The number of United States allies in the Middle East is depressingly low. This likely has something to do with the country’s rampant manipulations, assassinations, and outright wars in the region. Often American propaganda likes to point out the supposed human rights violations being performed by countries not on its allies list. One of the most common criticisms brought up by the United States against countries such as Syria, Iran, and Iraq are the way woman are treated in those countries. In general women’s rights have been going backwards in the Middle East for a good part of the last century. However America pointing out these criticisms about its enemies is rather hypocritical since its allies are just as bad, if not worse:
Denied the right to travel without consent from their male guardians and banned from driving, women in Saudi Arabia are now monitored by an electronic system that tracks any cross-border movements.
Since last week, Saudi women’s male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under their custody leave the country, even if they are travelling together.
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Women are not allowed to leave the kingdom without permission from their male guardian, who must give his consent by signing what is known as the “yellow sheet” at the airport or border.
Women in Saudia Arabia, a country America proudly calls its ally, are treated like property. They have almost no rights and the Saudi Arabian government puts a great deal of money, time, and effort into keeping women suppressed. Now male guardians are being informed whenever “their” women leave the country. While this news is likely to surprise few it’s still important to point out because women’s rights is often used as a justification for America’s wars in the Middle East. If violating women’s rights is justification for war then the United States must break off its alliance with Saudi Arabia.