“The separate page for Saudi women is a valid decision. We took it to fulfill the wishes of the Saudi women in the US. We have been contacted by a lot of women asking for their private group,” Majed Aleid, media chair of the “Saudis in the US” group, told Arab News in a letter.
According to him, it would make it easier for women in the same city or state to find each other, become friends and help each other out.
“There are a significant number of girls who do not yet feel confident enough to share their points of view and opinions in the same domain as men. In my opinion they need some time to adjust.”
Members of the group have been debating the decision, with some supporting it. Others, however, mocked the decision, sarcastically claiming that girls registering with the group needed a male guardian’s permission.
Other men said the decision was exactly the same as banning young Saudi men from malls and family areas in the Kingdom.
“What is the moral goal for separating girls and boys, please could you clarify this decision?” asked one group member.
“I thought that this group respects freedom of expression and the exchange of thoughts between men and women. The majority of us are studying and working and we should respect each other much more,” wrote another member.
A girl later replied: “It is a catastrophe to think that we are not civilized just because we are segregating men and women in society and on the Internet. Personally, I don’t care if the group is segregated or not, what I want is to be provided with the same service.”
Saudis in the US is a popular group for Saudis studying in the US as it provides updates from the Saudi Cultural Bureau.
Students post their experiences about living in the US and make announcements. There are 6,000 students who are studying on their own expense in the US, while 29,000 are studying on scholarships.
