Wife-Tracker: Saudi Arabia Introduces Electronic Tracking Of Women

BY Amrutha Gayathri | November 23 2012 6:25 AM

In what is widely viewed as yet another sexist and repressive act, Saudi Arabia has introduced an electronic tracking system to monitor its female citizens’ cross-border movements. The system is designed to send alerts to men whenever women under their custody, which include wives and daughters, leave the country.

Since last week, some Saudi women’s male guardians have been receiving text messages from immigration authorities, the AFP reported.

The news first surfaced on Twitter when Manal al-Sherif, a Saudi women’s rights activist, was alerted by a couple.

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The husband, who was traveling with his wife, received a text from the immigration authorities informing him that his wife had left the international airport in Riyadh, the AFP reported.

To leave the kingdom, Saudi women are required to seek permission from their male guardians, who give consent by signing what is known as the “yellow sheet” at the airport or border, according to the report.

The recent controversy caused by the escape of a Saudi woman to Sweden is believed to have prompted the authorities to implement the system, Al Arabiya reported, citing local media.

It was earlier reported that the woman was converted to Christianity and fled the country with the help of a Lebanese man and a Saudi colleague. She went to Bahrain, and then to Qatar before traveling to Lebanon, local daily Al-Yaum reported in July.

The woman’s father filed a lawsuit against the two men for helping his daughter leave the country without his knowledge. The Lebanese man was reportedly jailed earlier this week in the city of Khobar on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, Al Arabiya said.

The move to monitor women’s movements has become a target of Twitter mockery within the kingdom, with a flurry of tweets denouncing the Islamic repression of women.

"Hello Taliban, herewith some tips from the Saudi e-government!" read one post.

"If I need an SMS to let me know my wife is leaving Saudi Arabia, then I'm either married to the wrong woman or need a psychiatrist," tweeted another.

“Saudi Arabia, what if you combined microchips with slave anklets for your women?” Indian author Nilanjana Roy wrote.

However, a report published by Saudi publication Riyadh Bureau said the system has been in place for at least two years, though with a slight difference. In the past, one had to register for the service to receive the notifications.

Saudi women are not allowed to drive in the country, although there are no specific laws that forbid women from driving. The interior minister formally banned driving by women after 47 women were arrested and punished for participating in a demonstration in cars in November 1990.

In June 2011, female activists launched a campaign to defy the ban, which led to the arrest of many of the campaigners, who were forced to sign a pledge that they would never drive again.

A “scholarly” report released last year by the clerics of Majlis al-Ifta al-Aala, the country's highest Islamic council, warned that there would be no more virgins in the country within 10 years of lifting the driving ban because driving would lead to a surge in prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce.


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Words fail me. Except to say that if I was born into that country, I'd either get the hell out, or die trying!

hugorune wrote:
I know.

Who would be removing these driving women's virginity? Who would be pimping the prostitutes, and who'd be paying them for their services? Which gender would be likely to be filming selling and buying the pornography?

Homosexuality and divorce would be better options than being with those overbearing dim-wits anyway.

I expect all the men who drive must be pornography posing prostitutes - that must be the evidence the 'scholars' based their statements on!

Ridiculous, what's wrong with a collar and lead?

oioioi wrote:
Some of the women here will say nothing at all.

Im just wondering why these women are wanting to spend time behind the wheel instead of in the kitchen or laundry.

Oi... Nov... both of you put on your big boy pants, let's take this out back

StarsChildren wrote:
You seem angry...perhaps you need a change of scenery....

Want me to install a window above your kitchen sink?

Go to bed Nov... I'm waiting to organize your house, I can't do it with you awake, its already 3 in the morning, you should be tired. I'll stomp your ass later, but right now your house needs some seeing to

oioioi wrote:
Nothing.













As long they're on you pet dog, obviously!

Gilly wrote:
You can't call her that!!!

Hey, I wouldn't dream of it!

Behave!

Back on topic...

So... women’s oppression is an acceptable subject for jokes? Should we do the same with slavery, racism, poverty, pedophilia, human trafficking? Or it’s just ‘the women’ that are fair game?

Can we have an adult conversation about tagging women like cattle, because as you’d know... covering them up from head to toe and having them house bound under lock and key is evidently not enough.

Shocking as it is, is anyone surprised? This is saudi arabia!
We could put our efforts into discussing this for ever and not one single woman would benefit.
Or, we could put our efforts into doing our bit to denude the power base of sick authoritarian wankers like the saudi elites.....that may actually yield rewards for people in time.

Yes folks, subjects like this serve as a reminder to be very diligent when spending your fiat.

Correct. Getting rid of the UK monarchy at home that support monarchies like in Saudi Arabia might help even more though...

and Justice for All wrote:
I'm all for it. Any suggestions how to set about doing that, 'cause I'm stumped?

I appreciate everything you say (as in, every single post you make) but I'm not keen on attempts to stamp out humour of the kind shown here. It's only because the people here find the conduct of these bigots in Saudi reprehensible and ridiculous that they can get away with making tongue in cheek cracks. I feel it relieves the stress to some degree, without any genuine intention of belittling the victims of this subject matter.

Gilly wrote:
Hey I’m big on humor too (if my DVD collection encompassed largely by comedy is any proof) , and I did get that most of you guys’ comments were tongue in cheek, problem is that I get incredibly twitchy around misogyny or lighthearted attitudes towards any form of repression for that matter.

Suggestions on how to get rid of the vampire Windsors? Being vocal about it at any opportunity is one way, it’s a small measure but it helps to drill it on people’s heads, supporting republican/anti-royalists movements/organizations would be another, I understand those are extremely unpopular in the UK, but one needs to start from somewhere I would think... Not befriending anybody with royalist tendencies or those freaks that collect royal memorabilia, ‘every little helps’ (BTW the Windsors hold a substantial amount of Tesco shares, not many people know that).

It’s about the commitment and/or sacrifice one is prepare to go through to make a point, big or small.

Good post ajfa. I agree that we need to start with ourselves and how we support the oppression.

I think support for the monarchy will wane significantly as the next generation comes through. The stumbling block as ever will be apathy. Thats the thing to go for.

dubmeup wrote:
I sincerely hope you’re right, my biggest worry is that younger generations are frighteningly clueless about anything politics related, many don’t even have a basic grasp on the concept of ‘ethics’...