JEDDAH, 9 December 2005 — Rania Al-Baz was back on television screens across America and around the world on Wednesday in an interview with CBS News’ Sheila McVickers that aired on MBC4. The segment began with the announcement that for the first time women have been elected to office in Saudi Arabia.
“It was just a local chamber of commerce election, but historic in a country where women were barred from voting or seeking office. Still, it’s a small step in a very long road,” said the anchor as he introduced the segment.
Referring to Lama Al-Sulaiman’s and Nashwa Taher’s recent electoral victories, the report began by celebrating this milestone. But when seconds later the image of Al-Baz appeared on-screen, Saudi viewers braced themselves for what was sure to be another Saudi-bashing segment. Indeed, Rania’s case became the main focus in McVickers’ piece entitled ‘Saudi Women’.
During the interview, Al-Baz discussed her recent decision to leave Saudi Arabia and to seek refuge in France. Sporting make-up, trousers, a sweater and a head scarf, Al-Baz told McVickers she felt threatened in her home country for statements she made to the media.
“Many people in my country consider me an embarrassment,” said Al-Baz. “There have been so many insults and criticisms. They said I was an agent of the Western world and that I was looking for money.”
The report, which aired Wednesday night, discussed Al-Baz’s beating and the debate it generated in the Arab world “where men argued that it is their right to administer a light beating.”
“In Saudi Arabia, where women are obliged to cover up and remain for their entire lives under the guardianship of a man, Rania’s campaign was a hot potato and, to some, deeply disturbing,” McVickers reported. “What happened to Al-Baz happens to many women in every culture and country. She feels that she opened that Pandora’s box in Saudi Arabia, a tiny crack in a very secretive society.”
Al-Baz now lives in Paris where she says she feels safer. Many Saudis stood behind Al-Baz when she first made the decision to go public with her story, but soon became disenchanted when she pardoned her husband in exchange for custody of their children.
Al-Baz became more unpopular in Saudi Arabia when she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show earlier this year. Many considered the segment unfair and biased.
She once again came under public scrutiny when she was interviewed on MBC’s ‘Kalam Nawam’ to defend her Oprah Winfrey appearance. She argued that Saudis are too sensitive and pay too much attention to what is said about them instead of confronting the issue at hand.
According to Al-Baz, most of her family now shuns her. She has been unable to return to Saudi television and was twice prevented from leaving the country.
Nearly three months ago, Al-Baz was not allowed to leave the country to attend a conference in Paris where she was to speak about her ordeal at the hands of her husband. She entered Bahrain undetected by stowing away in the back of a foods truck. From there she made her way to Paris.
