Saudi woman jailed and lashed for hitting her husband, sparking online outrage

Her husband had refused to allow her to attend her son’s engagement and removed her from a taxi by force. So she (allegedly) hit him with a vase.
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The New Arab Staff

The New Arab

10 Aug, 2017
The man reported the incident to Dammam police [AFP]

Saudi Arabia has jailed and lashed a woman after she allegedly hit her husband.

According to local media, the woman, who has now been detained for 10 days, was reportedly "denied permission" by her husband to attend her son's engagement party. When she attempted to go anyway, he forcibly removed her from the taxi she had entered.

The woman is then alleged to have "hit her husband with a glass vase".

The man reported the incident to police in Dammam, "presented them with a medical report" showing that he "had a 10cm slash to his head".

When officers requested he drop charges, he refused and divorced his wife, media reports added.

Reports of her incarceration quickly became news online, sparking a hashtag, roughly translating to: "A woman jailed for beating her husband" - and the Saudi world of Twitter had a lot to say on the matter: 


Some were supportive of the Saudi woman:

Others were less enthusiastic:

 
Translation: I swear to God this is shameful. She is no longer a woman. Where was she raised?

One man even went as far as to offer some (ahem) "free marriage advice":

 
Translation: an Egyptian bride washes the feet of her husband on their wedding night... learn from her

There were some among Riyadh's twitterati who urged the public to be mindful, especially considering that reporters had not released any background information on the case, apart from him physically exerting control over her.

But, of course, the matter of double standards in Saudi society featured highly.

Saudi Arabia, which applies a strict form of Sunni Islam, imposes many restrictions on women.

It is the only country on the planet where women are not allowed to drive. When in public, women in Saudi Arabia are expected to cover from head to toe.

Saudi women are also not permitted to marry, travel, or open a bank account without the express permission of a male guardian, and they are often unable to access healthcare without male consent.

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