The article “Saudi women are fettered by the chains of guardianship” (Dec. 21) reports that a Saudi woman over the age of 40 who is a PhD holder and a specialist in nanotechnology was unable to attend an international conference where she was scheduled to speak because her guardian was not available to give her permission to leave the country. This infringement of the basic rights of women must be brought to an end immediately! Can any valid reason be given why these archaic rulings are still in place? Faisal, Online response II. I hope you are aware that we all care more about Islamic principles than we do about PhDs or any other worldly degrees. If you want to leave the women of your household open to the sight of the world, you do it. But do not try to force other people to do the same and spoil their mentality. A woman obeying her husband or father is far better than a woman obeying her boss. Adnaan, Online response III. I believe that the long practice here in the Kingdom of providing protection to women through guardianship is still the best way to uphold the security and welfare of women. It may be that in the case of a well-educated woman who has an important professional engagement in the Kingdom or abroad, there is a need to revisit and review the general application of the rules of guardianship. In such specific cases, it is possible that there may no longer be a need for the consent of the male guardian, especially if there is good cause and reason. Denver, Online response
