Princess rejects ‘misperceptions’ of Saudi women

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The sister of Saudi Arabia’s new
ambassador to the United States on Thursday hailed advances for
women in her country, rejecting what she called misperceptions
that females are “downtrodden slaves to men.”

Princess Loulwa al-Faisal, a member of the royal family
whose brother is Prince Turki al-Faisal, the new ambassador,
sought to counter persistent negative post-Sept 11, 2001
American sentiments about the kingdom.

Saudi women, though veiled, are making great strides in
education and business, she told the Middle East Institute
thinktank, adding: “We are always perceived as downtrodden
slaves to men which we are not at all.”

She spoke days after Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg
issued a critical report on Saudi Arabia and called for the
creation of a Republican-Democratic commission to redefine U.S.
relations with the world’s largest oil-production nation.

The report, entitled “In Whose Best Interest?” set out what
Lautenberg, of New Jersey, called the “top ten reasons to
change the U.S.-Saudi relationship.”

“The bottom line is that the United States needs to change
our relationship with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is allowed to
operate under a double-standard and it needs to stop,” he said
in a statement.

Bound for half a century by common interest in the desert
kingdom’s vast oil reserves, the United States and Saudi Arabia
weathered ups and downs but the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, mostly
by Saudi-born extremists, has posed unique challenges.

Last week’s appointment of Prince Turki, former chief of
the Saudi foreign intelligence service, as envoy to Washington
has been welcomed by U.S. experts who felt outgoing envoy
Prince Bandar bin Sultan had been too much absent from the U.S.
capital, allowing the relationship to drift.

As ambassador, Bandar was a key inside player in U.S.-Saudi
relations for more than two decades but analysts said his
successor may better suit today’s troubled ties, bringing new
energy and willingness to engage America.

Former U.S. Ambassador Edward Walker, Middle East Institute
president, said Loulwa — vice chairman of the board and
general superviser of Saudi’s Effat College for women — played
a “leading part in redefining the role of women in Saudi
Arabia.”

Loulwa said Saudi tradition supported a strong role for
women because in the kingdom’s nomadic early days women managed
the homefront while the men were out trading and fighting.

She predicted Saudi women would continue to be veiled. But
prohibitions on voting would fall once more women applied for
national identification cards, while driving would come once
women in urban areas decided they wanted to drive, she said.

Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International
Studies said there were many stereotypes on both sides of the
U.S.-Saudi divide and both governments were trying to
demonstrate their country’s diversity, including with visits
like that of Princess Loulwa.