Why the Saudi Crown Prince and the Egyptian President deserve thanks
Why did I thank Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and His Excellency Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Arab Woman Award in London?
In short, the matter has nothing to do with politics, nor with getting close to political leaders, nor with praising them because they are political leaders!
Rather, every person, whatever their rank, whatever their position and whatever their work, deserves thanks,
and every person who has made a real impact on human rights – we must honour them and thank them for the bold decisions they take for the good of their peoples and for the good of humanity.
After all, if any political leader took a bad decision against human rights, the whole world would cry out, condemn and rage at any violation of human rights, and human rights activists would mobilise with all their strength to save people from any decisions that infringe on human rights and violate the United Nations human rights charters.
So for any positive decisions and great steps that help ease the suffering of peoples and make sure people are given the rights guaranteed to them by international law and the United Nations charters, it is natural that we feel pride and esteem for this great achievement in moving peoples forward.
Especially decisions issued by political leaders: they represent a great step that cuts short the efforts of human rights organisations, activists and writers – and not only that, they also cut short decades of time and effort.
In my humble estimation, I am certain that what Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have done regarding the rights of women and children is extremely important and deserves praise and thanks,
regardless of our disagreement with them on many matters, and on overdue and important decisions that we hope they will take today rather than tomorrow.
But everything needs time, deliberation and patience; it needs us to raise our voices as human rights activists, and it needs us to keep demanding.
But when they take decisions in favour of human rights, especially regarding the rights of women and children, that is something very important. Why?
Because they are the group that suffers most harm, even though woman is the most influential presence in society and the element that gives the most effort and generosity, continually, for the sake of society. Despite that, she is subjected to humiliation, oppression and deprivation by the very society she carried in her womb for 9 months amid pain and suffering, and who then grew up and was raised on her milk and her tenderness throughout his childhood.
And after he grew up, he says of her that she is deficient in mind and deficient in religion, that she is a source of shame, a disgrace to him and to his society; he tries to hide her, oppress her and wrong her, until he comes to wish she would disappear from everywhere, and he accepts her at work or in life only if she is weak.
Perhaps you remember!!!
Women were not allowed to work, or to drive a car, or to take part in any activity; they were forbidden even to go shopping unless hidden behind a black veil,
but she is accepted as a beggar, weak and thrown into the street.
She is not accepted as an academic university graduate, a doctor, an engineer or a teacher,
but she is accepted sick, homeless, humiliated and beaten, subjected to domestic violence, rape and oppression.
Today she is the Minister of Health in Egypt, she is the ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Washington, she is a deputy minister, an adviser and a member of the Shura Council; she is a leader, a broadcaster and a singer, a successful businesswoman and an outstanding doctor; she is able to achieve her dreams, to travel without anyone's permission and to obtain her passport with pride and dignity.
Now she is a leader, free and unrestrained, liberated from slavery, humiliation and injustice,
now she is able to share decisions with men, in married life and in working life,
she is able to open her own shop and to work freely,
she is able to hold to account the religious clerics who used to incite against her in the media night and day.
All of this is thanks to the human rights activists, writers and influencers who brought about a change whose echo reached political leaders all over the world, and women were able to influence and convince political decision-makers of their great project.
There are great leaders who listened to her call and answered it, and they deserve thanks, praise and gratitude,
and there are political leaders who listened to her, understood her free project and believed in her project and her abilities, but they are still afraid of taking bold decisions that change the course of life for the better, and they have preferred to give in to the voice of ignorance and backwardness spreading at the expense of women's just cause.
That is why everyone who has an impact and takes decisions in favour of human rights, especially women's rights, since women are the other half of society –
we must say thank you to them, and we must give them a word of truth and justice, and tell them at every forum and in every part of the world: we are very happy with your great decisions, and we are with you and will always support you as long as you listen to the voice of your peoples, who demand their simple rights just like men:
justice, equality and freedom, without discrimination, contempt or glorification of one side at the expense of the other.
The man is the woman's partner and the woman is the man's partner, and we ask for nothing more than justice and equality in rights and duties.
A special message to the Riyadh conference
Finally, I want to send a message to the Riyadh conference:
When a man is chosen for any political post
you ask about his project and his ideas,
and when a woman is chosen
you ask what she is wearing?
Are you sure you represent a people!!!
