Riyadh: Accompanying her husband on his first international trip, US first lady Melania Trump today stepped off of Air Force One conservatively dressed in long sleeves and pants to conform to the strict dress code that Saudi Arabia enforces for its female citizens.
But one thing was missing from her black and gold-belted ensemble: a head scarf. Instead, Trump's below-the-shoulder brown hair blew freely in the breeze at King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh.
Under the kingdom's strict dress code for women, Saudi women and most female visitors are required to wear a loose, black robe, known as an abaya, in public. Most women in Saudi also cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab.
But covering one's head is not required for foreigners, and some Western women choose to forego the headscarf while in Saudi Arabia.
Michelle Obama did not cover her head when she accompanied then President Barack Obama on a condolence visit in January 2015 after the death of King Abdullah. And during her time as first lady, Laura Bush generally went without covering her head, though she once briefly donned a head scarf she received as a gift.
"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," he tweeted, using a short- hand spelling for "enough."
Trump's daughter, Ivanka, a senior White House adviser who is accompanying her father, also did not cover her head. Saudi Arabia adheres to an ultraconservative interpretation of Islamic Shariah law where unrelated men and women are segregated in most public places. Women are banned from driving, although rights advocates have campaigned to lift that ban.
Guardianship laws also require a male relative's consent before a woman can obtain a passport, travel or marry. Often that relative is a father or husband, but in the absence of both can be the woman's own son.
Comments
0 comment