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BBC News Saudi princess: What I'd change about my country

MAGAZINE
8April2012Lastupdatedat19:21ET

Saudiprincess:WhatI'dchangeaboutmycountry
PrincessBasmaBintSaudBinAbdulaziztellstheBBCtherearemanychangesshewouldliketoseeinSaudiArabiabut thatnowisnotthetimeforwomentobeallowedtodrive. IspeakasthedaughterofKingSaud,theformerrulerofSaudiArabia.Myfatherestablishedthefirstwomen'suniversityinthe kingdom,abolishedslaveryandtriedtoestablishaconstitutionalmonarchythatseparatesthepositionofkingfromthatofprime minister.ButIamsaddenedtosaythatmybelovedcountrytodayhasnotfulfilledthatearlypromise. Ourancientculture,ofwhichIamveryproud,isrenownedforitsnobilityandgenerosity,butwelack,andurgentlyneed, fundamentalcivillawswithwhichtogovernoursociety. Asadaughter,sister,(former)wife,mother,businesswomanandaworkingjournalist,thesearethethingsthatIwouldliketosee changedinSaudiArabia. 1.Constitution Iwouldliketoseeaproperconstitutionthattreatsallmenandwomenonanequalfootingbeforethelawbutthatalsoservesasa guidetoourcivillawsandpoliticalculture. Forexample,todayinSaudicourts,alldecisionsaremadeaccordingtotheindividualjudge'sinterpretationoftheholyKoran.This isentirelydependentonhisownpersonalbeliefsandupbringingratherthanuniversallyagreedprinciplesorawrittenconstitutionas aguide. Iamnotcallingforawesternsystembutanadaptationofthatsystemtosuitourneedsandculture.Thusourconstitutionshouldbe inspiredbythephilosophyoftheKoranwithprinciplesthataresetinstoneandnotopentothewhimsofindividualjudgesasisthe casenow. Inparticular,theconstitutionshouldprotecteverycitizen'sbasichumanrightsregardlessoftheirsex,statusorsect.Everyone shouldbeequalbeforethelaw.
2.Divorcelaws

Istronglybelievethatcurrentdivorcelawsareabusive. TodayinSaudi,awomancanaskforadivorceonlyifshefilesforwhatiscalled"KhaliandDhali".Thismeanseithershepaysabig sumofmoneyrunningintotensofthousandsofdollarsorshehastogetsomeonetowitnessthereasonwhysheisfilingfora divorceanimpossibleconditiontofulfilgiventhatsuchreasonsusuallyarethekindthatremainwithinthefourwallsofamarriage. Anotherwaytokeepawomaninthemaritalhomeagainstherwillistheautomaticgrantingofcustodyofanychildrenovertheage ofsixtothefatherinanydivorcesettlements. ThisstateofaffairsisincompletecontradictiontotheKoran,uponwhichourlawsaresupposedtobebased.Initawomanisgiven fullrightstodivorcesimplyinthecaseof"irreconcilabledifferences".

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3.Overhauloftheeducationsystem

BBC News Saudi princess: What I'd change about my country

ThewaywomentodayaretreatedinSaudiArabiaisadirectresultoftheeducationourchildren,boysandgirls,receiveatschool. Thecontentofthesyllabusisextremelydangerous.Forone,ouryoungaretaughtthatawoman'spositioninsocietyisinferior.Her roleisstrictlylimitedtoservingherfamilyandraisingchildren.Theyareactuallytaughtthatifawomanhastoworshipanyoneother thanGoditshouldbeherhusband"thattheangelswillcurseherifsheisnotsubmissivetoherhusband'sneeds".Girlsarealso strictlyforbiddenfromtakingpartinanyphysicaleducation.ThisisaresultofacompletemisinterpretationoftheKoran.Iconsider theseideologiestobeinherentlyabusive. Asidefromthat,thefocusinmostofoureducationalsystemisonreligioussubjectssuchashadith(sayingsattributedtothe prophet),Fiqh(Islamicjurisprudence),tafssir(interpretationoftheKoran)andofcoursetheKoran.Theattitudeisthat"learning itself,anythingotherthanreligionwon'tgetyouintoheavensodon'twasteyourtime".Iwouldliketoseereligiousteachinglimitedto theKoranandtheSunna(thewaytheprophetlived),wherethetrueethicsofIslamlie.Therestisblindrotelearningofthemost dangerouskind.Ithasleftouryouthvulnerabletofundamentalistideologiesthathaveledtoterrorismandabuseofthetruemeaning oftheKoran. Insteadofwastingouryouths'intellectonmemorisingquotationswhoseoriginsisuncertain(suchasthosefoundinhadith,Fiqhand tafssir)weneedtoencouragethemtothinkfreely,innovateandusetheirinitiativeforthebettermentofoursociety.EarlyIslamwas atimeofgreatcreativity.Scholarsexcelledinsciencesandliterature.Ourreligionshouldnotbeashieldbehindwhichwehidefrom theworldbutadrivingforcethatinspiresustoinnovateandcontributetooursurroundings.ThisisthetruespiritofIslam.
4.Acompletereformofsocialservices

Theministryofsocialaffairsistoleratingcrueltytowardswomenratherthanprotectingthem.Theonlyrefugehomesthatabused womencanturntoarestateones.Inthese,womenarecontinuouslytoldthatbyseekingrefugetheyhavebroughtshameontheir families. Iftheycomefrompowerfulfamiliesthentheywillbesentstraightbacktotheirhomesinfearofthewrathofapowerfulpatriarch.As aresultwehaveseenmanycasesofsuicidebyeducatedwomen,doctorsandscientistswhoweresentbacktotheirabusers. Weneedindependentwomen'srefugeswheretherightsofwomenareupheldandbackedupbypowerfullawsthatcanoverride familytraditionsandprotectwomen. Theministryofsocialaffairsnotonlyabuseswomen'srightsbutisalsooneofthereasonspovertyisrifeinthekingdom.Acorrupt systemthatlackstransparencyhasmeantthatmorethan50%ofourpopulationispoorandneedyeventhoughweareoneofthe wealthiestcountriesonearth.
5.TheroleoftheMahram(chaperone)

WomeninSaudicannotgetaroundortravelwithoutamahram(akindofchaperoneusuallyamalerelative). Atthetimeoftheprophet,womenusedtohaveamantoaccompanythembutinthosedaysArabiawasadesertliterallyfullof pirates. Todaytheonlypurposeofsuchalawistocurtailwomen'sfreedomofmovement.Thisnotonlyinfantiliseswomenbutturnsthem unnecessarilyintoaburdenontheirmenandonsociety. TodaywomeninSaudiArabiaarenotallowedtodrive. Thisoneseemstoconcernwesternobserversthemostbuttherearemoreessentialrightsweneedtoobtainfirst. IamdefinitelyforwomendrivingbutIdon'tthinkthisistherighttimeforareversalofthislaw.Inthecurrentclimateifawoman drives,shecouldbestopped,harassedbeatenorworsetoteachheralesson. ThisiswhyIamagainstwomendrivinguntilweareeducatedenoughanduntilwehavethenecessarylawstoprotectusfromsuch madness.Otherwisewemightaswellhandoutalicencetotheextremiststoabuseusfurther.Ifasdriverswegetharassed,they willsaytotheIslamicworld"seewhathappenswhenwomendrive,theygetharassedtheygetbeaten"andtheywillcallforeven
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BBC News Saudi princess: What I'd change about my country

morestringentlawstocontrolwomen.Thisissomethingwecan'tafford.Fundamentalchangesinthelawanditsattitudetowomen areneededbeforewetakethisstep. OnthewholeitistherightsandfreedomsofallcitizensthatarecrucialinSaudiArabiaandfromthosetherightsofwomenwill emanate. PrincessBasmaBintSaudBinAbdulazizspoketoOutlookontheBBCWorldService. DoyouliveinSaudiArabia?Telluswhatyouthinkabouttheseissues,usingtheformbelow,andaselectionofresponses willbepublishednextweek.

BBC2012TheBBCisnotresponsibleforthecontent ofexternalsites.Readmore.

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