Sukaina al-Zayer is
an unlikely beauty queen hopeful. At least in the tradiition of Western societies.
She covers her face and body in black
robes and an Islamic veil, so no one can tell what she looks like. She
also admits she's a little on the plump side.
But at Saudi
Arabia's only beauty pageant, the judges don't care about a perfect
figure or face.
What they're looking for in the quest for "Miss
Beautiful Morals" is the contestant who shows the most devotion and
respect for her parents.
U.S.-born reporter Roxana Saberi walked free from an Iranian jail on Monday after a court reduced her prison term for spying to a two-year suspended sentence, ending a four-month ordeal.
"I'm okay. I don't want to make any comments but I am okay," the U.S.-Iranian national told the news agency AFP minutes after leaving Tehran's notorious Evin prison and being driven away by her father.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was "heartened" by the news.
Saberi was initially detained in January and sentenced last month to eight years on charges of spying for the United States in a case that caused deep concern in Washington and among human rights groups.
Susan notes: This amazing, uplifting, inspirational story of success and connection was produced by AWR member Vicky Collins, a Colorado-based TV producer and photographer. It highlights what is possible when women around the world support each other.
Eleven-year-old Banafsha wakes up in her small mud home, has a cup of tea and braces herself for the day ahead.
She is the breadwinner for her family. Literally.
Without the bread that she begs from strangers, she, her sisters, her baby brothers and her mom would all go hungry.
Her father is a drug addict, focused only on his next high; her mom
cares for the little ones, and heavy responsibility falls on Banafsha's
young shoulders
Every day, she heads far from her home, trekking up and down steep hills to the wealthier parts of the city, where she hopes richer people will take pity on her.
She is not bitter, explaining: "My two younger sisters also work. They beg for bread and sell gum. There's no choice.
Saudi laws regarding a minium age for marriage could be change within a year, a prominent human rights activits in the conservative Muslim state said on Tuesday.
Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb, founder and president of the Human Rights
First Society, recommended the minimum age should be set at 18, as the
government reviews marriage of underage girls amid growing
international criticism.
There is no legal age limit for marriage in Saudi Arabia. It is not
uncommon for men in their 40s and 50s to marry girls as young as 10
with the agreement that the husband does not consummate until the girl
reaches puberty.
Sukaina al-Zayer is
an unlikely beauty queen hopeful. At least in the tradiition of Western societies.
Eleven-year-old Banafsha wakes up in her small mud home, has a cup of tea and braces herself for the day ahead.
Saudi laws regarding a minium age for marriage could be change within a year, a prominent human rights activits in the conservative Muslim state said on Tuesday.