Saudi king sacks adviser critical of gender mixing

[Al Bhatti]

May 12, 2012

Saudi king sacks adviser critical of gender mixing

Saudi King Abdullah on Friday sacked one of his advisers, an outspoken critic of the sexes mingling outside the home

Saudi King Abdullah on Friday sacked one of his advisers, an outspoken critic of the sexes mingling outside the home, something banned in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

The state news agency SPA published the decree announcing the dismissal of Shaikh Abdul Mohsen Al Obaikan, an adviser to the royal cabinet, without providing further details.

The move comes several days after Obaikan, speaking on local radio, lashed out at the interaction of men and women in court, accusing the judges of seeking to "Westernise society".

Sex segregation in court

"Women suffer from gender mingling and harassment in the courts," said the shaikh, a former judge, while demanding the segregation of the sexes in court.

"Some influential people have plans to corrupt Muslim society by seeking to change the natural status of women," he said, accusing judges he did not name of "wanting to replace justice based on (Islamic) Sharia law with secular laws".

His comments provoked an outcry in the Saudi press, with the daily Al Jazeera newspaper asking in an editorial: "What is the point in having an adviser... who behaves with such recklessness?"

Cautious reformer

The Saudi monarch, a cautious reformer, in January sacked the head of the kingdom's powerful religious police, who ensure the application of the strict Saudi version of Islam, replacing him with a more moderate cleric.

The religious police, or "mutaween," prevent women from driving, require them to shroud their faces and bodies in all-black, shapeless abayas, and enforce gender segregation in public.

gulfnews : Saudi king sacks adviser critical of gender mixing

 

[somebozo]

Shaikh Abdul Mohsen Al Obaikan


Knowing the Obaikans strength on religious affairs with the royal family that was pretty much a tough move by the King..I hope soo we will start seeing dismissal of some As-Shaikyis as well...who are well known as "Fatwa for fat cheques"

 

[Hasbara Buster]

I didn´t even know there was an Arab section. Anway, men and women worked together during the time of the prophet. It seems that some Muslims want to build a wall between men and women in their country, both living totally apart. That´s nonsense.

 

[Hyperion]

Hmmmm.. All hail the king.. The guy has one working neuron. Kudos to the king!

 

[Deno]

I didn´t even know there was an Arab section. Anway, men and women worked together during the time of the prophet. It seems that some Muslims want to build a wall between men and women in their country, both living totally apart. That´s nonsense.

Tell me more about how Islam respects women by believing they were created for men, by forcing them to cover their bodies to extreme degrees, by believing they sould obey the older male in family or their husbands... *creepy wonka*

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Tell me more about how Islam respects women by believing they were created for men, by forcing them to cover their bodies to extreme degrees, by believing they sould obey the older male in family or their husbands... *creepy wonka*

Women should be forced to dress like this:

While it's ok for men to dress like this:

 

[Rusty]

Personally I think this kind of stuff needs to stop, but it goes both ways.
Women need to stop getting social treatment too. No more special areas in the airport/malls/etc for them.
Both men and women need to be treated like human being, no special treatment for either.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Personally I think this kind of stuff needs to stop, but it goes both ways.
Women need to stop getting social treatment too. No more special areas in the airport/malls/etc for them.
Both men and women need to be treated like human being, no special treatment for either.

If I tell my little sister to wear a head scarf, she will beat the hell out of me.

 

[Arabian Legend]

Personally I think this kind of stuff needs to stop, but it goes both ways.
Women need to stop getting social treatment too. No more special areas in the airport/malls/etc for them.
Both men and women need to be treated like human being, no special treatment for either.

I totally agree with you but unfortunately women's social treatment falls under society norms