VatulBlog proudly announces that Kuwait Approves Women’s Political Rights.
An admirable 35-23 vote gave Kuwaiti women the right to vote and stand in parliamentary elections. No parade is memorable without some rain; traditional archconservatives successfully tacked on a caveat to the law which requires the newly-empowered women to adhere to Islamic law.
What an ambiguous statement. Ix-nay on the champagne at campaign headquarters? No rock music on the tour bus? Holding hands at voter registration verboten?
[Rola] Dashti, a U.S.-educated economist, said the clause probably meant separate polling stations and not an imposition of a strict Islamic dress code.
Ms. Dashti will run for parliament in the 2007 election.
As objectionable as a lot of women find the “abide” clause, I think it is nothing but grandstanding by Kuwait’s patriarchy – the last menacing growl of an old lion that knows his time has come. A few honestly fear the loss of traditional ways at the hands of a younger and more progressive generation, but this is the way of old and new.
Three cheers for the women of Kuwait – Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!
wuhoo…….
when I get a chance I need to sit down and think what I did with the vote I had in India.