A Saudi TV reporter has been forced to flee the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after being accused of “indecent dress” during one of her segments. Shereen al-Rifaie was filming a report on Saudi women being granted the right to drive when she was seen wearing clothing that supposedly violated regulations in the country: a loose scarf with a white abaya (a traditional dress), which was left open, revealing her trousers and blouse beneath it.
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According to Haaretz, the General Commission for Audiovisual Media announced that it would be opening an investigation after a video of the incident was circulated on social media.
Almost unbelievably, the video caused such a stir that Twitter users started a hashtag that read (translated from Arabic): “a naked woman driving in Riyadh” along with messages of outrage at al-Rifaie’s attire.
المذيعة #شيرين_الرفاعي لـ"عاجل": أديت واجبي الوطني.. وسيظهر الحق قريبًا!https://t.co/WVh32aCKqh
— صحيفة عاجل (@ajlnews) June 26, 2018
According to the Economist, Saudi women are required to wear black cloaks known as abayas, which are “usually paired with the hijab (headscarf) or niqab (which leaves a slit for the eyes), or a burqa (which covers the body from head to toe, with a mesh for the eyes).”
All versions of Islam suggest a woman should dress modestly, but only a few Muslim-majority nations enforce a dress code like the one adhered to in Saudia Arabia.
The General Commission for Audiovisual Media stated that the investigation into al-Rifaie will proceed despite al-Rifaie leaving the country. She works for the Al-Aan TV station from the United Arab Emirates.
The presenter has vehemently dismissed the accusations, telling the Saudi news website Ajel: “I was wearing decent clothes, and God will reveal the truth of what has been said about me.”
(H/T: Haaretz)