Saudi Women Vote for the First Time in Landmark Poll
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SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2015 RABI ALAWWAL 2, 1438 AH www.kuwaittimes.net GCC nations Dozens of Courtroom cage Barcelona held to blacklist corpses lie too small; judge by Deportivo absconding in streets postpones trial after blowing housemaids3 of Burundi7 of 739 suspects8 two-goal20 lead Saudi women vote for the Min 10º Max 21º first time in landmark poll High Tide 11:22 & 22:20 ‘I voted for a man, but I hope a woman will win’ Low Tide 05:01 & 16:29 40 PAGES NO: 16726 150 FILS RIYADH: Covered from head to toe and driven by male guardians, Saudi women voted yesterday for the first time, in a tentative step towards easing sex discrimina- tion in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom. In anoth- er first, women were allowed to stand as candidates in the polls for municipal councils, the country’s only elect- ed public chambers. “Now women have a voice,” Awatef Marzooq said after casting her ballot for the first time at a school in the capital. “I cried. This is something that we only used to see on television taking place in other countries.” Despite the presence of female contenders for the first time, Marzooq said she picked a male candidate because of his ideas including more nurseries. “I voted for a man, but I hope a woman will win,” she said. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy with some of the world’s tightest restrictions on women, including a ban on driv- ing. It was the last country to allow only men to vote. In a reminder of the continued gap between the two sexes, polling stations were segregated. Outside one centre for women in Riyadh, cars driven by men arrived every few minutes with female voters dressed in black robes. Some of the women asked the media not to take their photograph before they were whisked away. Mohammed Al-Shammari, who had just dropped off his daughter, a teacher, said he had encouraged her to vote. “We want to break this barrier,” he said. “As long as she has her own place and there is no mixing with men, what prevents her from voting? We support anything that does not violate sharia (Islamic law),” he said. More than 900 women are running, competing with nearly JEDDAH: Saudi women cast their ballots at a polling station in the coastal city of Jeddah yesterday. Saudi women were allowed to vote in elections for the first time 6,000 men for seats. ever, in a tentative step towards easing widespread sex discrimination in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom. — AFP Continued on Page 13 Americans told to avoid Lebanon Cheers as France presents WASHINGTON: The US State Department at any time in Lebanon, and armed clash- has urged US citizens to avoid all travel to es have occurred in major cities,” the State Lebanon “because of ongoing safety and Department said in a statement, adding security concerns.” It also advised US citi- that the Lebanese government could not zens living and working in Lebanon that guarantee the safety of US citizens there. UN climate-rescue accord they should “understand that they accept It cited cross-border conflicts with Syria the risks of remaining in the country and and Israel, anti-Western violence, suicide LE BOURGET: French hosts of UN talks sub- least $100 billion (92 billion euros) a year should carefully consider those risks.” bombers and kidnapping, among other mitted to cheers and applause yesterday a from 2020 would be channeled to help the “Sudden outbreaks of violence can occur risks. — AFP proposed 195-nation accord to defeat glob- developing world fight global warming. It al warming, which threatens mankind but would also aim at limiting warming of the needs an energy revolution to resolve. planet since the Industrial Revolution to Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, on the “well below” 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 brink of tears after presiding over nearly a Fahrenheit) and strive for an even more fortnight of talks in Paris, delivered the pro- ambitious goal of 1.5C, he said. French posal to ministers who must now decide President Francois Hollande and UN whether to approve it, possibly within Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sat on hours. stage alongside Fabius as he made a “It is my conviction that we have come lengthy speech imploring ministers to up with an ambitious... agreement,” Fabius approve the blueprint yesterday. said, telling the ministers they would Raising hopes of a successful conclusion, achieve a “historic turning point” for the negotiators stood up and cheered before world if they endorsed it. The hoped-for Fabius spoke, and rose in another standing Republican presidential candidate, business- deal seeks to end decades-long rows ovation at the end. “You have a chance to man Donald Trump between rich and poor nations over how to change the world,” Hollande told delegates. fund the multi-trillion-dollar campaign. “You have to take the final step, the decisive Trump ‘a disgrace’: With 2015 forecast to be the hottest year on step which allows us to reach the goal.” US record, world leaders and scientists have Secretary of State John Kerry added to the Saudi billionaire warned the accord is vital for capping rising optimism, saying afterwards the United temperatures and averting the most cata- States was pleased with the planned RIYADH: Donald Trump is a disgrace and should pull strophic consequences of climate change. accord. “It should be good, but we’ll see. out of the United States presidential race, Saudi If climate change goes unabated, scientists Little things can happen, but we think it’s Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal tweeted warn of increasingly severe droughts, teed up,” Kerry said. The proposed agree- late on Friday. “@realDonaldTrump You are a disgrace floods and storms, as well as rising seas that ment came after negotiators missed an ini- File photo shows Tashfeen Malik (left) and Syed Farook, as they passed through not only to the GOP but to all America,” Alwaleed said O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. — AP would engulf islands and coastal areas pop- tial deadline of Friday to sign an accord, as on his official Twitter account, @Alwaleed_Talal. ulated by hundreds of millions of people. feuding ministers refused to budge on “Withdraw from the US presidential race as you will Fabius said that, if approved, the deal entrenched positions. never win.” Alwaleed is an unusually outspoken would set a “floor” in funding, in which at Continued on Page 13 Wife’s role in US member of the Saudi royal family, who chairs Kingdom Holding Co. The diversified firm’s interests include US-banking attack raises fear giant Citigroup. A statement early yesterday from Alwaleed’s office said his tweet was in response to Trump’s “anti-Islam statement”. Alwaleed is a devout Jihad brides? but moderate Muslim. Trump, the frontrunner for the LOS ANGELES: A Pakistani woman’s role as founder of the British-based Institute for Republican nomination, has been lambasted both in a shooter in the San Bernardino massacre Strategic Dialogue, whose work includes the US and abroad for his proposal made on Monday is raising fears that foreign-born brides monitoring the flow of female extremist to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the US. who support the Islamic State group could recruits. “We will see women more active in Trump’s comments followed a shooting rampage marry Americans to come to the US to car- terror plots,” Havlicek predicted. “We by a Muslim couple in San Bernardino, California, ry out extremist missions. Experts in jihad, already know they are radicalizing in which left 14 dead. immigration lawyers and former US diplo- unprecedented numbers.” A Dubai real estate firm building a $6 billion golf mats say there’s no sign other foreign The flow of IS supporters can also go complex with Donald Trump has stripped the prop- brides have sought Western marriages to the other way. Up to 30 women have left erty of his name and image amid a backlash over the launch attacks, and it’s still not clear if 29- America to try to join the Islamic State US presidential candidate’s proposal to ban all year-old Tashfeen Malik did so. But, they group since it rose to prominence, accord- Muslims from entering the United States. Trump trig- warn, that could change, especially if IS ing to a recent estimate from the gered an international uproar when he made his militants begin actively encouraging Department of Homeland Security. The comments in response to last week’s deadly shoot- women to join men in attacks in the West. numbers are higher in Europe, where more ings in California by two Muslims who authorities While the group currently bars women than 600 women have left to join extrem- said were radicalized. DAMAC Properties had initially from taking up arms for combat or other ists over that same period, Havlicek said. A said it would stand by Trump, even as another of the PARIS: French President Francois Hollande (left), French Foreign Minister Laurent attacks, its commanders are pragmatic and religious conservative who lived previously billionaire’s Middle East partners, the Lifestyle chain Fabius (center) and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrive for a adaptable and could drop their ban at any in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Malik joined of department stores, halted sales of his “Trump statement at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris yester- time, security experts say. “When they see her American-born husband of less than Home” line on Wednesday in protest at his com- day.