RTTue, 18 Jul 2017 20:24 UTC
© ู
ููุนุงุช - Tube / YouTubeA young woman wearing miniskirt in the desert
Footage of a young woman in a miniskirt and crop top, wandering in a village in conservative rural Saudi Arabia, has sparked heated debate on social media. Some are calling for the model to be punished, while others are demanding new rules for women's dress.The video, initially posted on Snapchat, shows a woman posing at a deserted historic fort in the village of Ushaiger, 200km northwest of the capital, Riyadh, Saudi media reported on Monday.The village is located in the region of Najd, which is known for its traditional mores.
Saudi officials immediately called for measures against the woman, saying that she violated the Muslim country's dress code, Okaz newspaper reported.
The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) is
looking into the issue.
Social media has been set abuzz by the video, with some calling for more progressive dressing rules for women.
The Saudi dress code for women is controlled by Sharia law. Women have to wear long and loose-fitting cloaks (abayas) that cover all the body. The majority wear abaya with a veil that covers the head and hair. Some women wear full-face niqabs.
Others, however, did not appear ready for such changes to Saudi society.
"Just like we call on people to respect the laws of countries they travel to, people must also respect the laws of this country,"said Ibrahim al-Munayif, a Saudi writer, as cited by AP.
Other people 'covered' the woman's bare legs via Photoshop.
One person superimposed the face of Ivanka Trump on the model.The US president's daughter, along with Donald Trump's wife Melania, did not wear traditional attire during their recent visit to the country. They did not only escape punishment, but were feted,
and social media users drew attention to what they saw as double standards, with stricter criteria applied to Saudi women.
Comment: Saudi police
have arrested a young woman who was earlier filmed wearing a miniskirt and crop top, wandering around a village in a conservative rural area near the country's capital, local media reported. The footage sparked debate on social media.
Information on the woman's arrest was released by the Riyadh-based Al-Ekhbariya TV channel on Tuesday.
Earlier, the local government of Riyadh said that the authorities were taking the "necessary measures" to find the woman, who was accused of "walking around... in indecent clothing," as cited by AFP.
. ..
The incident has divided the Saudi public, with some calling for the woman to be punished, while others praised her.
Update (July 19): A woman who was
detained for wearing a miniskirt and a crop top in Saudi Arabia has reportedly been released without charges, after her arrest led to international criticism of the kingdom's conservative government.
A statement released by the Saudi Center for International Communication says that police released the woman on Tuesday evening after a few hours of questioning, AP reported.
"She was released without charge and the case has been closed by the prosecutor,'' the statement said, adding that the video, which went viral, was published online without her knowledge.
Police arrested the woman for wearing "immodest clothes" on Tuesday, after many called for her to be detained, saying she had violated the kingdom's conservative Islamic dress code.
Comment: Saudi police have arrested a young woman who was earlier filmed wearing a miniskirt and crop top, wandering around a village in a conservative rural area near the country's capital, local media reported. The footage sparked debate on social media. Update (July 19): A woman who was detained for wearing a miniskirt and a crop top in Saudi Arabia has reportedly been released without charges, after her arrest led to international criticism of the kingdom's conservative government.