Arnold Beichman reports on a frank report on women in Arab society that a brave woman just published in London.

One of the most outspoken manifestoes against Arab male domination has just been published in the London Arabic language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat under the title "Imagine You're a Woman." The author is Badriyya Al-Bishr, a lecturer in social sciences at King Saud University. The translation is by MEMRI.

Here are some excerpts from that manifesto.

"Imagine you're a woman. You always need your guardian's approval, not only regarding your first marriage, as maintained by the Islamic legal scholars, but regarding each and every matter. You cannot study without your guardian's approval, even if you reach a doctorate level. You cannot get a job and earn a living without your guardian's approval. Moreover, there are people who are not ashamed to say that a woman must have permission to work even in the private sector.
"Imagine you're a woman and the guardian who must accompany you wherever [you go] is your 15-year-old son or your brother, who scratches his chin before giving his approval, saying: 'What do you think, guys, should I give her my permission?' Sometimes he asks for . . . a bribe [in return], heaven forbid! [But] your brother avoids taking such a bribe in 'cash' because his self-respect prevents him from touching a woman's money. So he prefers the bribe to be a car, a fridge, or an assurance of money that you will pay in installments [for him], until Allah gets him out of his financial straits.
"Imagine you're a woman, and you are subject to assault, beatings, or murder. When the press publishes your photo [together with] the photo of the criminals and [descriptions] of their brutality, there are people who ask: 'was the victim covered [by a veil] or not?' If she was covered up, [the question arises:] 'Who let her go out of the house at such an hour?' In the event that your husband is the one who broke your ribs, [people will say] that no doubt there was good reason for it.
"Imagine you're a woman whose husband breaks her nose, arm, or leg, and you go to the Qadi to lodge a complaint. When the Qadi asks you about your complaint, and you say, 'He beat me,' he responds reproachfully 'That's all?' In other words, [for the Qadi], beating is a technical situation that exists among all couples and lovers, [As the saying goes]: 'Beating the beloved is like eating raisins.'

Imagine if the same crowds that gather regularly to protest the war in Iraq could rouse themselves over the treatment of women in these societies. Imagine that this brave writer doesn't now have to fear retribution for speaking out the condition which women must endure in these societies. Just imagine.