ARABIALINK Daily News – SAUDI ARABIA – Excerpts from International Media Reports
Saudi Cleric: Women Can Forego Veil in Anti-Niqab Countries [Jul 24]
” A leading Saudi cleric hit out at France for moving to ban face-veils, but approved Muslim women foregoing veils when visiting a country which outlaws them, a Saudi paper reported on Saturday. The cleric’s ruling was in response to a question from a Saudi woman in France about how to respond to a movement there to ban full-face veils. Governments in Spain and Belgium are also considering bans. ‘It is illogical and unreasonable that the French government undertakes such a thing, which is condemned by neutral people, not just Muslims, because the secular state assures freedom of religion,’ Shaikh Aed Al Qarni told Al Hayat. ‘The state has to respect religious rituals and beliefs, including those of Muslims,’ he said in an interview. However, he added, if Muslim women are in a country that has banned the niqab, or full-face veil, or if they face harassment in such a place, ‘it is better that the Muslim woman uncovers her face.’..” [Complete Report]
Foreign Ships Threaten to Boycott Saudi Ports [Jul 24]
“Owners of foreign ships have threatened to boycott Saudi ports and use other Gulf ports if the current crisis in unloading cargo at Dammam’s King Abdul Aziz Port continues unabated. The ship owners said some ships have had to wait up to three weeks, and in some cases an entire month, to unload cargo, something they say is resulting in huge costs. They, along with shipping agents and businessmen, have called on Minister of Transport Jabara Al-Seraisry, who is also chairman of the General Ports Authority, to intervene and resolve the crisis.. ..Most companies at the port are facing labor shortage and have been unable to deal with the sudden increase in workload due to the summer and upcoming Ramadan. Abdullah Al-Hamad, deputy director of the port, has set up a working team to follow up on the situation and resolve the crisis..” [Complete Report]
