The 'Rosa Parks' of Saudi Arabia

[Deleted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-35263100

Nawal al-Hawsawi is outspoken, black, a qualified pilot and married to a white man - everything her critics say a Saudi woman shouldn't be.

But despite receiving waves of abuse on social media, she refuses to bow to convention and hits back at her detractors "with love".

Al-Hawsawi has become something of a star on social media. She has amassed almost 50,000 followers on Twitter, where she posts about the importance of racial diversity and marriage equality. But not everyone reading her feed is a fan.

The deluge of racist abuse that came at the end of December was just the latest flurry in a long campaign. The trolls have had al-Hawsawi in their sights for years. They send her pictures of gorillas, grotesquely photoshopped African tribespeople, and they call her the A word - a derogatory Arabic term for black people which means "slave", not dissimilar in meaning to the N word.

Growing up in Mecca, a fairly cosmopolitan part of Saudi Arabia, al-Hawsawi says until she travelled to the US she hadn't consciously thought of herself as "black".

While she was there she learnt to fly and is now a certified pilot - though one who has yet to be allowed to take to the skies in her homeland. She also studied to become a marriage therapist, which is what she does now. She married a white man - an American - and returned to Saudi Arabia around a few years ago, which is when the trouble began.

Confronting abuse

At an event celebrating Saudi's National Day in 2013, she was verbally attacked by another woman who called her the A word. Racism is a criminal offence in the country and she took the woman to court. But after talking to her abuser, she received an apology and dropped the case, and says that the pair are now good friends.

The story made national headlines in the country, and al-Hawsawi appeared on television to talk about what had happened. The media dubbed her the "Rosa Parks" of Saudi Arabia - a reference to the iconic US Civil Rights protester. She used her newfound platform to launch an anti-racist campaign on Twitter, using the A word to raise awareness of the issue.

But the story doesn't end there. Because of the attention she received, her Twitter account - which al-Hawsawi uses to post messages about combating racism and domestic violence - became the focus of attention for trolls, who used it to mount a campaign of hate against her. Now her skin colour, gender, outspoken nature and interracial marriage are all sources of anger for the trolls, who she believes are mostly far-right conservatives based in Saudi Arabia.

"They didn't like my tweets about marriage, equality and unity," she tells BBC Trending. "They started a campaign publishing a picture of my husband and children, and asked others to retweet it. It was very shocking."

Al-Hawsawi is clear about why she she has become a target: "I represent everything that they hate, everything that they stand against. I'm a Saudi woman who married a foreigner. They're anti-American. My husband is white, I'm black. They condemn interracial marriages. They say women shouldn't have jobs, so to see a woman who can't just drive a car but has a pilots licence is unacceptable. And they don't like that my message resonates with a lot of followers."

Her plight doesn't seem to be going unheard. Al-Hawsawi sent a collection of the abusive messages to the ministry of the interior and says the issue is being taken very seriously, but attempts to track down the abusers - most of whom post anonymously - is taking time.

And in the meantime? "I learned a lot from Mandela, MLK and Gandhi," she says. "You don't fight hate with hate. You can light a candle and stay positive. It just makes you stronger."

Personally I found this story interesting

[Goradan]

Well. Fuck the Saudis for keeping women down. If anyone has a problem with me being anti-islamic then so be it. I'd rather respect the rights of a women than to respect the rights of a religion that seeks to repress a woman's right.

[BuckSparkles]

Well. Fuck the Saudis for keeping women down. If anyone has a problem with me being anti-islamic then so be it. I'd rather respect the rights of a women than to respect the rights of a religion that seeks to repress a woman's right.

Women are more likely to be oppressed in that part of the world. That fact alone makes me scratch my head when progressives so fiercely defend Islam from critics.

[Deleted]

Women are more likely to be oppressed in that part of the world. That fact alone makes me scratch my head when progressives so fiercely defend Islam from critics.

I think we have to clarify that not every Muslim follows the same interpretation of Islam, a number of Western muslims are modernized. After all we don't claim the homophobic misogynistic christians of Africa represent every christian

[Deleted]

I think we have to clarify that not every Muslim follows the same interpretation of Islam, a number of Western muslims are modernized. After all we don't claim the homophobic misogynistic christians of Africa represent every christian

Don't seem very modernized where I live.

[Deleted]

Don't seem very modernized where I live.

Perhaps you're just not seeing nice people /shrug

In England muslims began moving here in the 60s... Since then a % hold different views than Middle Eastern muslims due to being born British

[Deleted]

Perhaps you're just not seeing nice people /shrug

In England muslims began moving here in the 60s... Since then a % hold different views than Middle Eastern muslims due to being born British

That's not a chance, they are just not modernized at all, I live in this area: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk%C3%A4rholmen and the muslims are treating women badly here.

[Deleted]

That's not a chance, they are just not modernized at all, I live in this area: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk%C3%A4rholmen and the muslims are treating women badly here.

Source every muslim hates women? Either way I know of Swedes that treat women terrible

[Cosmic Janitor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-35263100



Personally I found this story interesting

The next story in your news feed seems way more interesting.
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35255506
Nice picture as well.

[Tailswipe]

I think we have to clarify that not every Muslim follows the same interpretation of Islam, a number of Western muslims are modernized. After all we don't claim the homophobic misogynistic christians of Africa represent every christian

The majority of Muslims in European country's believe homosexuality is either immoral or should be illegal.

Take a read of the wikipedia page to find out more on their views: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_i...#Opinion_polls

[zenkai]

Source every muslim hates women? Either way I know of Swedes that treat women terrible

Do Swedes follow a doctrine that tells them that males are superior to women?

[Deleted]

Source every muslim hates women? Either way I know of Swedes that treat women terrible

I didn't say every muslim, I said here where I live.

[Deleted]

The majority of Muslims in European country's believe homosexuality is either immoral or should be illegal.

Take a read of the wikipedia page to find out more on their views: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_i...#Opinion_polls

As do a number of other religious people and none religious... Freedom of opinion whatnot - besides I take opinion polls with a ton of salt

[Deleted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-35263100



Personally I found this story interesting

Racism from Arabs? Interesting. I'd didn't even know this was a big thing. Muslim countries certainly have a lot of problems with equality and personal liberties.

[Deleted]

Do Swedes follow a doctrine that tells them that males are superior to women?

Possibly /shrug

Religion is all interpretation, other religions can be interpreted as misogynistic. Am I saying Islam doesn't need a big overhaul? No. I'm saying a % are changing Islam from within for the better which should receive more support

[Mayhem]

Women are more likely to be oppressed in that part of the world. That fact alone makes me scratch my head when progressives so fiercely defend Islam from critics.

Because islam is only used as an excuse to treat them that way? Like christianity was used as an excuse to treat women badly back in the days.

[BuckSparkles]

I think we have to clarify that not every Muslim follows the same interpretation of Islam, a number of Western muslims are modernized. After all we don't claim the homophobic misogynistic christians of Africa represent every christian

Are you sure? Pretty sure most progressives on this site think Christianity is the source of all the worlds problems...or something.

[Deleted]

Are you sure? Pretty sure most progressives on this site think Christianity is the source of all the worlds problems...or something.

Well christianity and catholicism DID cause a lot of shit, especially for homosexuals HOWEVER eventually they modernized despite a minority still peddling 1950s christian values

[Kraenen]

Racism from Arabs? Interesting. I'd didn't even know this was a big thing. Muslim countries certainly have a lot of problems with equality and personal liberties.

A lot of Africans still see Arabs as their real enemy and enslavers.

- - - Updated - - -

Possibly /shrug

Religion is all interpretation, other religions can be interpreted as misogynistic. Am I saying Islam doesn't need a big overhaul? No. I'm saying a % are changing Islam from within for the better which should receive more support

So you say it's all interpretation yet a number of Muslims are trying to chance what the religion is...

[Deleted]

Women are more likely to be oppressed in that part of the world. That fact alone makes me scratch my head when progressives so fiercely defend Islam from critics.

Arab culture oppresses women. I don't see much difference between secular arabs and islam.

It might be added that poverty and war that plagues the region tends to create more primitive laws and social codes.