Female German minister defies law, refuses hijab

fuad lawal

December 15, 2016 12:15 PM

Women in Saudi Arabia are obligated to go out with an Abaya and hijab or head cover.

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A female German minister has defied the Saudi authorities by arriving in the country without donning a headscarf.

Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen wore a business suit for her meetings at the Divan Palace in Riyadh. This is contrary to what is traditional in Saudi Arabia, which is that women wear at least a headscarf.

While meeting with the Deputy Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Ursula expressed annoyance that women are expected to cover up or dress a certain way.

She said women should have the right to dress as they wish like men. This action comes just a week after the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, called for the ban of the burka, a face veil. This was well received by her conservative party.

Saudis took to Twitter to criticise the actions of the Defence minister, saying she was disrespecting their country's traditions.

This also comes after a woman named Malak Al-Shehri, shared a picture from Saudi with exposed hair. This report was confirmed by Police spokesman Fawaz al-Maiman.

The Defence Minister is not the first to do this. Last year, Michelle Obama showed up with her husband last year in Saudi Arabia without any headcover.

fuad lawal