Michelle Obama forgoes a headscarf and sparks a backlash in Saudi Arabia

[doppelganger]

@blood @Bang Galore @levina @doppelganger , Somebody save me from women's facial expression!! I know from my experience from my mother, sister and wife and now daughter. Making of face says thousand words. When returning from office after a days of hard work and you look at the face of the person who opens the door...Immediately you know how is your rest of the day going to be!!

Quoting Modi ji from Mann Ki Baat .....

Maine Barack se kaha, dost aaj mere yahan rah jao.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Why only her what about that blonde lady who is also not covered

i think it has more to do with the fact that she's not wearing black (on what is supposed to be a sad occasion) but that's just my wild guess

she probably should have been advised properly

 

[Gibbs]

Saudi King is there, he knows it. Everything is fine. She smiled

And Saudi man handed shake with Michelle, how hypocrisy. Saudi men doesn't shake hands with female foreginers?

Replace her with a Pakistani woman with uncovered hair.. I'm pretty sure they will be shaking a sword at her than her hand

@doppelganger yeap.. A double whammy.. A Black woman.. Thats going to be a hard one to swallow

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Michelle is not impressed: The First Lady does not look happy to be meeting Saudi king as members of his entourage refuse to shake her hand

i dont think they ever shake hands with female leaders or wives of leaders/dignitaries

things are very conservative there, it doesnt work like that

 

[SrNair]

when in indonesia

while in saudi

Another lady in there also didnt wore headscarf

 

[nair]

Another lady in there also didnt wore headscarf

She is not US first lady!!!!!!

 

[VelocuR]

Replace her with a Pakistani woman with uncovered hair.. I'm pretty sure they will be shaking a sword at her than her hand

Well NO! Our Pakistani women know how to wear proper dresses while traveling to Arab countries. Like @Abu Zolfiqar said, Mrs.Obama was not aware or intend to do it to test Saudi reactions. New Saudi King seems doesn't have problem with it.

 

[Frosty]

It is very disrespectful to offer shaking hands with a woman unless she offers first in Saudi traditions. So those who shook hands with the first lady were politicians, princes and military men whilst those who didn't out of respect for her were religious figures and tribal leaders.

 

[Gibbs]

Well NO! Our Pakistani women know how to wear proper dresses while traveling to Arab countries. Like @Abu Zolfiqar said, Mrs.Obama was not aware or intend to do it to test Saudi reactions. New Saudi King seems doesn't have problem with it.

That's not the gist of what i said.. Replace her with a non western non white woman.. And see how courteous the Saudi's will be

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Well NO! Our Pakistani women know how to wear proper dresses while traveling to Arab countries. Like @Abu Zolfiqar said, Mrs.Obama was not aware or intend to do it to test Saudi reactions. New Saudi King seems doesn't have problem with it.

she certainly doesnt look thrilled...either that or she ate something bad on the flight

and most people with a brain who travel to Saudi Arabia (especially Muslims) know that Saudi Arabia is very conservative and that there are certain dress codes.....so bringing up Pakistani women in this thread is pointless

 

[doppelganger]

i dont think they ever shake hands with female leaders or wives of leaders/dignitaries

things are very conservative there, it doesnt work like that

We are pretty conservative ourselves. Big majority will do namaste instead of shaking hands (physical contact) with a woman not from your family or close friends. But most everyone shook her hand here during their visit. The physical contact thing being driven by the woman's culture, not the man's. That is, if a woman is uncomfortable to touch you as a stranger, you do not take a chance and do a safe neutral namaste instead.

 

[Soumitra]

she certainly doesnt look thrilled...either that or she ate something bad on the flight

and most people with a brain who travel to Saudi Arabia (especially Muslims) know that Saudi Arabia is very conservative and that there are certain dress codes.....so bringing up Pakistani women in this thread is pointless

She was thinking that she had to go to the Taj Mahal - the monument of love. Instead she goes to a country where she is being treated almost as a non entity. Obviously she will be sad

 

[Gibbs]

she certainly doesnt look thrilled...either that or she ate something bad on the flight

and most people with a brain who travel to Saudi Arabia (especially Muslims) know that Saudi Arabia is very conservative and that there are certain dress codes.....so bringing up Pakistani women in this thread is pointless

That was to highlight the hypocrisy.. and to answer the poster who is obviously Pakistani.. So ok replace that with any non white non western woman

 

[Sine Nomine]

That's not the gist of what i said.. Replace her with a non western non white woman.. And see how courteous the Saudi's will be

When did last time you visited KSA.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

They were probably briefed not to be all smiles....this was after-all a visit to pay respects to their recently dead King. But perhaps you could be true, who knows

either way - Saudi Arabia is important for the US for security, energy and geo-political reasons.....afterall it the GCC countries which have agreed not to lower oil supplies in order to offset falling prices. It's a coordinated and very elaborate behind-the-scenes effort to target Russia and Iran economy so therefore they all want to be on their same page.