, Workers | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
Rick Feneley; 18/1/10
A Melbourne woman trapped for years in Saudi Arabia has been deported and forced home without three of her children, who remain with her allegedly abusive former husband. The Australian consul and embassy officials surrounded the 33-year-old Muslim convert, Jennifer Birrell, as she collapsed on the road outside her Riyadh home and pleaded with her ex-husband: ”Please, don’t take my kids from me.” The children, Aliyah, 8, Salem, 7, and Ibraheem, 4 – all born in Australia – wept as they were separated from their mother before she was escorted to the airport with her two other children and flown to Melbourne, where they arrived late on Friday night. After a long struggle to obtain exit visas for her family, Ms Birrell, who had been the director of English at Al-Yamamah University, says she was suddenly told this month she was being deported without charge or explanation – and with no right to the three children fathered by her ex-husband.
(more…)
Tags: Australia, Marriage, Saudi Arabia, Womens Rights
Posted in Asia, Australia, Health & Children, Human Rights, Religion, Womens Rights | No Comments »
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Abdul Rahman Shaheen; 15/1/10
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission commended the steps taken by the government to empower women and elevate their position and status in the society. In its latest report on “Women’s status in the Kingdom”, the government body recommended increasing job opportunities for women. The report highlighted remarkable achievements and contributions being made by Saudi women in various sectors. “The participation of women in the nation’s growth and development process is outstanding. Saudi women are showing their capabilities to take up challenging responsibilities and are playing vital role in various key sectors, keeping pace with the lofty position bestowed to them by the Islamic Sharia,” the report noted.
(more…)
Tags: Saudi Arabia, Womens Rights
Posted in Asia, Womens Rights | No Comments »
Monday, January 11th, 2010
Abdul Rahman Shaheen, 11/1/10
Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council has approved a landmark decision with regard to execution of the death sentence. The council passed a legislation to make amendment in the Criminal Procedure Law by which death sentence shall be carried out with a unanimous decision instead of the existing majority vote. An overwhelming majority of 92 members voted in favour of the new amendment, while a few members opposed it.
(more…)
Tags: Capital Punishment, Saudi Arabia
Posted in Asia, Capital Punishment, Human Rights | No Comments »
Monday, January 11th, 2010
11/1/10; See: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=130992&d=11&m=1&y=2010
Fathers-in-law can be real pains, especially when they try to force divorce and demand compensation. According to a report in the daily Al-Shams newspaper on Sunday, a Makkah man went to a judge demanding that his daughter separate from her husband of over nine years. In addition to that, the man wanted financial compensation for all the time his son-in-law slept with his daughter. The man also claimed that he had the legal right to speak on behalf of his daughter. The judge sent the father to a medical investigation to examine his mental health when he continued insisting a divorce despite the couple’s wish to continue their conjugal life with greater mutual understanding.
Tags: Marriage, Religion, Saudi Arabia, Womens Rights
Posted in Asia, Gender & Marriage, Human Rights, Womens Rights | No Comments »
Monday, January 11th, 2010
Muneera Al-Matrouk; 11/1/10
We Muslims find it painful to hear about the condemnable actions of some of our fellow Muslims. Islam is not to blame when a father violates the rights of his wife and children. It is regrettable to come across shameful acts while living in a Muslim country where values of justice and Shariah laws are implemented. It is tragic that some people justify such actions by saying he is the father and is free to do what he wishes with his daughter. This is worse than what happens in jungles where parents never torture their children or kill them. It is a pity that we — while living in a country of security, providence and prosperity — are unable to extend the simplest rights to the weak who are the first category of people that need protection, as they are unable to defend themselves. The incident involving a child in a swimming pool who was barely two years old and in which she was subjected to a frightening ordeal at the hands of her own father is yet another example of injustice.
(more…)
Tags: Marriage, Religion, Saudi Arabia, Women & Children
Posted in Asia, Gender & Marriage, Health & Children, Human Rights, Religion, Womens Rights | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Sultan Al-Tamimi; 5/1/10
A new form of begging is being observed on Jeddah’s streets: Elderly women standing near traffic lights and on sidewalks with the children selling food baskets for up to SR300, claiming the money would be used to repair their homes damaged in November’s flash flooding in Jeddah. “Begging on the street is considered an illegal activity in Saudi Arabia and to see some individuals trying to exploit what happened to Jeddah’s neighborhoods for profit is unfortunate,” Ali Al-Hanaki, director general of social affairs in Makkah province, said on Saturday. The official said there are only a few cases of this new begging practice, which seem to be most prevalent on Tahlia Street. Al-Hanaki asked residents not to sympathize with beggars and asked those who would like to donate their money to do it through the proper channels, such as registered charity offices. A study conducted by Muhammad Al-Aji and published in Arab News found out that about 100,000 child beggars roam Saudi streets, with the majority of them coming from Yemen. Others belonged to 17 Asian and African countries.
(more…)
Tags: Human Rights, Saudi Arabia, Women & Children
Posted in Aid / Trade, Gender & Marriage, Health & Children, Human Rights, Womens Rights, Workers | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Badea Abu Al-Naja; 5/1/10
Women who are forced to go out and seek jobs to sustain themselves or help their poor families might find themselves prey to all sorts of harassment. Employers, forced by Saudization rules to hire citizens, do not usually feel happy when approached by Saudis, especially women. These companies do not only offer women low wages but may also not pay them full salaries at the end of each month. The payments may also be delayed for many months. The predicament does not stop here. Some of the women job seekers or those already employed by the private sector may have to pay a heavier price if they want to be employed or continue in their jobs. Talking to Arab News about her bitter experience, Ibtissam, a young Saudi woman, said she had to seek a job because her ex-husband agreed to give her divorce only if she relinquished the alimony for their son. She said she got a job at a private sector establishment as a saleswoman. “The company gave me the mobile numbers of many customers and asked me to call and offer them our products,” she said. “A customer immediately started courting me the moment he heard me. It was as if he had never heard a female voice before. When I hung up on him I was surprised to hear my supervisor reprimanding me and telling me that I was not fit for the job.
(more…)
Tags: Marriage, Saudi Arabia, Womens Rights, Workers
Posted in Aid / Trade, Gender & Marriage, Human Rights, Womens Rights, Workers | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Muhammad Humaidan; 5/1/10; http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=130727&d=5&m=1&y=2010
Civil Defense officers rescued a woman and her children from a house in Jeddah’s Al-Safa district where they had been imprisoned by the woman’s husband who had been threatening to set the home on fire. “A Civil Defense team rushed to the location after receiving an emergency call and talked the 24-year-old Saudi father out of setting the home on fire,” said Abdullah Al-Amri, spokesman for the Civil Defense. “The man was carrying a gas cylinder in his right hand and had a lighter in the other. Both items were taken off him and he was handed over to the police.” Neighbours said the man had been in stressful mental state of late.
Tags: Children, Saudi Arabia, Women
Posted in Asia, Gender & Marriage, Human Rights, Womens Rights | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Arjuwan Lakkdawala; 9/11/09
The floods shocked many, especially a Saudi wife whose husband fled for his life and left her to drown in a car filling up with water. Pakistani truck driver Shahzad (not his real name) witnessed the cowardly act. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when this man left his wife to die. I couldn’t bear the sight of the drowning woman shouting for help,” he said.“I got down from the truck and half swam and half waded to her and carried her on my back and brought her to safety. We were petrified from what we saw happening around us. The woman was crying a lot. We waited till the Civil Defense helicopter came to rescue us.”
(more…)
Tags: Gender, Marriage, Saudi Arabia
Posted in Asia, Gender & Marriage, Religion, Womens Rights | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Walaa Hawari; 9/11/09
Female teachers have demanded the same pay and status as their male counterparts, and are to file a court case against the Ministry of Education to enforce their demand. Mona Abdul Aziz, spokeswoman for the campaign, said that teachers — both male and female — have been demanding these rights for two years as part of a campaign group established to champion the rights of teachers, regardless of gender. She added that as a result of the initial campaign, the condition of male teachers improved but not of female teachers, and so they decided to form a separate group to attain similar conditions. The difference is attributed to the fact that female teachers come under the General Presidency of Girls Schools. Abdul Aziz added that the demands for equality had upset male teachers who tried to silence the voice of female teachers, demanding they put a halt to their campaign.
(more…)
Tags: Human Rights, Saudi Arabia, Women, Workers
Posted in Asia, Human Rights, Womens Rights, Workers | No Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
3/12/09; http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=129031&d=3&m=12&y=2009
A young Saudi in his 30s was arrested on charges he murdered his wife, in her 20s. The couple had been married for only seven months. Police said on Wednesday the man beat his wife to death with a metal rod. The identities of the suspect and the victim were not provided. Police said both were Saudi nationals and that the suspect refuses to cooperate in the investigation. The case will be passed on to the Prosecution and Investigation Commission for further action.
Tags: Marriage, Saudi Arabia, Womens Rights
Posted in Asia, Gender & Marriage, Human Rights, Womens Rights | No Comments »
Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Omar Chatriwal; 28/11/09
In the latter part of Hajj, Muslim pilgrims spend time at Mina’s encampment, where they pelt a a wall representing the devil with pebbles daily. But there are always dangers when dealing with the devil. Today is the last day of Hajj. Today, the mentally, spiritually, and physically trying journey comes to an end for about 2.5 million Muslims. After Eid day, the pilgrims spend the final two or three days of Hajj at Mina – eating, sleeping and praying at its sprawling encampment site. The camp comprises hundreds of thousands of semi-permanent fireproof tents built by Saudi authorities. You get a real sense of the scale of the camp when looking at it from above. Despite the relative luxury of the Saudi-built facilities, which includes electricity and running water, many people still pitch their own tents while in Mina. As Reuters’ FaithWorld blog points out, this is often because they cannot afford to pay the rates of the Hajj trip groups that are allocated the space.
(more…)
Tags: Muslim, Religion, Saudi Arabia
Posted in Religion | No Comments »
Friday, November 13th, 2009
13/11/09
A teenage Afghan girl has praised the death sentence handed to the Egyptian who imprisoned and sexually exploited her for the last four years, Al-Madinah daily reported on Thursday. Madinah police rescued the 14-year-old girl, known as Raziah, from her kidnappers earlier this year. A Madinah court sentenced Muhammad Al-Junaidi and his sister Jamalat to death by beheading, a decision endorsed by a committee of judges on Wednesday. His wives were also jailed for helping him. First wife Fatimah was sentenced to 10 years in jail, while second and third wives Merfat and Zainab were each imprisoned for one year and 500 lashes.
(more…)
Tags: Saudi Arabia, Sex Trade, Womens Rights
Posted in Africa, Aid / Trade, Capital Punishment, Human Rights, Sex Trade, Womens Rights, Workers | No Comments »
