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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: abuelita who wrote (35907)	1/21/2004 10:50:26 PM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

So much for the love of money. Now it's Unveiled women are root of all evil, says Saudi cleric Saudi Arabia's most senior Islamic cleric has condemned women who mingled unveiled among men at a business conference this week, saying their actions could cause "evil and catastrophe". Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, the grand mufti of the desert kingdom, made his comments after the country's top businesswoman called for reform and pictures of her supporters - without headscarves - appeared on newspaper front pages. "Allowing women to mix with men is the root of every evil and catastrophe," he said. "It is highly punishable. Mixing of men and women is a reason for greater decadence and adultery. "This is prohibited for all. I severely condemn this matter and warn of grave consequences. I am pained by such shameful behaviour in the country of the two holy mosques [Mecca and Medina]. Analysts said the mufti's declaration, which also condemned women who did not wear "the Islamic hijab ordered by God", was a clear attempt by religious authorities to limit political reforms. Jeddah's annual three-day Economic Forum had opened with a call for change by the country's most prominent businesswoman, Lubna al-Olayan, the chief executive of Olayan Financing Company. "Without real change there can be no real progress. If we in Saudi Arabia want to progress we have no choice but to embrace change," she said to sustained applause at what is billed as the Middle East's leading think tank. Three hundred mostly unveiled businesswomen, separated by screens from 1,000 businessmen, watched her performance in awe. Inspired by her call for change, dozens stepped up to the microphone to praise her. Such was the impact of her unprecedented speech that her photograph and those of other women at the conference were splashed across the strictly Muslim kingdom's front pages, crediting her with striking a major blow for the liberation of Saudi women. telegraph.co.uk lurqer

To: abuelita who wrote (35907)	1/21/2004 10:54:51 PM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 89467

And then there's Spanish judge rules woman too well dressed to be domestic violence victim There has been condemnation in Spain of a judge who ruled that a woman could not have been the victim of her husband's violence because she was too well dressed. In his summing up, Judge Francisco Pauli Toyado told Latifa Dagda that her physical appearance during the three-day hearing, not only made up, but dressed differently each day with fancy bracelets and earrings, did not coincide with the image of a woman who had suffered months of aggression. She presented the court with a medical report showing multiple bruising on her body, but the court said it found no evidence to suggest that her husband was responsible. There is increasing public debate here about the issue of domestic violence. Women's rights groups often complain that even as Spanish law changes for the better, the improvements are unlikely to be reflected in women's rights, as long as the judiciary continues to be dominated by men of a certain generation. abc.net.au lurqer