2011 Saudi Arabian municipal elections: Difference between revisions

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→‎See also: ksa protests template + tag, since the women's campaigning is a notable part of the 2011 municipal elections topic
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In late March, the [[Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia|Ministry of Municipal and Rural affairs]] stated that women would not vote in the 2011 elections "because of the kingdom's social customs".<ref name="Star_KSA_municip_2011" /> [[King Saud University]] history lecturer and human rights activist [[Hatoon al-Fassi]] involved in campaigning for women's participation in elections stated that women had decided to create their own municipal councils in parallel to the men-only elections.<ref name="arabiya_womenoutraged">{{cite news | first= | last= | pages= | language =| title=In aim to start casting their votes Saudi women aim to create their own municipal council | date=2011-03 | publisher=[[Al Arabiya]] | url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/04/01/143829.html |accessdate=2011-04-02 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5xeNGkicc |archivedate=2011-04-02 |deadurl=no }}</ref> Al-Fassi stated that women creating their own municipal councils or participating in "real elections" were both legal under Saudi law and electoral commission head al-Dahmash agreed with her.<ref name="arabiya_womenoutraged" />
 
Saudi Arabian women organised through the "Baladi" (''My Country'') and Saudi Women's Revolution<ref name="saudi_women_revolution" /> to campaign for women's participation in the election.<ref name="bloom_women">{{cite news | first=Donna | last=Abu-Nasr | pages= | language =| title=Saudi Women Inspired by Fall of Mubarak Step Up Equality Demand | date=2011-03-28 | publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]] | url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-28/saudi-women-inspired-by-revolt-against-mubarak-go-online-to-seek-equality.html |accessdate=2011-04-02 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5xeO2w5aG |archivedate=2011-04-02 |deadurl=no }}</ref> From 23–25 April, women in Jeddah,<ref name="AJE_women2325April" /> Riyadh and [[Dammam]] tried to register as electors. The ''[[Gulf News]]'' said that "strong public opinion ... supporting women's participation in the election process" followed local newspapers' publication of photos of women waiting in queues to register for the election. Fawzia Al Hani, chair of the "Baladi" ''Facebook'' campaign, said that Saudi Arabian law states that women have the right to vote and to stand as candidates.<ref name="GulfNews_women2325April" /> <ref name="eurasia_review">{{cite news | first=Rob L. | last=Wagner | pages= | language =| title=Saudi Arabia’s Municipal Elections: Tough Lessons Learned from Islamic Conservatives | date=2011-09-09 | publisher=[[Eurasia Review]] | url=http://www.eurasiareview.com/09092011-saudi-arabia%E2%80%99s-municipal-elections-tough-lessons-learned-from-islamic-conservatives-analysis/ |accessdate=2011-09-25 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5xeO2w5aG |archivedate=2011-04-02 |deadurl=no }}</ref>
 
Saudi King Abdullah said in an annual speech on 25 September 2011 before the [[Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia|Shura Council]] that Saudi women will be able to run and cast ballots in the [[Saudi Arabian municipal elections, 2015|2015 municipal elections]].<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-09-25/saudi-women-vote/50543882/1 Saudi king: Women can vote in local elections]</ref>