Here is an indication of just how deep and thoroughgoing is the Saudi democratization and reform. The women are still in their place, as are the dhimmis. One heartening sign, however, is that women were prepared to run, and this ruling may not go down easy. From ArabNews via MENAFN, with thanks to Nicolei:
JEDDAH, 19 September 2004 — The General Committee for Municipal Elections announced yesterday that women would not be allowed to run in the upcoming municipal elections. This puts an end to speculation about women's role in the Feb. 10 elections, Al-Jazirah newspaper said.The paper quoted an unnamed source as rejecting speculation about women running for the elections. Responding to intentions of some women, military men and municipal officials to run for office, the source said they had misunderstood the law which had clearly stated that "all muwatin (male citizens) can participate in elections." The law did not use the word "muwatina (female citizen), thus excluding women from contesting elections, the paper said....
Representing the views that women should not run for office, an anonymous Shoura Council member said: "What do women want with voting and municipality elections? Why would they want to trouble themselves with things that are new and unfamiliar? These issues are against their nature so why ask for trouble?"
And in some ways, it is almost as bad in the US. There are already Leftist calls to disenfranchise the Military vote. Here is just one of the already-disproved contentions that the Left is trying to foist off on us, so as to put the Kaibash on the military vote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/31/opinion/31tues1.html?ex=1095739200&en=9c4bfca7931ee288&ei=5070
scary stuff, gary. one would think that in the age of information some sort of procedure could be devised to allay fears of military vote fraud
as an added note, i find it humorously ironic that the new york times would use democratic fraud in chicago as an example of why they are concerned about voter fraud that may lean republican
Well, this is another example of the justice and
equality of holy Sharia Law. No wonder the unholy men doling it out are so anxious to keep all perks, control [including subjugation of women] in
their despotic hands.
Let me show you the mindset of Muslims in the West,in the latest Canadian Election there was a Females Muslim running in her riding,another
riding with a high Arab and Muslim population
had a Female running for office as well.
The end result was that the Hijab wearing
Muslim female lost by a massive margin,the other
Female in a Muslim/Arab riding won by a landslide.
How did this happen,seems the voters backed the Christian Female that Bashed the USA and President Bush,the Anti-American hatred from middleEast voters blinded their choice based on Faith. The Female Muslim ran for a socialists party and wanted minority rights and better support for immigrants,this seemed to be the tenets of the Quran and Islam but failed as a Election platform.
To me, this shows that their infidel hatred supercedes the actual faith they claim to follow. When an election choice is between an Muslim female that could help Islam,or a Christian Female that publicly Bashes the USA and appears
anti-Zionism,and the Anti-American wins,this speaks volume about the Quran and why CAIR is so popular with their overt hatred for non-Muslims.
Check out CAIR's petition on terrorism,it's called "Not in the name of Islam",since CAIR
loves to inflate the Muslim numbers to 7 Million
living in the USA,the petition is still stuck at just under 700,000 signatures level.
Do the math,that's about 90 percent that don't oppose terrorism and Jihad within Islam.
This alone should scare the hell out of the politicians,even anti-terrorisn rally's by Muslims only draws a couple hundred if that.
These elections are just another foot-dragging, window-dressing empty gesture by the Saudis to do "something" that looks like "reform." How much do you want to bet that the elections get postponed for some last minute reason?
All governments must be secular. Existing religious regimes must be overthrown.
These are some commonsense designs for society, notice how Allah (or some holy message) was not included, since it is not difficult to figure out how to run a society without Allah, the last profit, Muhammad, & all the spooky warnings.
If I am not worried about the promises of the ‘next world’ then I am able to fully focus on how to improve the one I am currently living.
For example, Albert Camu discussed, once a person realizes the 'death' of Allah and the death of paradise, is fact, then he is finally able to connect to his transcendental historic passage, in the living world.
The death of Allah is the awakening of man. Once man discovers his intrinsic divinity; he no longer needs the external Allah.
Have inherent worth and dignity
Have the potential to grow and change
Have a responsibility to strive for ethical growth
Have a responsibility to treat others so as to help them realize their fullest potential
Have a responsibility to create a better world
Have a responsibility to help build a community that welcomes and involves others
We are all part of something that transcends the individual experience
We have responsibilities to each other and to the community at large
We are enriched through our interconnectedness with others
We find confirmation and validation of our own selves and beliefs through our interactions with others
We derive some of our strength through our relationships with others
Since women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, they couldn't get to the meetings of the councils to which they might be elected.
As long as Muslims keep half of their working age population from making a meaningful economic contribution, the Islamic world will remain backward and impoverished. Sixty percent of the illiterates in the 22 Arab League states are women. Since mothers are the primary educators of every generation, as long as Arab women remain uneducated, so will their children remain intellectually handicapped and Western technology will to them always be, "white man's magic".
What are Saudi men so afraid of in women, is it that if women become intelligent and powerful they might actually start to see islam for the all-encompassing , domination cult that it is, and either become apostates on a grand scale or reform it entirely.
"Why ask for trouble?"
Exactly. Women with power would put all you tableclocth-and-fan-belt-wearing emirs and sheikhs out of business faster than a Category 5 hurricane knocks out the lights in Florida.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.