01-30-24 Washington Post attack on Women in Saudi Arabia is political hypocrisy S6E1

Ray Hanania on Politics, Media & Life

01-30-24 Washington Post attack on Women in Saudi Arabia is political hypocrisy S6E1

By Ray Hanania

S6E1 Jan. 30, 2024

Tennis stars Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova co-wrote an Op-Ed for the Washington Post, one of America'smost influential and hypocritical newspapers in the country.

The Washington Post is not the same fiercely independent newspaper of the 1970s Watergate years, but rather is today a biased partisan political platform that slams the Arab World, denigrates Arabs and Muslims, closes its eyes to anti-Palestinian brutality and hypocrisy -- publishing only enough, but not enough -- and pandering to the far Left against mainstream and conservative Americans.

The Evert/Navratilova column urges that Saudi Arabia not be permitted to host the Women's Tennis Association finals because of "discrimination against women."

The problem of course is that Evert/Navratilova are silent on the continued discrimination against women that exists right here int he United States. Are women equal in the United States? American men claim they are but they are not. They don't get equal pay. They are the victims of domestic violence far more often than men. They are not treated equally with men in business and coprorate life.

But American spins a tale of equality that is just not true.

When was the last time a woman was elected President?

The fact is nations in this qworld evolve at different paces.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia began a program to expand the freedoms of women, making them equal.

Every religious society, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, discriminate in some form against women. Saudi Arabia, an Islamic nation, is working to expand women's rights.

Instead of attacking them, they should encourage them.

But the issue really isn't women's rights.

The issue is politics. The issue is Saudi Arabia's politics. The issue is their criticism of Israel, their criticism of some American policies. And, their criticism of the hypocrisies that American politicians impose on others, including the Arab and Muslim world.

Women in Saudi Arabia are leading the freedom movement and they should be encouraged. Nothing happens over night. And it doesn't happen on the hypocritical and politically motivated schedule of the United States, which continues to discriminate against women, Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Arabs and many other minorities across the board.

Here are some of the changes in Saudi Arabia on the rights of Women:

Below are the legal advancements for women as of August 2019:  On equal footing with men, women over the age of 21 may obtain a passport and travel abroad without the permission of a male relative.  Women can now travel outside of the country without a male guardian.  Women may register as a “head of household,” and identified as such on family ID Cards and papers, which gives them the right to legally act on their children’s behalf.  Women may register the births of their children.  Women received increased protection from employment discrimination.  Women’s retirement age is the same as men’s retirement age (60 years of age).  The closest female relatives, who are at least 18 years of age, can report cases of death. o Previously, the responsibility lied on the closest male relative, among others.  Women may claim their own place of residency. o Previously, the place of residency for a woman is where her husband/legal guardian resides.  Women may not be fired for pregnancy. o Previously, women could be fired for exceptions to the law. Those exceptions have been removed.  Women have equal authority to register cases of marriage and divorce. o Previously, the responsibility lied primarily on men.

Here are some links:

Click here for the statement by Saudi Ambassador to the US

Click here for the AP story on Evert/Navratilova

Click here for an overview of women's rights advances in Saudi Arabia

Click here for an overview of the slow struggle for women's rights in America