Saudi Women, Tired of Restraints, Find Ways to Flee | Hacker News Reader

Saudi Women, Tired of Restraints, Find Ways to Flee

nytimes.com

83 pointsjseliger30 comments

I feel that this story by the BBC, presumably filed by Jonathan Head (https://twitter.com/pakhead), was what spread wide awareness of Rahaf's realtime emergency situation:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46773625

I was reading r/worldnews and came across this on page two. It was so strangely under-voted. I just entered the twitter URL in that screengrab and saw a scarily fresh video of her attempts of blocking the door to her hotel room (air-side @ BKK, "Miracle Hotel", where they had put her waiting for a flight to Kuwait). That made it so real. I posted that link and it got thousands of upvotes very, very quickly. I hope that spread some awareness, somehow.

Afterwards I feel quite a bit upset that media in Sweden under-reported this event. I'm pretty sure it's the confused feminism/Islam alliance that caused this.

The countries whose journalists really stepped up here were: The UK and Australia.

Read this wonderful, but appalling book (true story) over December:

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

PRINCESS describes the life of Sultana Al Sa'ud, a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. Hidden behind her black veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband and her country.

Sultana tells of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: thirteen-year-old girls forced to marry men five times their age, young women killed by drowning, stoning, or isolation in the "women's room."

PRINCESS is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and courage, and you will never forget her or her Muslim sisters.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004J17GY4/ref=tmm_kin_title_...

Before I only vaguely knew of the struggles of women in Saudi Arabia.

For those leaving I imagine it seems like they're leaving forever, family, friends, everything you knew is gone. There's no way to know if you ever can go back considering the possible consequences and you're often going to places that aren't familiar. That's a rough choice.

True, but in a major city in Canada at that age, she will have no problem making friends. Just has to contend with her first winter. Otherwise her timing coudn't be better, with diplomatic relations being the disaster they are now.

I'm not sure that Canada is for someone leaving Saudi Arabia as a positive thing as you think. The person leaving doesn't necessarily love Canada... even if it is the better option.

Why wouldn't they?

I think it is way to easy to assume our places and cultures that we're familiar with will be comfortable or appreciated by others.

I met a former Amish person who left that way of life once. One of their biggest challenges was explaining to others that because they chose not to be Amish ... doesn't mean they want to be like <insert the given person's preferred culture and lifestyle> or that they would approve of it or like it.

That's a very lonely place to be.

Lots of immigrants don’t like it. I personally know many who don’t.

Some stay and complain about “their ways” and how it’s better “back home”. Generally it’s older people, who are now stuck. They can never go back.

Others actually go back.

I know of a whole family who moved to Canada, not once, but twice! And eventually still went back to Eastern Europe. And this was mid-2000s, post-war country. Kids finished university and they were gone.

I know of 3 younger people who were proper immigrants, not edu visa, had finished their education and were offered/found good opportunities back in their countries and moved.

One friend of mine lived in Canada almost 20 years. Went to Moscow following his gf (she got a job as an English teacher). He loves it there and he stayed permanently.

I know many more stories like that. Life in Canada is good. It’s safe and peaceful. Almost complacent. Not everyone enjoys that lifestyle though.

That is such a courageous step to take. What happens if asylum request is denied and they are returned custody to Saudi Arabia and their family? That scares me. I hope they know what to say when asking for asylum.

They are used to treating women like children who never grow up. There is always a guardian in charge of them. It is crazy to read they've set up a website to send notifications and disable family members from travel.

They only just allowed women to vote/run for office a few years ago, and women to drive last year. This is a great produced piece by nytimes as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ8WPHj6Nhw

how is this hacker news material?

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