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

[blood]

Barack Obama was in Riyadh on Tuesday to pay his respects to the late Saudi King Abdullah. His visit, for which he cut short a much-hyped trip to India, underscores how important the U.S.-Saudi relationship remains to the American leadership. On social media, however, much of the attention has focused on something else: His wife's attire.

As noted bythe Associated Press, Michelle Obama did not wear a headscarf or veil Tuesday. In Saudi Arabia, that's unusual: The country is one of the few on Earth where women are expected to cover their heads, and most Saudi women wear niqabs.

Exceptions are made for foreigners, however, and Michelle – who did wear loose clothing that fully covered her arms – appears to have been one of them. In photographs from the official events, other foreign female guests are also shown not wearing headscarves.

More than 1,500 tweets using the hashtag #ميشيل_أوباما_سفور (roughly, #Michelle_Obama_unveiled) were sent Tuesday, many of which criticized the first lady. Some users pointed out that on a recent trip to Indonesia, Michelle had worn a headscarf. Why not in Saudi Arabia?

The response wasn't entirely negative –Ahram Onlinenotes that some Twitter users said Michelle shouldn't be criticized too much, it being a short, impromptu trip and all. Saudi statetelevision did show imagesof Michelle and her uncovered head, despite some claims that they had digitally obscured her (a widely circulated video with the first lady entirely blurred seems to have been an amateur production).

Still, the Obamas' trip to Saudi Arabia comes at a time of remarkable international criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, prompted largely by the flogging ofblogger Raif Badawifor insulting Islam. The trip was apparently designed to be apolitical –Obama has saidhe was "unlikely" to discuss Badawi's case with the new Saudi king.

But in Saudi Arabia, the simple act of not covering your head can be political, intentionally or not.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/01/27/michelle-obama-forgoes-
a-headscarf-and-sparks-a-backlash-in-saudi-arabia/

So what do you guys think about it ?

@SarthakGanguly @levina @jamahir @Mosamania @Arabian Legend @DRAY @Irfan Baloch @Horus @Lord Zen @sreekumar @thesolar65 @Solomon2 @Dem!god

 

[blood]

when in indonesia

while in saudi

 

[Bang Galore]

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
By Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com 19:20 27 Jan 2015, updated 02:26 28 Jan 2015


Michelle Obama did not look happy on Tuesday when she had to cut short her visit to India to accompany her husband on a trip to a country where women aren't even allowed to drive cars.

The First Lady bowed and beamed as she boarded Air Force One in New Dehli on Tuesday, but by the time she landed in Saudi Arabia a few hours later, she had traded her floral dress for a more conservative long-sleeved jacket and slacks - as well as a new scorned expression.

In pictures at the airport and Egra Palace, Mrs Obama pursed her lips and glared as she stood her husband who cancelled their trip to the Taj Mahal in order to pay respects to the Saudi royal family on the death of King Abdullah.




Not-so-happy in Saudi Arabia? First Lady Michelle Obama didn't look too thrilled to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a country with virtually no women's rights

Supporting her husband: Mrs Obama pursed her lips and wore a tired expression as she greeted Saudi dignitaries at the airport and Egra Palace

Outfit change: When the president and Mrs Obama left India on Tuesday, she was dressed in a floral dress. Though her husband wore the same suit and polka-dot tie when they landed in Saudi Arabia, Mrs Obama had changed into a long-sleeve coat and slacks to cover up in the conservative Muslim country

While the oil-rich Saudis are America's biggest Arab ally, the relationship has come under increased scrutiny over the conservative Muslim country's questionable human rights record - including their treatment of women.

In addition to not being able to drive, Saudi women must always have a male chaperone when going out in public, they can't try on clothes while shopping or open a bank account without their husband's permission.

And despite most Saudi women being educated, they make up just a sliver of the work force.


Dreaming of the Taj Mahal: Mrs Obama and her husband cut short their India trip - including a planned visit to the Taj Mahal - to lead a delegation of American dignitaties to pay respects to the Saudi royal family on the death of King Abdullah

Letting her hair down: Mrs Obama did not wear a headscarf on Tuesday, though Saudi women are required not to let any of their hair show in public. Western women who visit the country do not need to cover their hair, but conservative dress like the outfit sported by the First Lady is necessary

Life as a woman in Saudi Arabia: Other restrictions placed on women include not being able to go out in public without a male escort, open a bank account without their husband's permission or try on clothes while shopping. Mrs Obama stands between her husband and King Salman on Tuesday

Women's rights record: Just last year, King Abdullah was publicly criticized by one of his own daughters who said she and her female relatives were practically held 'hostage' in their palace for a decade due to strict restrictions for women.

Mrs Obama got a taste of the patriarchy when she stepped out of Air Force One in Riyadh on Tuesday and was greeted by the new King Salman and an all-male group of delegates.

When the group lined up to greet the president and his wife, some of the Saudis shook the First Lady's hand while others just nodded their head.

Reporters who were travelling with the president and First Lady told ABC News that Mrs Obama bowed to cultural differences and stood slightly behind her husband during the greeting line.

If one of the men would offer to shake her hand, the First Lady would oblige but mostly stood back and smiled while they passed.

She was also criticized by Saudis and the Muslim world at large on Twitter for not covering her hair.

According to tweets gathered by Al-Ahram, Egypt's largest daily newspaper, many Saudis expressed outrage that Mrs Obama wore a veil to visit a mosque in Indonesia, but went without one on this condolence trip to their country. Mrs Obama also donned a sheer black veil when she met the Catholic Pope in Vatican City.

Sidelined: Mrs Obama appears left out of the conversation in this picture of the First Lady and president visiting Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

Contact: Mrs Obama got a taste for the Saudi Arabian patriarchy when local dignitaries lined up to greet her husband. While some Saudis (like the one above) shook the First Lady's hand, others simply nodded and moved on

On their terms: Reporters who traveled with the president and First Lady said she purposely stood back from her husband and waiting for the Saudi men to approach her first for a handshake. She mostly just stood and smiled as they passed though

Passed over: Mrs Obama glared as a Saudi delegate passed her by and refused to shake her hand after greeting her husband

While Western women aren't required to cover their hair in Saudi Arabia some argued that wearing a headscarf wouldn't have been a way to show respect for the late King Abdullah.

But the head scarf wasn't the only aspect of the First Lady's wardrobe to raise an alarm in Saudi Arabia. Mrs Obama's bright blue jacket was a bit too bold compared to the more common all black head-to-toe dresses Saudi women wear in accordance with strict customs to conceal their bodies.

Mrs Obama wasn't the only American woman to visit King Salman on Tuesday, but dignitaries like former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Minority House Leader Nancy Pelosi received less attention in their monotone black outfits.

A video even started circling on YouTube, showing a Saudi state television station broadcast of the Obama trip with the First Lady blurred out. However, the video is believed to have been edited by a third party, according to several Saudi users online who say the First Lady was not erased from the original broadcast.

MICHELLE OBAMA BLURRED OUT OF BROADCAST?
Following the president and Mrs Obama's brief four-hour visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a video surfaced online showing the First Lady's image blurred out from video broadcast aired on a state television station.

The video caused outrage from Westerners online, who thought Mrs Obama was edited out of the broadcast for wearing her hair uncovered and sporting a bright blue jacket.

However, it appears that the video was actually edited by a third party with extremist views.

Above, a still of a video posted online by a YouTube user who appears to have blurred Mrs Obama out of a broadcast from Tuesday's visit to Saudi Arabia
The YouTube user who posted the video has blurred out women from videos before, and in one case did the same thing to one woman who was wearing conservative Muslim apparel and appeared to be the co-anchor of a TV show.

The video has also been widely disputed online by Saudis who saw the original broadcast and contend that Mrs Obama was not blurred out.

And in other videos posted online of the meeting taken from the same TV station, Mrs Obama is clearly visible.

However, some Saudis jumped to defend Mrs Obama online, saying it was only a brief visit and that the First Lady should not be too highly criticized as the wife of a strong ally.

One woman appealed to her fellow Saudis on Twitter not to 'make Obama angry at us'.

Following the death of Abdullah, President Obama and other Western leaders praised the former king for his 'reform efforts'.

While he did institute a royal decree that will finally give women the right to vote in local elections this year, Abdullah was criticized by his own daughters for being anti-feminist.

Last year, Abdullah's daughter Princess Jawaher gave an interview to Channel 4 News saying she and her female relatives had been practically held 'hostage' in the palace of Jeddah for a decade due to the strict policies towards women in the country.

'No one is allowed in or out. If he does that to his own children, how do you think the rest of the country is?' Princess Jawaher said.

While Saudi women have become increasingly outspoken on fighting for more rights, the end of Abdullah's reign does not exactly bring hope of change.

In a televised address shortly after his brother's death, King Salman promised to continue enforcing 'the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment'.

Ahead of his visit, President Obama explained the complicated U.S.-Saudi Arabian relationship.

'Sometimes we need to balance our need to speak to them about human rights issues with immediate concerns we have in terms of counterterrorism or dealing with regional stability,' Obama said in a CNN interview.


But others say that's not good enough. In an opinion piece for the Montreal Gazette, stand-up comic Eman El-Husseini wrote.

'As a Middle Eastern Westerner, I grew up knowing all too well that life isn’t meant to be fair, but that shouldn’t be acceptable. It is not right that members of half the world’s population are not equals. It doesn’t matter that we have it a lot better in the West as women than we would in the developing world. A lot better is still not equal, not just, not fair.'


Grey area: Ahead of his trip to Saudi Arabia, President Obama gave an interview in which he explained the complicated relationship and how the U.S. must balance our human rights missions with the ability to work with Saudi Arabia to bring stability in the region

Michelle Obama is not impressed as she pulls faces in Saudi Arabia | Daily Mail Online

 

[nair]

This was an unexpected trip, and probably they were not prepared for it......

 

[Gibbs]

Michelle Obama Gives Zero F*cks About What the Saudis Wanted Her To Wear | The Daily Banter

On Tuesday, President Obama and the First Lady attended the funeral of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, a renowned misogynistic tyrant who oversaw some of the harshest and most oppressive conditions endured by women anywhere in the world. These conditions included and still include bans on voting and driving. When going out in public, women must be accompanied by a male relative and are expected to cover their heads and faces because modesty or whatever. Abdullah also kept three of his daughters locked up for more than a decade for speaking out for women’s rights. (They remain so.)

According to some very upset people in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, Michelle Obama was supposed to cover her head while visiting the country. To vent their outrage, they took to Saudi Twitter and used hashtags that translate to #Michelle_Obama_Immodest and #Michelle_Obama_Not_Veiled. (Apparently, Saudi Twitter is just as capable of fruitless outrage as U.S. Twitter is.)

Well, Michelle Obama gave zero, and let’s count ‘em — zero, zero, zero — fks about what the Saudis wanted her to wear on her head. Not only that, instead of wearing black at the funeral, she wore a blue blouse and a festive-looking blue-sweater jacket of sorts that could double as a spring getup for a leisurely stroll through the National Arboretum before a boozy brunch. So while her husband is obliged to say nice things about Abdullah and be respectful because of geopolitics, Michelle is under no such obligation. Hence, the giving of zero fucks.

According to one report, Saudi state television blurred out Michelle as a camera showed the First Couple approaching Saudi Arabia’s new sexist-*** king, Salman, who acted as if she wasn’t there. And according to this video, she wasn’t. But the information director at the Saudi embassy in Washington, as well as CNN’s Nic Robertson in Riyadh, both said Michelle wasn’t blurred at the time they were watching.

Regardless, the Wahhabist crackpots in Saudi Arabia should just be thankful the First Lady didn’t drive them to the gunshow.

 

[SarthakGanguly]

I wish Mr and Mrs Obama a pleasant stay in the Nation of Saudi Arabia.

OTOH, I have grown respect for the lady.

 

[doppelganger]

To be honest that is a very unflattering outfit. Am surprised someone of her taste and sartorial sense even packed something like that.

She is a tall and statuesque woman, and has nice legs. And her 60s style flared dresses do show them off to good effect.

 

[blood]

This was an unexpected trip, and probably they were not prepared for it......

LOL , common brother , what preparations do you need to wrap your face with a scarf and clearly mischelle obama doesn't look happy in those pics .

 

[Gibbs]

To be honest that is a very unflattering outfit. Am surprised someone of her taste and sartorial sense even packed something like that.

She is a tall and statuesque woman, and has nice legs. And her 60s style flared dresses do show them off to good effect.

Like somebody else mentioned.. Probably was a unexpected trip hence the less somber outfit for a funeral.. But that is no reason for them to snob their guests

 

[Levina]

She covered herself and that proves she respects the culture, and that should be enough.
Many muslim women I know also dont cover their head.

 

[doppelganger]

Like somebody else mentioned.. Probably was a unexpected trip hence the less somber outfit for a funeral.. But that is no reason for them to snob their guests

The media is being PC. This is the US President we are talking about.

But for Michelle, in Saudi, she is not only a woman, she is a black woman. Double whammy for the crowd there.

 

[thesolar65]

@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!!

 

[hunter_hunted]

May be she is not aware of customs of Arabia ....

 

[blood]

@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!!

one expression reveals everything

 

[VelocuR]

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?