JEDDAH, 7 May 2007 — Women representatives of various educational institutions were recently mistreated due to a slip-up by the organizers of an exhibition here last week. Members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice closed down the Canadian booth and forced three women from the Canadian Embassy to leave the exhibition.
A man in his 40s who was visiting the exhibition, entitled the 12th Middle East Education and Training Exhibition, with his high school graduate daughter, voiced dismay at the incident.
“As a father I would have much preferred my daughter asking her own questions and being served by a woman than having to deal with a man... I would hate to think that my daughter may be placed in a similar situation one day,” he said.
Prior to the event, the Canadian Embassy specifically inquired whether women staff would be permitted at the exhibition and were told by the organizers — Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions — that they would. A month ago — after the Canadian Embassy had made the bookings and paid participation fees — the exhibitors informed the embassy that women would not be allowed to participate.
Canadian Embassy staff had traveled from Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and some university representatives had traveled from Canada to attend the event. Time and money was wasted, while numerous Saudi students were denied an opportunity to learn about higher education in Canada.
“The closure of our booth was an unjustified and unprofessional act that damages the image of Saudi Arabia internationally,” said Andrew Turner, political officer at the Canadian Embassy, in a press release.
Patrik Klassen, research and marketing manager of the Canadian Education Network, told Arab News that the organizers made it clear to them that although women were prohibited from attending booths, special arrangements would be made for them.
“Al-Harithy Exhibitions Manager Zahoor Siddique told us not to worry because they would make some special arrangements for us... We anticipated that special arrangements would be made. When we arrived on Day 1, no special arrangements had been made,” he said.
When Klassen expressed his concerns to Siddique regarding the situation, he was told that they thought they would not be bringing women. “And believe it or not, the exhibitors told me that they didn’t intend to provide a refund to the Canadian Embassy or the private college because it was our fault that we sent women.”
Meanwhile, other participants — such as the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, Effat College, UK Uni Admissions and Wall Street Institute — had women standing at their booths. But the Canadian Embassy booth was the most visible since it was at the front of the exhibition.
Rania Kaddora, communication and PR assistant at Effat College, said that the exhibitions manager did not inform them that women were prohibited from attending the event. “While making the arrangements and organizing for the event, and knowing that we’re a women’s college, the exhibitions director didn’t inform us that women were not allowed to stand at booths or participate in the event,” said Kaddora. “After one hour of the exhibition opening on April 30, the organizers came to our booth and told us that women shouldn’t be standing there.”
Kaddora said that the organizers told her to keep the women out of the booth and that men were to showcase what the college provides. She added that the organizers said they were afraid that if commission members saw women standing at the Effat College booth, they would shut down the Al-Harithy Exhibition Center for six months.
“When I stood firm against the organizers’ proposal, they offered to barricade our booth or put curtains and hang a sign to indicate that this area is only accessible to women,” said Kaddora. “I told Siddique that I would rather take my money back and withdraw from the event. However, over the next two days we were pressured to have male representatives at the booth.”
Sidiqque said that the organizers did not promise the Canadian Embassy that they would make special arrangements. “I have e-mails and documents that can validate my statements,” he said.
However, when Arab News asked for copies of the e-mails, Siddique declined saying they were confidential.
On Tuesday — half way through the exhibition — the organizers came and gave a copy of a letter to everyone saying that women are prohibited to stand at booths and should not conduct presentations.
A Saudi academic, who teaches at one of the local universities, said: “The exhibition was a mixed event for families with both men and women attending... What difference would it make if women are standing outside the booths as visitors or behind them as participants?”
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ali Al-Hyan, head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, said that the Canadian Embassy did not abide by rules and regulations. “They were advised three times to comply with instructions and remove women representatives... When they didn’t listen, the booth was closed.”
The Canadian Embassy officially stated yesterday that Saudi Arabia has the right to establish its own domestic laws, which Canadians in the Kingdom must respect, even those laws with which they disagree with, just as they would expect Saudis to respect Canadian laws when they are in Canada.
It further said that the embassy booth at the exhibition was in full compliance with Saudi law and the rules outlined by the Al-Harithy Company. The booth should not have been closed and such unprofessional behavior will only undermine the chances of Canadian participation in future events.
