Female oppression and subjugation are integral elements of Islamic supremacism, exhibited by Saudi Arabia (among other Islamic states), which exports and funds Wahhabism globally. Saudi Arabia is now experiencing a kind of social media revolt by its women against its guardianship laws. Hurray for social media in allowing these women some dissenting expression; they are otherwise buried and gagged under the niqab.
“The hashtag, #StopEnslavingSaudiWomen, has taken the Twitter social networking world by storm, calling for an end to these oppressive laws” of male guardianship.
Females in Saudi Arabia are permanently under male guardians from birth. They can’t be educated, travel, marry, “or even have surgery” without male guardian approval. In fact, if a woman so much as leaves the house against the wishes of her male guardian, he can “go to the police and file a complaint that you are a fugitive and the police will come after you and take you home.” These are elements of Islamic law, but nowhere else are they so strictly enforced as in Saudi Arabia.
Western leftist feminists who turn a blind eye to the tortures of the sisterhood by Islamic supremacists and jihadists, meanwhile, are perhaps too busy with the chorus of celebratory jeering over the death of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly (who spoke out boldly against Muslim immigration in Europe and the erosion of democratic principles) to take note of this new development about women in Saudi Arabia.
“Calls to end Saudi male guardianship sweeping social media”, by Katie Beiter, The JPost , September 7, 2016:
Reem, a 37-year-old Saudi nurse, who asked that her last name be withheld, recalled when her family arranged her marriage. After graduating from nursing school, she worked for 10 years until her cousin approached her father asking for her hand in marriage.
“All of a sudden my father said to me, this is my nephew and you will marry him,” Reem said. “We were complete opposites in character and I didn’t like him, he wasn’t handsome. So, I refused, I cried, I did everything a Saudi girl can do, but sadly, they forced me.”
“It broke my soul,” she added. After a year of being engaged, Reem broke it off. Her parents then forced her to marry a man, who, according to Reem, was a drug addict; so she divorced him.
“Now, I am divorced with one son. I am a nurse, but I stay with my family. I have a good salary, but they refuse to let me live independently. I am 37 years old and I still live with my parents,” Reem said.
Stories like these are not uncommon in Saudi Arabia, a conservative, Muslim country, where male guardianship laws still reign. These laws require Saudi women, regardless of age, to have a male guardian, usually a husband or a father, who makes all legal decisions for them.
The hashtag, #StopEnslavingSaudiWomen, has taken the Twitter social networking world by storm, calling for an end to these oppressive laws.
“Basically, from when they are born to when they die, Saudi women require male guardians, who are given legal control over their lives,” Kristine Beckerle, a Human Rights Watch researcher recently reported. According to Beckerle, the New York-based human rights organization “has concluded that male guardianship is the most significant impediment to women’s rights in Saudi Arabia today.”
Saudi women are not allowed to travel, marry, study, or even have surgery without permission from their guardians. “If you go out against your guardian’s will, he can go to the police and file a complaint that you are a fugitive and the police will come after you and take you home,” Reem added.
There is a Twitter hashtag in Arabic (#سعوديات_نطالب_باسقاط_الولاية51), which updates the number of days the hashtag has been circulating. It has reached 51.
“It’s a unified effort by Saudi Women in attempt to voice their struggle in the only legal way that they can in Saudi Arabia,” Isaac Cohen, Director of the S.A.F.E. Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Saudi women fight male guardianship, told The Media Line.
Women have chosen the social media platform to raise awareness because protest rallies are illegal and can even carry prison sentences in Saudi Arabia. In the past, Saudi women have feared publicizing their beliefs; however, women have now become more willing to take a stand in the anti-guardianship campaign, according to Beckerle.
These women have gone so far as to record videos of themselves to post on social media, articulating the horrors of the repressive laws. Aside from the hashtags, there have been many other instances of solidarity amongst Saudi women.
Some of which include the distribution of “I am my own guardian” bracelets and stickers; a petition to the king, which gathered over 3,000 signatures in 24 hours; and a wall in Riyadh with the hashtag written in graffiti.
“I am flabbergasted. The media is not free and Saudi women themselves face many levels of difficulty. To see women take up the call and demand their rights has been incredible,” Beckerle said.
There have been movements in the past to change laws in Saudi Arabia. In October 2013, there was a campaign to allow women the right to drive; however, that was unsuccessful.
However, activists hope that this campaign may be different. Because the guardianship laws affect a number of different aspects of women’s lives, Beckerle believes that this gives the government room to initiate changes….

El Cid says
We people who follow Robert are defenders of liberal values.
These women have no support from the so-called Feminists whose goal appears to be the subjugation and enslavement of the West under Islam.
How ironic.
aDhimmiSaysWhat? says
Thank you for pointing out the liberal values we are fighting for. I hate islam BECAUSE I’m a liberal. The liberal values I hold dear are antithetical to islam. Islam has no place in a liberal society. As liberals, WE should be the first line of defense. Come on my fellow liberals! Where are you!
Oliver says
A D–most of the modern day “liberals” ARE ILLIBERAL–they accept no point fo view except their own.
Nat Hentoff (is/was a writer for The Village Voice- a long time ‘alternative” newspaper) wrote a book, some years back, ” FREE SPEECH FOR ME BUT NOT FOR THEE’- criticizing the left and right for limiting speech by the other side.
The LEFT however- (now, anyhow) IS MUCH WORSE. What so-called liberal will listen to an opposing viewpoint? I AM NOT SAYING, TO AGREE WITH, BUT TO LISTEN TO.
Look at Clinton’s remarks ( bo0th Bill’s and Hillary’s) in the past week and a half or so.
Bill in (I beleive it was West Virginia) criticising coal workers. Hillary criticising ALL TRUMP SUPPORTERS. (racists; bigots; homophobic; etc.)
The modern liberals have no liberal values.
Guest says
I am a feminist and a liberal, meaning I want women and men to have equal rights before the law. Ie, I’m a normal modern western woman benefiting from the hard work early feminists put in, so I won’t malign the term. But there does seem to be a contradiction in the thinking of many liberals and feminists.
I totally agree we should be the first line of defence, in fact I agree with Hamed Abdel-Samad that islam is a form of fascism. I get these kind of crazy statements from people I consider should be on our side:
Gay friend “we should always be on the side of the oppressed minority” (meaning muslims, after a pointed out that they toss gays off buildings).
Elderly ‘liberal’: “Did you know that Saudi women have a very high rate of university degrees?” (after I asked whether her multiculturalism included seeing Saudi Arabia as equally good).
Aaaaarrgghhhh!!
Westman says
You could ask, “Did you know that Iranian women have an even higher rate of university degrees than Saudi women?” If the Elderly “liberal” thinks this is a sign of goodness and multiculturalism, perhaps she could take a trip and check it out.
Shane says
It is very difficult to get the point through to most liberals as Islam is by far the most violent, aggressive, misogynistic, homophobic and intolerant religion in the world today. Most libs believe that all religions are equally bad, and they are afraid of being labeled as a racist, bigot, xenophobe, or an Islamophobe by opposing more muslim immigration into the West.
A point to be made to liberal defenders of Islam – No religion should be protected from valid criticism and by pointing out how violent and misogynistic Mo was is a great tactic to try to educate people about the evils of Islam.
carol says
Shane
I think it just boils down to do-gooders being stupidly unguarded. They judge others by themselves and haven’t done their homework – or maybe they only interact with Muslims who are as naive and irresponsible as they are.
Islam represents the DARK AGES and any supposedly “good” Muslims keep their mouths suspiciously and almost totally shut. Any apparent self-criticism is generalized and insufficiently specific and reading between the lines they know bad actors are thus actually condoned.
If liberals want to help any genuinely worthy Muslim souls then the greatest thing they can do is to help themselves and fiercely guard their Western civilization FIRST. Any “worthies” can hop on board later.
Islam calls itself a “religion” and gets an automatic pass by some. In truth it is a deep discredit to the “nature of man”.
Rob says
Not only do they have no support from us, or from their families – many of them will likely be prosecuted or worse, if they’re traced.
Notice how the Swedish Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström treats complaints fro Swedish women…?
And how at least one German mayor tells his community that if they’re unhappy with their new badly-behaving Muslim neighbours, they’re welcome to leave…
Follow the advice of Brigitte Gabrielle – dump political correctness in the garbage where it belongs
Oliver says
Rob–i beleive that it was the same Swedish Foreign Minister (if not, another female Swedish Minister-in the government, not a church) WHO BLAMED ISRAEL AND PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU FOR THE PARIS MASSACRES BY MUSLIMS.
So, why should she be supportive of Swedish women? (Until, or unless, she or a daughter or granddaughter or other female relative is raped or killed? perhaps?)
The german mayor- sounds like an arrogant scumbag.
Mazo says
Most western far leftists support the Communist Marxist Leninist Kurdush PKK and YPG. There are western Communist university students who joined the YPG in Syria and most of the western leftists are drooling over the Kurdish run Rojava . They are fighting against Islamists. YPG teaches anti capitalism and pro-feminism. These leftist western college students don’t like Islamists at all.
Angemon says
Citations needed.
harbidoll says
anti-capitalism means a female would find it impossible to start her own business. Whats good about that?
Mazo says
The YPG say they are setting up businesses in communes.
I never said it was good.
Carolyne says
An American politician will take $30 million from Saudi Arabia to not mention the opression of women. Ask Hillary Clinton and her best pal Huma Abedin Weiner.
Oliver says
Carolyne, I am not a politician, and not running for any office.
If the Saudis, or anyone else would give r me JUST $3 MILLION not to mention the oppression of women, I promise not to.
I woudl be 90% less expensive then Clinton.
Kumi Ho says
So why do they come to the US and insist on wearing their niqabs on university campuses if freedom is truly what they want?
This is a flash in the pan. The religious council will crack down on this and it’ll vanish overnight.
jayell says
That’s what I wondered when I saw the title “Saudi Women Revolting”. So that”s why they cover their faces?
VampireJack says
You see them without the face veil?
They ARE revolting……
In all fairness, that was a joke – a “lot” of Arab and other mozza women are actually quite pretty.
It’s a shame they feel the need to cover up the black eyes. You know, the ones that are done “softly”;
Brad oleary says
I am willing to give 1000 ebook copies of my ebook “The Poisoned Veil” on Amazon About the pain suffered by Muslim women
david says
Islam equates mental illness.
cs says
I think this was started by a guy called Isaac Cohen, I have here a good talk he did with a dutch girl, I recommend listening to it.
marina says
Very good talk. Saudi laws are disgusting.
JIMJFOX says
Saudi is disgusting- specially the “royal family” of inbreeds.
Stephanie says
ALL the so-called feminists are SILENT (and you will be OK, key ayah 9:29) to the coward women beater allah,
http://quran.com/4/34 ‘Men are in CHARGE of women by [right of] what Allah has given one OVER the other … BEAT them’ VS Art 2, 2; 3, 2 GG (constituion)
https://twitter.com/schnellmann_org/status/773604343786381313
Guest says
No, we’re really not. See if you can find something by the long-term editor of Germany’s foremost feminist magazine, EMMA. She’s called Alice Schwarzer, and for a liberal feminist is speaking up strongly against islam.
Stephanie, you benefit from everything early feminists did for you. Don’t you want equality before the law? What feminist achievements do you reject.
Instead of a maligning the term ‘feminism’, I think we should reclaim it. State the most western countries have achieved much of the equal rights we needed, and that we don’t want to lose those to islam.
Crimelord Canada says
Quite incorrect, the left and feminism, not neo-liberalism or mainstream “feminism” which is what you describe, are deeply opposed to Islam.
Angemon says
Crimelord Canada posted:
“Quite incorrect, the left and feminism, not neo-liberalism or mainstream “feminism” which is what you describe, are deeply opposed to Islam.”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
marina says
I heard some ridiculous cases of a few single Saudi women who came here to study. They can’t live alone of course. So some male relative had to come from Saudi and baby sit them. It was very inconvenient for both parties.
abad says
Oh I knew more than “a few” Muslim women from Saudi Arabia back in college (though my Persian language classes were largely Iranian not Arab in Middle Eastern strains).
And, I used to bicycle to the UA campus because my husband and I lived only a few miles away in a regular apartment (not student housing).
Anyways, one girl from my History of Islam class would always wait patiently for her husband to pick her up by car at the end of the day – I mean, she was not even allowed to take the bus home! 🙁
About that History of Islam class – the professor was a convert to Islam but more importantly that class size really shrank after the first 2 weeks of the fall semester. Well, we had an assignment which required reading a few chapters of our text, then writing about it. I later learned a few too many students simply copied the chapters (plagiarized) instead of putting any real thought into the assignment.
Yes. Most of those who were disappeared were Muslims.
See? Muslims are not supposed to think about their religion. I knew Islam strictly forbids thinking but I think that was the best example I have come across in RL thus far.
Raja says
abad,
Your comments are hardly missed by me. Today you have mentioned about your personal experience perhaps for the first time.
Made some interesting reading .. regards..
Guest says
Women standing up to achieve rights. That is a thing of beauty.
Angemon says
Well, I’m certain Saudi feminists can count with the support of Western “feminists” in every conceivable way… BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! As if! Western “feminists” are too busy denouncing Western “rape culture” and the evils of “manspreading ” and “mansplaining” to bother with actual rape culture and oppression of women.
cs says
Hi angemon, sure you know this one about feminists? Same author
Angemon says
You are correct, I know it 🙂 Still cracks me up every time, especially because I saw the original video with the person being parodied – and I use the term “parodied” in a very loose way because the parody is almost indistinguishable from the original “islamic feminist”.
abad says
OK I read that as “manspreading ” and “manscaping”
LOLOLOL
Crimelord Canada says
Neither your statement nor “Eat your dinner, there are starving children in China” make any sense and essentially say the same thing.
Angemon says
Crimelord Canada posted:
“Neither your statement nor “Eat your dinner, there are starving children in China” make any sense and essentially say the same thing.”
No, it’s spot-on – Western “feminists” willingly and repeatedly make up issues like “manspreading” and “mansplaining” to prove the West is a “rape culture” when they have an actual rape culture they could speak against. And they choose not to. I guess those women in Pakistan that were jailed, and are awaiting execution by stoning, for going to the police, saying they were raped and failing to produce four male witnesses need to take a backseat because some woman in the NYC subway saw a man sitting in a way she didn’t like.
Angemon says
P.S.: an actual analogy to what I said involving starving children in China, as opposed to your smokescreen, would be feminists going “starving children is a scourge, therefore we must ensure every child in America, regardless of how much they eat, eats what we want them to eat” when there are actual starving children in China – if they were indeed concerned about starving children they’d start with starving children instead of trying to regulate what children in America that are not starving eat. “Mansplaining” is not “rape culture”, it’s just a way to shut people up, belittle them and disregard what they say based not on the merits of what they are saying but on their sex. A culture that teaches that uncovered women are asking for it is rape culture. A culture that punishes women who are raped is rape culture. No one can claim to be against rape culture when they ignoring, if not outright defend, an actual rape culture.
citycat says
I can’t see it happening.
If the women were set free then that would be a major change to the 1400 year law.
More to follow?
Get rid of the apostasy law,
cruel halal slaughter,
de-clitorising,
praying 5X a day,
raping infidels,
taking over infidels, blasphemy,
chopping hands and feet,
throwing gays off buildings,
the burka,
hatred of Jews,
Christians,
Hindus,
Sikhs,
Farsies,
people with see hair,
Pagans,
Wiccans,
Atheists
and having to read the Qur’an?
No more of any of that?
Islam just wouldn’t be the same.
marina says
Also add to the list
Dogs
Music
Cross
Churches/Bells
Drawing or arts of any kind
Statues
Shiites, Ahmediyas, Bahaii’s etc
Guest says
And less than a century ago today women weren’t allowed to vote, wear pants, sing in public, and not even allowed to say the word ‘sex.’ Change is inevitable.
Greyhound Fancier says
Women sang in choirs in church in public for many years. Opera is often sung in public. Entertainers, like “The Swedish Nightingale”, Jenny Lind, traveled the world singing – in public, because recordings did not exist. What do you mean women weren’t allowed to sing in public?
carol says
Guest
I worry you’ll give Islamists the impression we were similar to them. Yes, women were expected to be ladylike, appropriately discreet and to generally defer to men but there was no institutionalized barbaric physical threat or coercion. Our men in turn owed us things like respect, loyalty and meeting their “helpmeet” duties (in a world where there were few jobs that allowed women full independence).
And don’t forget the Roaring Twenties! Flappers smoked, danced and did the hoochy-koo to their heart’s content.
Wellington says
As long as any Saudi woman thinks that Islam can still be believed in by her and that true women’s rights can also exist, such person still has a long way to go.
There is no Islam that honors women as the equals of men. One knows this or should know it. And for God’s sake, no more Zuhdi Jassers or Irshad Manjis or Daniel Pipes who keep asserting that there is a good Islam lurking out there somewhere in the stratosphere if only this, that and the other thing happen.
There isn’t and it ain’t gonna’ happen.
Have Islam? Well then, you have men permanently lording over women. Guaranteed.
My God, even in the Islamic afterlife it is a still a puerile male paradise. Learn this all who really care about women’s rights. Yeah, learn this. No more excuses for this wretched and childish religion. Please——–for the female gender if for no other reason (though plenty of other reasons most certainly exist).
mortimer says
Wellington wrote: “As long as any Saudi woman thinks that Islam can still be believed in …”
Muslim women believe in their own enslavement. They are enslaved not only for time, but also for eternity.
Muslim women are a perfect example of the Stockholm syndrome … ‘capture bonding’ … in which the victim identifies with the perpetrator to get better treatment and to avoid being murdered.
The constant threat of murder is keeping Muslim women enslaved.
Wellington says
Well, mortimer, if you read the last part of that sentence of mine you quoted where it mentions “true women’s rights.” you will see how this sentence read in its entirety demonstrates an incompatibility of the first dimension.
citycat says
See is red
A Muslim on the bbc news few years back said that they the Muslims are going to kill everyone with red hair.
Greyhound Fancier says
But they don’t mind dyed red beards.
mortimer says
Mohammed, the perfect man, dyed his beard with henna. It looks clownish.
Carolyne says
That’s kind of funny because many Muslim women dye their hair red with henna.
citycat says
Yeah, they think that in pictures of faces, the eyes can be used to remote view whomever might be near the eyes of the face.
I heard that is why the eyes of the sphinx have been removed.
Everything is negative with Islam.
abad says
The way Islam treats the female gender is truly deplorable.
And yet the Western Feminists turn a blind eye to this treatment of their own gender.
Disgusting.
mortimer says
60% of Saudi university students are women.
60% of Saudi wealth is owned by women.
Tough question: What is going to happen to conservative Saudi Arabia?
Defen0derofIsliam says
This is why western women stay out of campaign by Saudi women to get they rights. Saudi Arabia is baseing they treament of woman on culture not on Islamist treaching.The lasting foreign women got than involved it back fire on the Saudi women. Saudi society doesn’t like change to happen.Saudi women cover then self complete in black as it they custorn they are not oppressive by the man in fact they rule the household.
Carolyne says
Gotcha. Saudi women just love to walk around garbage bags.
carol says
I read that a lot of Saudi women secretly practice lesbianism. They get no real respect, tenderness or appreciation from their husbands and look for it elsewhere.