Oprah Stirs Saudi Women

Time for the IOC to enforce it's no discrimination rule

(NEWSER) - The most beautiful sight in the Olympics' opening ceremony came when Egypt’s 26 female competitors strode into the stadium, writes Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian Muslim, in the Washington Post. Women also carried flags for Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, filling Eltahawy with pride. And then came Saudi Arabia—devoid of women, leading Eltahawy to think, "Yo, Saudi Arabia, how come there ain't no sisters on the team?" More»

Iceland, Rwanda, and Norway top the Independent's 'best' list

(NEWSER) - With International Women's Day coming up Thursday, should we weep or rejoice? While British women will likely face 14 more elections before women equal men in Parliament, women in Qatar are far more likely to attend university than men. That said, the Independent picked its best and worse nations for women to live:

1. Overall. Best: Iceland, where equality is high in health, education, politics, and employment. Worst: Yemen. Most dangerous: Afghanistan.

...that way, we can send foreigners home, says King Abdullah's nephew

(NEWSER) - Maybe women should be allowed to drive, says a senior Saudi prince—whose reasoning isn't that females should enjoy equal rights, or would make excellent motorists. Rather, it would allow the kingdom to send hundreds of thousands of foreigners home, reports Reuters . "A lot of Saudi women want to drive their car in line with strict regulations and wearing a headscarf. But now they need a driver. This is an additional burden on households," said a nephew of King Abdullah, who estimates there are 750,000 foreign drivers in the country . "The Saudi society wants fewer foreign laborers ... so why the hesitation?" More»

Host faces mammoth task as show begins tonight, writes Brian Stelter

(NEWSER) - Tonight, Piers Morgan takes over Larry King’s time slot—but he won’t take on King’s style. Morgan is "in many ways the anti-King," writes Brian Stelter for the New York Times : "obnoxious, obsessively prepared, and eager to tape his interviews in advance as often as he can"—so clips can get as much buzz as possible. One example of his brasher approach: In an interview to air Tuesday, he asks Howard Stern if he’s "just a domesticated little pussycat" who’s "physically impaired." Stern, ready to talk, replied, "I’m not sure how much you can get into this. CNN’s a little uptight." Morgan's response? "Let’s try it." More»

Activist urges Olympic ban of Saudis until nation allows women to compete

(NEWSER) - Head-to-toe Muslim veils like burkas and abayas make exercise difficult. But an even bigger obstacle is nations that see exercise for women as immodest and even illegal. Physical activity is forbidden in Saudi Arabia’s state-run girls’ schools, notes the New York Times . But debate over the issue has been ignited since a young Saudi equestrienne, competing at her own expense, brought home a bronze medal in the Youth Olympic Games, marking the first time any Saudi woman has ever participated in an international sports event. “The freedom to practice sports and to exercise is such a very basic issue," said Saudi dissident Ali al-Ahmed. The Olympic Charter states that “the practice of sport is a human right," he added. More»