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It comes as welcome news that authorities in Saudi Arabia have taken important steps toward dismantling the repressive male guardianship system, which treats women in the country as minors. Women will no longer require permission from a male guardian to travel abroad and can apply for a...
For many Bahrainis, repression is nothing new, and it remains a dark and troubling story. First to the good news, at least from the perspective of the government of Bahrain and its supporters: Despite an opposition call to boycott the November election, turnout, at 67%, was impressively high....
In this edition of The Interview, Fair Observer talks to Sana Afouaiz, an award-winning women’s rights advocate. Invisible Women of the Middle East: True Stories is a 2018 book by Moroccan author Sana Afouaiz, exploring the deepest layers of women’s lives across the Middle East and North...
Following Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination, serious questions are finally being asked about British and American involvement in the Yemen War. There is a link between the disappearance and murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the terrible war in Yemen that, after more than three...
The sudden selective indignation regarding the actions of the Saudi regime raises concerns about how the news media handles atrocities across the world. The disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has sparked a media frenzy in much of the world. The New...
Ironically, it is the relentless attacks on Muslims that are creating a more visible Muslim presence in the UK. Boris Johnson’s inflammatory remarks about women who wear the burqa have sparked outrage and fierce debate on an issue that was already highly emotive. Since the 2016 referendum...
Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince wants to rewrite the rules of Islam to secure his regime’s future. Can he succeed? Change is usually measured in decades in the conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. That’s what makes the revolution triggered by its young, impatient crown prince so...
Will Saudi Arabia's ambitious vision for a desert megacity help bring about a new future for the kingdom? In October, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) unveiled Riyadh’s plans for NEOM, a futuristic desert city that he hailed as a “civilizational leap for humanity.”...
In Jordan, the state puts women who are at risk of honor crimes into “protective custody,” which often means prison without charge. As per the BBC, an honor killing is “the murder of a person accused of bringing shame upon his or her family.” The act occurs worldwide but is particularly...
There is no shortage of Muslim women to inspire, encourage and motivate. It’s 2017 and Muslim women across the globe are breaking stereotypes. No matter where they are located or what industry they are involved in — sport, fashion or politics — they are getting themselves known and setting...
Following a decree by King Salman, women in Saudi Arabia can finally get a driving license. Saudi Arabia’s long-awaited lifting of a ban on women driving will likely serve as a litmus test for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ability to introduce economic and social reforms despite...
