A video featuring a young woman walking around in public in Saudi Arabia wearing a miniskirt and crop top may land her in prison, as it is a break from the country's conservative dress code adherence to Muslim traditions.
The woman, whose name reportedly is "Khluood," shared the video on the social media platform Snapchat, in which she can be seen walking around the historic Saudi fort of Ushayqir Heritage Village wearing a crop top and a skirt -- two items that have become commonplace in western societies.
Since the footage was released, many have voiced their anger towards her choice of apparel, calling for the woman to be arrested for defying the dress code of long, loose, all-black clothing. The site where the video was reportedly filmed is about 100 miles away from the conservative region of Najd, the home of the founder of Wahhabism, a form of Sunni Islam whose strict rules have devastated women's rights in Saudi Arabia and abroad.
The country's religious police force is now considering action against the woman for her violation of the public decency laws in Saudi Arabia, according to Newsweek. The conservative society in Saudi Arabia has fiercely condemned the model online.
Saudi writer Ibrahim al-Minayif wrote to his 41,000 followers, "Just like we call on people to respect the laws of countries they travel to, people must also respect the laws of this country."
Another Twitter user posted, "These are the demands of the ignorant liberal community: a broken woman, mixed cinema, song, and dance. This their development! No health or education."
Many posts edited the photo to cover the woman's legs.
In contrast, many women have posted their support for Khluood.
One Twitter user made a comparison to the reactions of the Trump family's women and Khluood, claiming that although Melania and Ivanka were both modestly dressed, they ditched the headwear with little ridicule from Saudi conservatives while this woman experienced fierce backlash.
The investigation on the woman is still in progress, meaning she is still in danger of being imprisoned or worse, considering the commonality of human rights abuses in the oil-rich country.
That said, although this a troubling situation, there is a bit of optimism to be had here when you take into account the number of women standing up in defense of Khluood, and freedom in general.
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