Saudi Arabian woman who sparked fury by stepping out without a hijab arrested

A young woman who received death threats after going out without her abaya, a full-body dress in Saudi Arabia now faces being lashed after she was arrested. The woman, identified as Malak Al Shehri, shared a photograph of herself without a hijab or abaya, a traditional body covering – on a street in the capital city of Riyadh.

Her actions sparked fury on social media, with some even calling for her execution for daring to stand against the country’s strict rules.

A student from the Saudi city Dammam, who used the name Sara Ahmed, shared the shot. The picture also sparked a hashtag which called for Malak’s imprisonment.

Sara said Malak received so many death threats that she was forced to delete her account.

“So many people re-tweeted it and what she did reached extremists, so she got threats,” the student told the International Business Times.
“She deleted her tweets but they didn’t stop, so she deleted her account.”

All women in Saudi Arabia, local and foreign are legally required to wear an abaya. Muslim women must also wear a headscarf – or hijab – but foreigners do not need to.

The face does not need to be covered, but some opt to wear the full burka.