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A woman from Saudi Arabia was arrested after Snapchat videos surfaced of her walking around an ancient ruin in a mini skirt and her hair exposed.
Saudi Arabia famously has a strict, conservative dress code. Women are required by law to cover their hair and most of their skin. Women are also still barred from driving, and cannot get a passport without a male’s permission.
When the video surfaced, the Saudi public called for the woman’s arrest and police tracked down the woman and arrested her “immodest clothes.” and the outcry quickly begun over this.
According to al-Jazeera, ‘Social media is wildly popular in Saudi Arabia as a space to vent frustrations and gauge public opinion. Al-Jazeera also points out that over half the population of Saudi Arabia is under 25. That’s a lot of Millennials per capita!
Al Jazeera continues “The outcry against the video and the woman’s subsequent arrest reveal how powerful and widespread conservative views are in the kingdom, despite recent moves by Saudi Arabia to modernize and loosen some rules.”
Some change has begun in Saudi Arabia, but it is a country that is deeply divided.
Will this moment be pivotal for Saudi Arabia? It remains to be seen. As for the young woman in the videos, she was released without any charges after telling police that the videos were released without her permission.
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