Were you aware laws regarding women in Saudi Arabia were this strict?

This is really old news. Where have you been?

The Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the only one in the Islamic Crescent which adheres to the Wahabi version of Islam. It draws its name from Ibn Abdul Wahab Najdi, an Islamic scholar who was one of the first to call for re-establishing the Pan-Islamic Empire that Bin Laden and Al Queda talk about. In fact, I believe if he were alive today he would be the chief spokesman for Al Queda.

The Wahabi warrior caste are the ones who helped bring the Saud family to power in the Kingdom. The minute that King Saud sat on his throne he disbanded that warrior caste and made them the religious police. And they introduced and enforced strict Sharia. Laws they said were in conformity with the Koran but most Sunnis and even some Shias think the Wahabis are too strict and are misinterpreting the Koran.

The woman in the news link you provided has been granted a pardon by the current King Abdullah. It doesn't mean she wasn't found guilty of a crime by their standards. She just won't receive the punishment.

And there is not a chance in h*ll that Sharia will be invoked in the U.S. Most Muslims in this country are assimilated and don't give a rat's behind about Sharia and the whack jobs who are running religious matters in Saudi Arabia.

Yes, and it IS old news. If not for the discovery of oil and the world's lust for that commodity, most Saudis would still be wandering around the desert herding goats or driving camels. It is also interesting to delve a little deeper into the world of women in Saudia Arabia. They have there own banks, schools, hospitals and have not been denied education or the opportunity to have their own wealth.

Maybe the country will eventually change. Not all in the middle east are the same. However, it probably is dangerous and brave to be different. Lebanon and Isreal proved that to be the case. People that want to change and live in a democratic country have to fight hard for this basic human right. Maybe Iraq will make it despite all the obvious problems the country faces.

The religious fanatics in the Mideast grants the men the right to treat women worse than dogs. In India a man can kill his wife or throw battery acid on her face so no other man will want her, with little to no consequences. Recently in America a father beat his teenage daughter to death because she would not wear her Vail in school. This was known as restoring Honor to the family.

Yes, I was aware of this. It is sad. It is also ingrained in their culture that women are not equal to men. They are considered as second class citizens at best. As far as equality to men and rights are concerned - they are brought up in the environment to think that that is where they belong - which is to be second to men and not have rights. What do you do in a culture where from childbirth to death the thought process for women is deeply ingrained to be unrecognized and not given rights? The large portion of women are uneducated to the ways the real world lives in. Things are censored in their country and their reality and world is what they see and live in - nothing more.

you asked this question in such a refreshing way,not once did you mention islam,extremism,or anything derogatory about the islamic religion.the laws in saudi arabia are archaic,and outdated with regard to women,they put their own interpretation,on islamic law,which contrary to what most people think is designed to protect women,and ensure their rights.as a muslim woman i would not choose to be subject to those laws,its exactly the situation that you described, that gives rise to misconceptions about women,and islam.

Women in the middle east are not considered as humans, only subservient possessions. I understand that the judge exonerated the woman due to "international pressure."

When the middle east will come out of the dark ages is anybody's guess?

Why not?

The blunders and slip-ups with human errors created by the dead Mummy who was past dirty old man like you and me who made blunders and slip-ups with human errors back in the past in messing up the women folks with cheap-skate ghostly stories and their self lack of knowledge in kicking the butts of God.

Luke 10.24

The blunders and slip-ups with human errors that was expose by our creator without being aware of it.

Luke 9.55-56

With the women folks getting kick on the butts as casualty of the dead Mummy in not worshiping God in climbing up the coconut trees and still look green with lost sense of direction and purpose of life.

Luke 6.39-40,41-45,46-49.

What do you think?

Yes I was aware, it is a different culture and part of the world and you will never be able to change it. It is sad and I am sure one of their religous books says it ok, so to them they are doing nothing wrong.

My husband went to war in Afghanistan as a medic. He was taking care of all the prisoners. They actually will only have sex with women to make children. For their pleasure they will have sex with people (men) equal to themselves. Women mean nothing to them! ~V.