Women's worldy woes

Stones rush through the air with dizzying force, striking the face and body of a beautiful young woman. The rocks are hurled by men, claiming to be doing the will of God: Punishing women for fornication they did not commit.

A 12-year-old girl weds a 70-year-old man. She is his fourth wife and is obligated to share his bed. Though still a child herself, her No. 1 duty is to bear him sons. His every wish must be her command.

A wife has borne six daughters, but without bearing a son, she is worthless. Her husband says three times, "I divorce you," and with those nine words, she is penniless and separated from her children.

These scenarios are not from the middle ages, but rather the modern reality Saudi Arabian women live. Only recently have a few been bold enough to cry out their tragic stories to the Western world. Carmen bin Laden, sister-in-law to Osama, is one of the brave. Despite the inherent danger, she authored "Inside the Kingdom," a book which reveals the oppression of women to be alive and well.

Born into a life of oil-bought luxury, many of the women of Saudi Arabia are modern-day princesses imprisoned in air-conditioned, bejeweled hell. They live a life of stark contradiction, untold wealth and powerless poverty. They have the finest of everything, but their money cannot purchase equality. Their fate in marriage, education, travel - even life or death - is in the hands of their closest male relative.

"Princess," a courageous work by Jean Sasson, explains the brutality further: "It is never the fault of the man in the Middle East. Even if he murders his wife, the man will state 'valid' reasons for his action, which will be accepted by other men without question. In my country, I have seen newspaper articles that honor a man for executing his wife or daughter for the crime of 'indecent behavior.' The mere suspicion of sexual misconduct, such as kissing, can bring death to a young girl. In addition, public congratulations are given...."

Blanket generalizations about any group of people lead to the same injustices that my words condemn. Therefore, I am not claiming that every male in Saudi Arabia behaves this way or that every woman lives a nightmare. However, I do seek to bring attention to the rampant tyranny taking place, and contrast it to the privileged, unrestrained life we, as Americans, lead.

In November, rain and hundreds of students accompanied me as I waited two hours to cast my Election Day vote. I was too busy being miserable in the downpour to think about the freedom I was exercising. After reading about women who have no freedom in a land where men rule with absolute power, I feel physically ill that I ever took that freedom for granted.

I live in a house with seven girls; we complain about our bathroom being messy or someone eating our food. In Saudi Arabia, a woman - whether single, divorced, or widowed - cannot live alone. She must live in the household of a male. My friends discuss what we're wearing on a Friday-night date to the movies; Saudi Arabian women could be imprisoned, even put to death, for being alone with a man.

Today consider the ease with which we forget the blessing of liberty, and visualize the faceless, veiled thousands who are obligated to be silent. You have a voice - use it.

Rebecca Miller, Senior, Psychology may be reached for cheers or jeers at miller.2791@osu.edu.