Hissa Hilal - Saudi woman poet lashes out at clerics in 'Arabic Idol'

[GardenPath]

Heard this on the 'The World Today' BBC World Service last night. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-woman-poet-lashes-out-at-clerics-in-arabic-idol-1 926176.html

www.youtube.com/watch?v=57AUhZiT3U4

Fingers crossed Hissa.

Wow, an amazing story. Thanks for posting the links. I wish I could understand it! You tube has a translation in the comments though. She seems an incredibly brave woman. I haven't studied Saudi women's lives a great deal, but I am keen to try to understand them. I was distracted from what I should have been working on in the library last week when I saw a piece of research written by a Saudi woman. There are a few really interesting blogs as well by women there.

Do you know when the final is?

You're welcome, Frankfrankly, she's got guts hasn't she? This is the latest I could find - finals next Wednesday according to this article.

www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=38065

She actually gave a telephone interview on the Radio (see my first post), in English, so you can 'listen again' online.

Brave brave woman. I really hope feminism gets going in Saudi Arabia (and other places obv) because I can hardly bear to think about the terrible terrible abuse they suffer.

"Hissa Hilal, a niqab-wearing Saudi housewife, made it to the finals of a TV poetry competition against the odds"

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/apr/12/saudi-housewife-hissa-hilal-poetry