Well done King Abdullah http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary...udi-Arabia-a-blow-to-medieval-brands-of-Islam
It's more than a symbol. It's skipping the line all together. The King could have started with travel restriction or driving or any of the easier issues. But to make women responsible for their own path is nothing short of revolutionary.
Well it's not like who they're voting for have any power. But fair point. They still can't drive, but now (ok, in a few years) they can vote AND run for office? Seems a little out of order...
So they're taking steps to avoid an Arab Spring of their own? It seems they have more to lose than their neighbors.
I think that is a cynical view which makes for great press but not for great accuracy. King Abdullah has been working on expanding women's rights for years now. For instance, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology was established in 2009 as the first mixed-gender university campus in Saudi Arabia. The religious police do not operate on-site. Women are allowed to mix freely with men and to drive on campus, and they are not required to wear veils in the coeducational classes.
Well if they are allowed to vote to select the Islamic Scholars that make the oppressive rules that would be something. If they could do that, all the other restrictions would eventually fall.
You obviously know the region lot better than I do, so yeah, I defer to your analysis. Buuuut, we're talking about a kingdom that allowed Wahhabi Islam to develop, partly to draw any populist resentment against from the rulers. And you don't have to be Cynical McCynicson to assume that there's self-interest behind any policy.
1) That was more King Fahd than King Abdollah 2) We allow the Westboro Baptists to exist. 6 of one....
Really? you are comparing the amount of power both have as equal? Maybe Evangalicals with the Wahhabi Islam would be more equal as the power of each group with in their respective states.
Radical Wahhabis become terrorists. Radical Evangelicals join militias or the military. To me, it's the exact same thing. Blood lust in the name of a higher power.
I read somewhere that the guy behind the current King is nearly dead and that guy behind him is even more conservative. Plus, isn't this, they might be able to vote in 2015 or some far off date? I'll believe this when I see it.
Have you seen the show throne of swords or some shit like that on HBO. Saudi Arabia is kind of like that. The official king is very sick and has dozens of brothers one of them actually rules the kingdom; the rest would not mind getting the top spot. Then the oldest son thinks that he should get the crown, but the uncles may not think the same, add all the cousins, I bet there is a lot of shit going on behind closed doors to see who gets the crown in the next few years. I imagine that “electing” a king is about the same process as election a chairman in China (with out the term limits).