If KSA’s top woman can’t keep her story straight about whether she wears the veil, what are other Saudi women supposed to do?
Norah al-Faiz is supposed to be a symbol of progress in Saudi Arabia. She was appointed deputy minister of education by King Abdullah in February 2009, making her the kingdom’s highest-ranking female official. At the time, many observers hailed the move as a sign of reform.
But controversy has dogged Faiz since the beginning of her tenure. When the news of her appointment first broke, the Saudi daily al-Watan published a small headshot of her, wearing a headscarf but showing her face. She reacted angrily, and quickly clarified that she wore the niqab, a black covering that hides the face except for a small slit for the eyes. For Saudi women who wear the niqab, showing their faces in public, let alone mainstream media, is unacceptable.
“The publication of my photo upset me immensely,” she told the newspaper in an interview. “[I]t is well known that I am a Saudi woman from Najd,” she said, referring to the conservative central region of the country, “and thus I wear a niqab. I will never allow the publishing of my photo in newspapers and I will not accept that it be put up anywhere.”