Iran and Saudis Competing On Relaxing Restrictions On Women

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Iran and Saudis Competing On Relaxing  Restrictions On Women
Iran and Saudis Competing On Relaxing  Restrictions On Women

Iran and Saudi Arabia, seen as arch-rivals in the Middle East region are today competing each other in an unexpected area –  gender equality.

Earlier this week, Tehran’s police chief announced that the country’s “morality police” would no longer automatically detain or punish women are seen in public without the mandatory hijab head-covering, an offense referred to as “bad hijab”. These women will instead be offered counselling.

In Saudi Arabia the authorities have permitted female contestants participating in an international chess tournament to appear without the full body covering called abaya. The relaxation is the latest of such moves by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,  that ease restrictions on women.

Several Moves Taken Recently By Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia and Iran oppose each other in several areas such as the branches of Islam followed, their position in the wars of Syria and Yemen, and relationship with the United States. These two countries have previously clashed on a range of issues including oil production and religious pilgrimages  .

Typically, Iranian women have enjoyed far more liberties than their Saudi counterparts.

The ascent of Crown Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia, has however evened out the field with several recent measures introduced that seek to reduce the severity of the religion’s presence in everyday life.

Saudi women may be soon have the permission to attend soccer matches at public stadiums and from June, onwards women will be allowed to not only drive cars, but also other vehicles like trucks and motorcycles.

Two Countries Influence By Each Other?

It is unclear if the changes in Saudi Arabia and Iran are linked though a few of the women’s rights advocates feel there is a connection.

In a recent article,  Roya Hakakian, an Iranian-American journalist who also co-founded the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center noted that women in both countries are benefiting  from “competition between the two regimes to earn the mantle of the modern moderate Islamic alternative.”

But some have pointed out that Iran still mandates that women wear head coverings in public. Shahrzad Razaghi, a Tehran artist who was arrested in 2012 for failing to wear her hijab correctly, noted that she still can’t “go on the streets without a hijab.”

The driving privileges granted to women in Saudi Arabia is however a right held by women across Middle East and the world.

Suad Abu-Dayyeh, a Palestinian who is the Middle East and North Africa consultant for Equality Now, a global women’s advocacy group  highlighted that even in 2017, discussions continue in Saudi Arabia about what is allowed in regards to women’s clothing, but added that she was hopeful that “what is going on in Saudi Arabia will be continuing.”

With respect to linkages between the measures taken by the two countries , she said that  “each was obviously watching the other.”

Iran Loosening Restrictions Due to Difficulties In Enforcement

Several activists however don’t see a link and are attributing the changes in Iran to other causes. One of the reasons given is that the youth in Iran has been more resistant to the restraints imposed by the government as compared to their parents. The relaxation of the dress code could be in part due to the difficulties in prosecuting violators.

Muna AbuSulayman, who is one of the first female television hosts in Saudi Arabia stated that the relaxation was more due to Saudis desiring to embrace a more modern life. She added that Saudi women don’t compare with Iranian women, and pointed out that  Saudi women in some places can go without head coverings or wear them loosely .

Nader Karimi Joni, an Iranian journalist noted that  advancements happening in any country affects the situation in the neighbouring countries.

Iran’s decision to allow female weight lifters to compete internationally came in the aftermath of the Saudi decision to allow women to attend soccer matches  .

Farideh Farhi, an Iranian scholar and professor of political science at the University of Hawaii, stated that the female-spectator issue might not come up in Iran until a major soccer match is hosted by the country. Some Iranian women have earlier risked arrest and imprisonment by attending the banned events.

She noted that there was considerable resistance from the religious authorities  on the issue.

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