Saudi Arabia - Britain's Mysterious Ally

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• published: 24 Jan 2013
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After generations of male domination, Saudi women are preparing to have a say in the running of Saudi Arabia for the first time. ITV's John Irvine reports. (Jan 23, 2013, NBC/ITV.) Would you like to know more? #SueMeSaudi: Twitter users taunt Saudi Arabia (DW, Nov 30, 2015) http://dw.com/p/1HEgv Women's presence in Shura delayed by logistics (gulfnews, Feb 11, 2013) http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/women-s-presence-in-shura-delayed-by-logistics-1.1145016 "The commencement of the new Consultative Council in Saudi Arabia, which for the first time will have 30 female members, is still awaiting the completion of modifications in the building to segregate women and men, according to Saudi women activists. The segregation is expected to be one of the obstacles facing the new women members, who were allocated 20 per cent..." Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Majlis As-Shura (Official Web) http://www.shura.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/ShuraEn/internet/Home/ Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia (Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consultative_Assembly_of_Saudi_Arabia "The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia also known as Majlis as-Shura or Shura Council is the formal advisory body of Saudi Arabia, which is an absolute monarchy. It cannot pass or enforce laws, a power reserved for the King. The Consultative Assembly has limited powers in government, including the power to propose laws to the King. It has 150 members, all of whom are appointed by the King. The Consultative Assembly is headed by a Speaker ... During the 2009--2013 term, half of the members (43% of the new appointees) have a university education in the U.S., and 70 of them have PhDs. The Council members for the 2009--2013 term are considered to be technocrats who are experts rather than local leaders.[2] They have the following educational background: 16% bachelor's degrees; 13% master's degrees; 70% PhDs; and 1% MDs.[2] The distribution of the members in terms of countries where they were educated is as follows: 49% in the United States; 29% in Saudi Arabia; 16% in the United Kingdom; 3% in France; 1% in Germany; 1% in Egypt; and 1% in Pakistan.[2]" Small step forward for Saudi women, but will it affect their daily lives? http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/11/world/meast/saudi-arabia-women/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 "Saudi Arabia's king on Friday appointed 30 women to the Shura Council, the first time women have been chosen for the country's top consultative body. King Abdullah issued a decree that the 150-member council be composed of at least 20% women, the official SPA news agency reported ... The women members, who "will have full membership rights," must be committed to the principles of the Sharia law and must "observe the proper veil (hijab)," the news agency said." Sri Lankan maid Rizana Nafeek 'executed in Saudi Arabia' (BBC, Jan 9, 2013): "Saudi Arabia has executed a Sri Lankan domestic worker for killing a baby in her care in 2005, a foreign ministry official in Colombo has told the BBC. The maid ... had denied killing the 4-month-old boy. Her supporters say she was only 17 at the time of the killing. They say her execution is a breach of international child rights. The Sri Lankan parliament held a minute's silence on Wednesday in honour of Ms Nafeek." Election is banned in Islam: Saudi scholar (emirates247, Jan 17, 2013): "A well-known Saudi Islamic scholar has issued a new fatwa (edict) saying holding elections for a president or another form of leadership is prohibited in Islam. Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Nassir Al Barrak, reputed for his radical views, described western-style elections as an alien phenomenon to Islamic countries. "Electing a president or another form of leadership or council members is prohibited in Islam as it has been introduced by the enemies of Moslems," he wrote on his Twitter page, according to Saudi newspapers. "Selecting an Imam (leader) must be up to the decision-making people not the public...election is a corrupt system which is not based on any legal or logical concept for those who enforce this system by some Moslems...this system has been brought by the anti-Islam parties who have occupied Moslem land." Freedom of Thought 2012 - IHEU (NBC, Dec 10, 2012): "The study, from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), showed that "unbelievers" in Islamic countries face the most severe -- sometimes brutal -- treatment at the hands of the state and adherents of the official religion ... According to its survey of some 60 countries, the seven where expression of atheist views or defection from the official religion can bring capital punishment are Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan ... In a range of other countries -- such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Kuwait and Jordan -- publication of atheist or humanist views on religion are totally banned or strictly limited under laws prohibiting "blasphemy.""