The announcement by King Abdullah that the prohibition that restricts the involvement of women in politics will finally see an end in 2015 can be seen as nothing less than the pivotal transformation that will reshape the entire Middle East by the end of the decade.
“Because we refuse to marginalize women in society in all roles that comply with sharia, we have decided, after deliberation with our senior clerics and others… to involve women in the Shura Council as members, starting from next term,” he said. “Women will be able to run as candidates in the municipal election and will even have a right to vote.”
For many, these words seem like the Saudi leadership is playing a dangerous game of technicalities with the prevailing Sharia Law in an effort to put down the underground insurgency fighting for equality in the predominantly patriarchal society; but human rights groups are cautiously optimistic that this announcement marks the beginning of a much larger societal transformation that will ripple through many generations to come.
On May 1st 2011, President Barack Obama announced to the world that Al Queda leader, Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. military forces in Pakistan after an 8 month mission to find and “bring him to justice.” While the reaction is mixed, on the whole, people seem to see the end of this man’s life as the beginning of a new conversation regarding, terror, wars, and healing from the tragedies of September 11th, 2001. So now what? Does the death of Osama Bin Laden mean anything for equality and human rights around the world?
