Saudi king grants women seats on council

[Grandpa Greenman]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia's king granted women seats on the country's top advisory council for the first time on Friday, giving them a long-awaited toehold in the ultraconservative kingdom's male-dominated political system.

King Abdullah's decrees come against the backdrop of heavy restrictions on women, who are not allowed to travel, work, study abroad, marry, get divorced or gain admittance to a public hospital without permission from a male guardian. Recently, airport authorities were instructed to send text messages to thephones of male guardians - husbands, fathers or brothers - with information about the movements of their wives, daughters or sisters.

The nation's official news agency said the king issued two royal decrees granting women 30 seats on the Shura Council, which has 150 members plus a president. The council reviews laws and questions ministers, but does not have legislative powers. All members are appointed by the king and serve four-year terms.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20130111/DA3O6C1G0.html

Looks like he is just giving lip service to women.

[Ashotep]

Can't even go to the hospital without your husband permission. So he can beat you and no one knows. Such a barbaric country.

I bet they have to sit there and keep their mouths shut.

[freetoroam]

How very noble of him!!! Will they be able to wear trousers too?

[+and-then]

Disgusting culture. And for oil we lick their boots so what does that make us?

[freetoroam]

Disgusting culture. And for oil we lick their boots so what does that make us?

I do not lick their sandals or boots....cor, you make me want to sell my car and buy a bike now.

[+and-then]

I do not lick their sandals or boots....cor, you make me want to sell my car and buy a bike now.

Sorry - didn't mean to offend - just point out how twisted the whole situation with the oil money is. We COULD be using our own energy resources and tell them to kiss off but we don't - and that HAS to be about someone's greed.

[Antilles]

Disgusting culture. And for oil we lick their boots so what does that make us?

Don't apologise. I was thinking that perhaps the rape death of the Indian girl may have got through to them but now I think about it, they treat the Indians and other people they pay to be their servants etc worse than their donkeys.

[freetoroam]

Sorry - didn't mean to offend - just point out how twisted the whole situation with the oil money is. We COULD be using our own energy resources and tell them to kiss off but we don't - and that HAS to be about someone's greed.

I fully agree with you. living on a boat we are much or less self sufficient, need a bit of diesel from time to time, but surely do not need to rely on the Saudi`s for that.

i could not agree with you more though, someone elses greed is severely affecting us, hence the reason I have done my best not to help fill their pockets.

[Uncle Pockets]

Can't even go to the hospital without your husband permission. So he can beat you and no one knows. Such a barbaric country.

I bet they have to sit there and keep their mouths shut.

"According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, women in America experience about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes every year.4 Less than 20 percent of battered women sought medical treatment following an injury.5 "

These facts of what happens in America are barbaric.

[+and-then]

"According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, women in America experience about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes every year.4 Less than 20 percent of battered women sought medical treatment following an injury.5 "

These facts of what happens in America are barbaric.

Yes they are. And I don't think she was saying it doesn't happen here. But HERE a woman can seek help from authorities and have a sadistic *^^$^ put in a jail cell. THERE it is SHE that is likely to be put in jail or beaten.