Why Women's Voting is Complicated...Arab News

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch....it's worth reading the whole thing...it gets even WORSE......


3//Arab News, Saudi Arabia Wednesday, 1, December, 2004 (19, Shawwal, 1425)

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=55401&d=1&m=12&y=2004



WHY WOMEN’S VOTING IS COMPLICATED

Raid Qusti



Many Saudi females were not happy with my last article regarding the reasons I believed why it was difficult for Saudi women to vote.



To begin with, we need to look at our country as a whole and weigh the reality of things. We should look at it rationally and not emotionally.



One of the comments made by a Saudi female, responding to my last article, is that we do not need separate ballot centers for men or women so that sinful mixing could not occur. Instead we could have different voting hours for men and women. Women could come, for example, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. And men could come from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. That way there would be no mixing. Good suggestion.



But employing Saudi women to answer queries from Saudi women is not easy, especially in remote areas. Then of course the problem still exists of finding women who are willing to work in village or small towns. If the women are willing then they would need male escorts to stay with them there, in addition of course to finding male drivers since women are not allowed to drive here.



Hypothetically, let’s say all these were resolved. That is, the municipality had given itself enough time to set up everything, even employed women to assigned areas, and everything was set to go. Continuing the hypothesis further, let’s say that some Saudi women who registered their names and later nominated themselves as candidates actually won and had become official members of the municipality council. In other words, these women are now officials.



The hypothetical scenario ends here. One big problem remains. Fact: Saudi Arabia is a male dominated society. Fact two: Saudi Arabia is a segregated society in every aspect.



If a single woman won and became a member of the municipality council that would mean the government would have to construct a separate building for her. Whether she is one female, two, or ten, Saudi law forbids men and women to work in the same establishment.


and MORE AND MORE......l

[Lautremont]

1. Good lord!

[Anakin Skywalker]

2. WTF is Wrong with Mixing?

Damn, G! Reminds me of the segregation in the US South pre-1960s.

[mairceridwen]

3. boys have cooties