By Emily Buchanan BBC world affairs correspondent Saudi women will be served only by female staff in lingerie shops Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
A law allowing only women to work in lingerie shops in Saudi Arabia is coming into force.
Campaigners hope this will end decades of awkwardness in the Islamic kingdom where women have always been served by male shop assistants.
The heated issue of the total lack of female shop workers in Saudi Arabia has simmered for years.
Many Saudi women say they have felt particularly uncomfortable buying their lingerie from men.
Female campaigners recently increased the pressure for change through a Facebook campaign and a boycott of lingerie stores.
Now King Abdullah's royal decree finally comes into effect, banning male staff from selling female underwear.
"It's about time, it's been a long struggle and the authorities have finally come to their senses," says Radio Jeddah journalist Samar Fatany.
She says she, and any woman who could afford to, would often shop abroad rather than face the embarrassment of giving her underwear size over the counter to a man.
The campaign has gained extra momentum from the increasing number of young women who want to enter the workplace.
The Saudi women who can work are usually the educated elite who do professional jobs in medicine or government.
The new law could potentially create up to 40,000 jobs for ordinary Saudi women who have hitherto had little or no access to employment.
But it also means that male clerks, most of whom are foreign workers, will be out of a job.
It is not far short of a social revolution being pushed through in the teeth of fierce opposition from the kingdom's top clerics.
They do not want to see an increase in the number of women working outside the home.
The kingdom's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh, has warned shop owners that employing women is a "crime and prohibited by Islamic sharia law".
"There is already a growing tension between liberals and the religious conservatives in the country and this issue could provoke opposition from the religious police," says Abeer Mishkhas is a columnist for the Saudi paper Asharq al-Awsat.
The Ministry of Labour will be posting observers in shopping centres to make sure the new shop assistants do not get harassed in their first weeks of work.
The ban on male staff in lingerie departments is due to be extended to cosmetics shops from July.
Women's underwear can cause wild fantasies in the minds of men who saw it. many people already know this.
That's why, I really wonder why Saudi ulama issued a fatwa which prohibiting women to sell lingerie and instead allow men to sell them. Didn't they know its effect on the man's mind?.
But if now the rule has been changed, Alhamdulillah.
Heh. I always got a little bit uncomfortable in shops like this with men around before I was Muslim and I'm from the West. Over here in shops like this we usually find gay men working there along with women but it's still awkward even with them.
format_quote Originally Posted by esperanza
The kingdom's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh, has warned shop owners that employing women is a "crime and prohibited by Islamic sharia law".
oh my! i couldnt go in a shop and i go to counter if a man in severing at the till, or if i want to know bout something bout wot im buying i would have to ask a man for assitance! wot if the man is thinking bad thoughts! im glad there seeing sense
Fair enough, it makes sense but why does the Grand Mufti oppose the ruling, how does employing a woman go against shariah law?
Whatever the answer, The Saudi government and its supporters need to be kicked out of power. They're sell outs, they issue 'Fatwa's' and rulings YET they themselves are going against Islamic law by co operating with the enemies of Islam and supporting the killing of Muslims all over the world
He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. [Quran {33:43}] www.QuranicAudio.com www.Quran.com
The kingdom's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh, has warned shop owners that employing women is a "crime and prohibited by Islamic sharia law".
format_quote Originally Posted by Umm Ahlaam
Yeh this is one of the laws, including women cant drive, I find to be bull**** in Saudi.
The Mother of all believers, Hazrat Khadijah, May Allah be pleased with her! was a successful business woman. In light of this..How the grand Mufti has come to their conclusion its prohibited for women to work is dubious to say the very least
Last edited by IslamicRevival; 01-05-2012 at 03:48 PM.
The Mother of all believers, Hazrat Khadijah, May Allah be pleased with her! was a successful businesswoman. In light of this..How the grand Mufti has come to their conclusion its prohibited for women to work is dubious to say the very least
Those grand muftis said, Khadijah (ra) was not a Muslim when was working. But she never worked again after she became a Muslim.
Of Course, Khadijah (ra) was 55 when she became a Muslim and too busy to support her husband in her husband duty as Rasulullah.
Hmmm.....these are interesting takes by everyone.....
Question:
There are ahadith pertaining to the minor signs of Al-Qiyamat, that refer to: trade becoming so widespread that a woman will be forced to help her husband in business, and women who will enter the workforce out of love for this world.
(if someone can reference these, I would really appreciate it )
What do you guys think now.....taking the ahadith into context?
Yeh this is one of the laws, including women cant drive, I find to be bull**** in Saudi.
Salaam,
No need to swear.
Anyway, hope those male assistants will have enough time to find new jobs.
I was looking at myself talking to myself and I realized this conversation...I was having with myself looking at myself was a conversation with myself that I needed to have with myself.
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