Miniskirt sparks controversy in Saudi social media

BY

Egypt Today staff

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Tue, 18 Jul 2017 - 01:47 GMT

BY

Egypt Today staff

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 - 01:47 GMT

Authorities in Saudi Arabia are investigating a young woman who posted a video of herself wearing a miniskirt and crop-top in public.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia are investigating a young woman who posted a video of herself wearing a miniskirt and crop-top in public.

CAIRO – 18 July 2017, A footage of a young Saudi woman in a miniskirt and crop top walking around in public has caused a stir on social media, with some calling for her arrest while others rush to her defense.

A Saudi Woman called “Khulood” posted to the social network Snapchat a video showing a woman in a miniskirt walking in an empty historic fort in Ushaiager, a village north of the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.




In Saudi Arabia, wearing abayas and modest clothing is part of the Kingdom's laws and all women in the Kingdom must wear loose-fitting abayas in public.

Commenting on the footage, some Saudi Twitter users launched a new hashtag called “demand the trial of Model Khulood,” clarifying that the woman lived in Saudi Arabia and she should accept its laws.

A Saudi writer slammed Khulood’s video in a tweet, saying, “Like we call on people to respect the laws of countries they travel to, people must also respect the laws of this country.”



Another user posted an article from the Saudi Constitution. “The residents in the Kingdom should abide to its system and respect the values of the Saudi society, traditions and feelings,” read the tweet which was shared 638 times.



But others offered their support for the woman, asserting that freedom of dress should not be a crime.

The writer and philosopher, Wael al-Gassim, said he was "shocked to see those angry, scary tweets."

A Twitter user shared an arrest warrant, saying “I refrain from commenting, because of course, this is all very logical.”




In defense of Khulood’s video Twitter users also went to share images from President Donald Trump’s visit in May, in which First Lady Melania Trump and his daughter Ivanka dressed in higher necklines and longer sleeves, and shunned wearing a head cover or the abaya.

The fate of the woman is unclear. Saudi newspaper Okaz reported Sunday that local officials had written a letter to the region's governor and police asking to take action against those who made the video.

Saudi’s Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has posted a tweet in which it confirmed its awareness of the video clip, and that it is liaising with the relevant authorities.




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