Women given rights to vote in Saudi Arabia

[Firecat]

http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-king-says-women-political-role-115527157.html

Of course something done, seemingly at a whim, can be undone. Real change will come to Arabia when the Saudi monarch is executed along with the rest of the "royals"

 

[Momentum57]

it will be intriguing how the extremist Islamic sects will twist this

 

[jack_christie]

Oprah in action!

 

[nomix]

Elections don't mean anything in Saudi anyway, do they?

 

[Interrobang]

http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-king-says-women-political-role-115527157.html[...]

I would really love to say something in the lines of "even a small change can be the start of many changes" ... but I don?t seriously believe that. This is just a tiny gesture in oder to keep the women quiet.

 

[Dr_Grip]

Elections don't mean anything in Saudi anyway, do they?

They don't - the parliament can give advise to the King which he might follow or ignore as he pleases. But I still think that is a major step for an islamic country, especially as women are not only given the right to vote, but also to run for office.

Before getting on our high horse we should remember that Switzerland only gave the women a right to vote in 1971 and in Britain, if the Conservatives would have their way, prisoners would not be allowed to vote at all (on that issue: We got a special penalty called "to strip one of it's honorary rights as a citizen" which a judge can impose and which takes the right to vote away from someone who has commited a crime of political nature). So the Saudis are not centuries behind, but only a few dozen years.

 

[Cold Fussion]

They don't - the parliament can give advise to the King which he might follow or ignore as he pleases. But I still think that is a major step for an islamic country, especially as women are not only given the right to vote, but also to run for office.

Before getting on our high horse we should remember that Switzerland only gave the women a right to vote in 1971 and in Britain, if the Conservatives would have their way, prisoners would not be allowed to vote at all (on that issue: We got a special penalty called "to strip one of it's honorary rights as a citizen" which a judge can impose and which takes the right to vote away from someone who has commited a crime of political nature). So the Saudis are not centuries behind, but only a few dozen years.

And over a hundred behind New Zealand. I Don't recall the Victorians cuttings off hands of women and all sorts of barbaric things, so I would say they are very far behind modern society.

 

[Dr_Grip]

And over a hundred behind New Zealand. I Don't recall the Victorians cuttings off hands of women and all sorts of barbaric things, so I would say they are very far behind modern society.

I don't really think the Saudis cut off hands (I think the only regime stupid enough to enforce sharia like that were the Taliban, not even the Iranians are that stupid).

 

[idk]

They just stone people to dead. Or how was it again, with that "Acid" revenge of a women recently in Iran. Not that I don't think that bastard would have deserved a bit of acid in his face...

 

[Dr_Grip]

They just stone people to dead. Or how was it again, with that "Acid" revenge of a women recently in Iran. Not that I don't think that bastard would have deserved a bit of acid in his face...

I am not saying that their justice system is anything but medieval. It is.

That does not change the fact that giving women the vote is a major step out of the dark ages.

And that we should not be so condescending when judging progress in the middle east. There's lots to do over here, as well, see Troy Davis, police brutality, phone hacking and much more.

EDIT: I am well aware that all the problems of our justice systems (well, maybe except the death penalty) are irrelevant and small compared to some of the laws in the middle east. I just provided these examples to show that we should not judge as harshly as we often do when it comes to other country's justice systems.

 

[mpulztracker]

It was our (rest of the world's) fault really. We buy their oil at silly prices and make sure they stay rich and in power... They can very nicely get on without any real education, thank you very much..... while the rest of the world had to educate its masses and develop and invent "stuff" to make sure the economy is turning.

With no education, the crowd is easily convinced that women are second class citizens and many other such medieval nonsense. What kind of a country / economy doesn't want its women to drive (to get to work? to get to school?)

Amazing

 

[Cold Fussion]

EDIT: I am well aware that all the problems of our justice systems (well, maybe except the death penalty) are irrelevant and small compared to some of the laws in the middle east. I just provided these examples to show that we should not judge as harshly as we often do when it comes to other country's justice systems.

I think we should, just because it took far to long in western societies doesn't make it less wrong for those in the Middle East. The fact that it took a developed nation like Switzerland 70 years longer than New Zealand is disgusting.

 

[tigger]

I would really love to say something in the lines of "even a small change can be the start of many changes" ... but I don?t seriously believe that. This is just a tiny gesture in oder to keep the women quiet.

My thoughts exactly. I was going to congratulate Saudi Arabia on entering the 20th century, but that would be overly generous.

That does not change the fact that giving women the vote is a major step out of the dark ages.

Back in '02 authorities kept dozens of schoolgirls from leaving a burning building because they weren't wearing "proper attire"; 15 of them burned to death. While it's a rare punishment, they do still amputate hands for theft. And let's not forget the public floggings and executions. It's still an authoritarian theocracy. Elections are only relatively free at the municipal level, and women will still have to get a male relative to drive them to the polls.

 

[Firecat]

Yes. The have public beheadings. What makes matters worse is that their whole criminal justice system is a farce.

 

[Dr_Grip]

Yes. The have public beheadings. What makes matters worse is that their whole criminal justice system is a farce.

Are we talking about Saudi-Arabia or Texas?

On a more serious note: I know you are right about the Saudi justice, but that does make small changes more impressive, not less. Meanwhile, in Somalia...