Valextra 58 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 First lady Michelle Obama chose not to wear a headscarf in Saudi Arabia, the heart of the conservative Islamic world, where women are treated like second-class citizens, forbidden to drive, enroll in higher education or to travel without a man.Joining President Barack Obama in Saudi Arabia to pay respects to the late King Abdullah, the first lady arrived in loose clothing that covered her arms – a required dress code for women in the country. Her style choices are often a topic of conversation, but it was her decision Tuesday to not cover her head that sparked debate on social media. Many women in the country choose to veil their hair and faces with a niqab.The first lady has been a strong voice in the global movement for women’s rights, and this visit was no different. Obama was not the first powerful U.S. woman to choose not to cover her head, but she was the most high-profile in recent years. The female members of the U.S. delegation, including Susan Rice, Condoleezza Rice, Anita Decker Breckenridge, and Jen Palmieri also did not cover their heads, although former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not cover her head during a 2011 meeting with Abdullah in New York. In 2006, former first lady Laura Bush also chose to show her head during a trip to Saudi Arabia to visit the king.Several Saudi officials passed on a handshake with the first lady, instead only giving her nods as they greeted the president formally. Michelle Obama cannot hide her irritation as she is snubbed at a royal palace in Saudi Arabia. America’s first lady, who caused a stir for declining to cover her head, pursed her lips as most members of an all-male delegation filed past without shaking her hand. There was even more controversy yesterday amid claims Saudi state television blurred her out during broadcasts. As of Wednesday morning, there were 2,000 tweets with the hashtag #ميشÙŠل_أوباما_سÙور (translation: #Michelle_Obama_unveiled) – some attacking Michelle Obama, others joking about the situation and the country’s conservative mandates. It was noted on Twitter that the first lady wore a headscarf during a 2010 trip to Malaysia. According to a BBC report, only 37% of the tweets using the hashtag came from Saudi – most of the tweets were sent from the U.S., where users condemned the clothing demands for women (Saudi Arabia is one of the only places left in the world where women are required to cover their heads).On Facebook, Texas Senator Ted Cruz said of her unscarffed head: “Kudos to First Lady Michelle Obama for standing up for women worldwide and refusing to wear a Sharia-mandated head-scarf in Saudi Arabia. Nicely done.â€Members of the press traveling with the president were told it was not necessary to wear a headscarf, though they were advised to bring a scarf in case of an unexpected encounter with Saudi religious police, who may remind a woman to cover her hair. http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/first-ladys-scarfless-move-saudi-arabia-was-symbolic http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/michelle-obama-snubbed-saudi-royals-5060934 She did the right thing :applause: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan 20,827 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 The face in the bubble though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainiac 11,171 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 good for her. why should she have to accommodate these bigots? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro 8,438 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Spyro the Dragon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rat Boy 43,832 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I read about this in the newspaper this morning. I honestly think she did the right thing. She was still respectful of their culture and way of life. I myself do not agree with those particular customs and would have done exactly what she did if I was in her shoes. "****ing rat" - @Dynamite Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellspont 1,468 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 best first lady ever tbh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAMROD 117,011 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 :lmao: they can stay pressed and backwards. IDEC if they try to justify it behind "culture" excuses. Applaud for Michelle to not succumb to it. (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ✧*:・゚ ᶠʳᵒⁿᵗ ᵗᵒʷᵃʳᵈ ᵉⁿᵉᵐʸ (*´艸`*) ♡♡♡ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 You ****ed with our lunches, but slay First Lady Gaga! :legend: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANZ 4,380 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 SLAY THEM My Favs = Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin, AKB48 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morphine Prince 109,654 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Good for her. That country is SO backwards... literally the US puts up with it because of oil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gianni Versace 2,987 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 You ****ed with our lunches, but slay First Lady Gaga! and our soda machines Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro 8,438 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 and our soda machines Now we just need a First lady of banks... Spyro the Dragon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsTommyBitch 12,640 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Queen Michelle 私自身もこの世の中も誰もかれもが, どんなに華やかな人生でも, どんなに悲惨な人生でも, いつかは変貌し, 破壊され、消滅してしまう. すべてがもともとこの世に存在しない一瞬の幻想なのだから Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiuga 1,973 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 why would she show that face if she decided to do that in the first place? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miker 5,683 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 This country won't change their ideas about women at least not easily. If all countries support to condemn the way they Saudi Arabians treat their women they may have an impact but it will take a very long time for any changes to happen. Mars..........or bust! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.