Should Mrs May Have Worn A Headscarf While Visiting The Saudi's?

[youngmafbog]

Personally I think she was right not to.

It is not the time to be harping about human rights we need the business and the Saudis would just ignore it anyway meaning we would only get their backs up. The idea we would tie human rights to trade deals WE want is fanciful.

So, Mrs May not wearing the headscarf is a good way of showing them how we in the West (excepting our new arrivals of course) treat women as equals. it a is a subtle and clear message to human rights.

No links, there are pictures everywhere.

[Togo]

Good for her. I see that our hand wringers in certain sections of the "press" are not as supportive. Mind you they were quiet when Michelle Obama and Angela Merkel did the same.

[murraymints]

Good girl..never cowtow !!

[ummmm]

Does the fact that she's Prime Minister not prove that we consider women to be equal?

[Berniecuddles2]

and this is news!!!!

[ichkeria]

Maybe the Saudis don't really care whether she wears a headscarf of not.
Sounds a bit like 'start an argument in an empty room' or start barking about the dog that never barked :-)

[Peter Pedant]

oh it is nice to start the day by torturing the normal rules of logic
- tomorrow we will try gassing them

we have an idea that the saudis want everyone to wear a head scarf.
even tho we know some dont - because we look at photos and see bare headed women

We postulate that by not obeying what we think is a cultural norm
mrs May will do better in trade negotiations

Yeah OK - god one ( misspelling intended )

a.The idea we would tie human rights to trade deals WE want is fanciful.
b. ( bare headed) it a is a subtle and clear message to human rights.

conclusion - so the PM goes on a jaunt and we agree that tying human rights to trade deals is a fanciful idea (a)
She goes bare headed which we know is tied to human rights of women (b)

so... she HAS fancifully tied human rights to the trade deal (b)
and she hasnt tied human right to the trade deal ( a)

Hey this is a logic-free day on AB innit ?

[mikey4444]

Bernie has it right here....this is news ?

[aelmpvw]

only if she was having a bad hair day ...

[naomi24]

Marine Le Pen was required to cover her head for a recent meeting with the Grand Mufti. She cancelled. Mrs May met the Crown Prince. Perhaps the requirement was overlooked because the Saudis recognise that Mrs May is more useful to them.

[anotheoldgit]

Yes it is news.

http://indianexpress.com/article/world/british-pm-theresa-may-visits-saudi-arabia-chooses-not-to-wear-headscarf-4600009/

[-Talbot-]

Is it news?

Well it's news according to the news outlets.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/04/theresa-may-takes-stand-against-saudi-regime-appears-without/

I'm with Mrs May all the way.

[anneasquith]

Oh she's a rebel that Mrs, May isn't she ?

[andy-hughes]

This is tricky.

Mrs May is following protocol by not wearing a head-covering, in common with other western leaders and partners, and indeed most western women who are exempt from the practice of head covering.

On the other hand it could be interpreted as a slight, a discourtesy, and anyone who understands the basics of any form of negotiation is that you don't begin by annoying people whose co-operation you require to get what you want.

The third player in the ring is the anti-oppression lobby who regard women covering their heads as a sign of oppression.

So it's not going to be possible for Mrs May to please everyone.

I don't tend to agree with YMB's assertion that this is a silent advertisement of equality, and I would not expect that her Arab hosts would view it as such, even if it was intended.

I think it more likely that Mrs May is simply following the accepted protocol that western women are not required to wear a head covering, so they don't, and it's nothing more complicated than that.

[ToraToraTora]

No she should not be wearing a headscarf, she was invited as leader of the UK not as the inferior being these barbarians treat women as generally.

[ichkeria]

But the op didn't post a link because 'there are pictures everywhere' (as if we doubted him lol) so I took it that Mrs May's bold bareheadedness was the story not the stories about the 'story'
As for old Mufters in the Lebanon, he got to enforce his rule and Ms Le Pen got the publicity she wanted so winners all round there

[ichkeria]

The tricky bit will come when someone asks her to remove her £5,000 shoes to enter the mosque :-)

[anneasquith]

Ttt. Barbarians? But still OK to make trade deals with ?

[mikey4444]

Anne...yes, lets sell the dictators in Saudi Arabia lots more nasty weapons, that they can use on women and children in the Yemen. British jobs come first, after all !

[ToraToraTora]

not in my opinion anne.

[Sqad]

UK...2nd biggest arms dealers in the world providing thousands of jobs.....so if you are going to make them.....you have to sell them
To whom do you sell them...after clay pigeon enthusiasts and gin clubs training for the next Olympic games......then you seek out areas of conflict. At the moment, the Middle East is the area for need and hence that is where one negotiates. If UK doesn't sell the arms, then someone else will and if women and children are killed then that is deplorable, collateral damage, but no reason for not negotiating arms deals.