Saudi Arabia-Call for Newspaper Female Picture Ban
Author: Womens UN Report Network
Date: May 15, 2006
Saudi
king calls for female picture ban
Wednesday 17 May 2006, 0:27
Makka Time, 21:27 GMT
King
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has told newspaper editors to stop publishing pictures
of women as they could lead young men astray.
After a meeting with editors on Monday, the king was reported in
the Saudi media as saying that “one needs to think if he would want his
daughter, sister or wife to appear like that. Of course, no one
would”.
Newspapers have recently broken with tradition and published
pictures of women with hair covered but faces showing.
They had also begun to debate women’s issues, such as being
forbidden to drive and vote.
“Young people are driven by emotion and the spirit, but the
spirit can go astray. So I ask you to go easy on these things,” the king also
reportedly said.
Abdullah had been regarded by many Saudis as a quiet reformer
who might begin to loosen the strict social codes that govern the conservative
Gulf state.
In recent months, however, many figures in the powerful
religious establishment have used mosque sermons and websites to criticise any
move towards “liberalisation”.
The 83-year-old ruler also called on newspapers to stop
publishing stories that portray the country in a negative light.
“I ask you to go easy on … unclear issues based on rumours and
not to write things that hurt your country,” he said.
Abdullah also advised newspapers to ignore foreign media
organisations, especially when their stories are “against Islam or against
Arabs”.
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