‘The Real Deal’ on women in Saudi

MSNBC ^ | 6-19-03 | Joe Scarborough

[JustPiper]

Held in Saudi Arabia against their will

COMMENTARY by Joe Scarborough

June 19 — American women and children continue to be held in Saudi Arabia against their will. The cream puffs at the State Department can call it what they want… but if it were our children trapped in a foreign land, we’d call it kidnapping.

WOMEN HAVE FEW rights in Saudi Arabia. Like the Taliban, our so-called Saudi allies prohibit women from leaving the country without their father and husband’s approval. Thirteen years ago, an American woman actually got kicked out of the U.S. embassy for having the nerve to escape there with her children. It seems the children’s father regularly beat the woman and children. Reports of other American women and children trapped in Saudi Arabia continue surfacing at an alarming rate — despite Prince Bandar’s September promise that no American women and children would be held in his kingdom against their will.

Well, today’s news made the Prince out to be a liar.

Watch Joe Scarborough on “Scarborough Country,” 10 p.m. ET, weeknights on MSNBC TV.

23-year-old Sarah Saga and her two children escaped to the U.S. embassy to get away from another abusive Saudi relationship. Miss Saga’s story is typically tragic: Her Saudi father kidnapped Ms. Saga when she was 6 years old and refused to return her to her American mother. Saga grew up and was forced to marry a Saudi man; she had two children, and then found herself trapped in an abusive relationship. Last month she tried to take her children home to America, but once again, the Saudis refused and offered Ms. Saga a Sophie’s Choice: your freedom or your children. Already facing death threats, Ms. Saga chose to escape Saudi soil and finally come home to American soil.

But the question remains. Why does our administration and Congress continue allowing the Saudis to kidnap our women and imprison our children? If Iran were to do such a thing, we would quickly declare war. It begs the question, is the pursuit of cheap oil really worth selling our nation’s soul? I think not.

And that, my friend, is the ‘Real Deal.’

[Lee'sGhost]

I'm sorry, which one is Henry?

[Xenalyte]

We're not snobs - we just have a totally accurate assessment of our own superiority. :)

[Xenalyte]

That would be the bigger one, second from the left, you goof. ;)

[hocndoc]

Perhaps I'm older than you and/or hang out with the wrong people. But, I grew up (in Texas) with the double standard, "the husband's the head of the house," and women who were supposed to be silent and subservient in the church. I was told several times to forget higher education and the most positive thing I heard at home was that I might need "something to fall back on." But, my parents did teach me to think for myself, and Momma says it always surprised Daddy when we did.

I still run into the mindset that women are to be subservient to men. And the double standard is as strong as it ever was. I'm just not silent about it any more.

[Ciganina]

Some of these comments confuse me. She was kidnapped by her father and taken to Saudi when she was six. In other words, she has been held hostage all these years which included a forced marriage. How can someone read this article and not catch this part? Her role began when she was a six year old kidnap victim.

[He Rides A White Horse]

What 'kind' of white horse are 'you' riding?

The kind that doesn't like double standards.

[He Rides A White Horse]

The kind that doesn't like Diane Feinstein having a CC permit while the 'peasants' are denied the same. The kind that doesn't like Hollywood types telling Joe Average what kind of eco-friendly automobile to drive, while they tool around in what their own kind would label enviro-terrorist mobiles.

You know, that kind.

[He Rides A White Horse]

The cream puffs at the State Department can call it what they want… but if it were our children trapped in a foreign land, we’d call it kidnapping.

Basing it on what I hear about, it's called 'visitation'.

[JustPiper]

What you quoted was not my comment -g-

[JustPiper]

Thanx you and for the link Freddy ;)

[JustPiper]

She was kidnapped by her father and taken to Saudi when she was six. In other words, she has been held hostage all these years which included a forced marriage. How can someone read this article and not catch this part? Her role began when she was a six year old kidnap victim.

Exactly!