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Banning “Burning Hearts”: Leading Saudi Cleric Calls for Women To Be Barred From Co-Ed University Classes

heart-on-fire-screensaver-main-view-previewPreviously, we saw a crackdown in Saudi Arabia on women working out at private clubs and the cancelation of festivals. Now, Sheik Saad Bin Naser al-Shethri, who is a member of the powerful government-sanctioned Supreme Committee of Scholars, is calling for the end of women being able to attend any co-ed classes in universities as a “great sin and a great evil.”

Al-Shethri wants to bar women at the newly opened King Abdullah Science and Technology University, warning “[m]ixing is a great sin and a great evil. When men mix with women, their hearts burn and they will be diverted from their main goal (which is) … education.” Burning hearts have not been a particular problem in my co-ed law classes but then again it is hard to spot cardiac combustion from the lectern.

For the full story, click here.

6 thoughts on “Banning “Burning Hearts”: Leading Saudi Cleric Calls for Women To Be Barred From Co-Ed University Classes”

  2. Looking at the original article I can see no statement supporting the idea that, “Al-Shethri wants to bar women at the newly opened King Abdullah Science and Technology University”. Are you basing that statement on another source?

  3. Perhaps they fear an invasion of Country musicians covering Bruce Springsteen songs.

  4. Isn’t this an argument for banning the men, not the women? It’s the men who can’t controll their spontaneous human combustion. Their too dangerous to be walking the streets without an asbestos burka, let alone, be in a college without protection! They should either ban them or put a better fire code in place.

  5. Saudi women unite. Call Francine Hughes. She has moved from Dansville, MI to someplace in Florida. Burning Bed Defense.

  6. Apparently the new King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is the FIRST co-educational university in Saudi Arabia:

    http://www.gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi_arabia/10351717.html

    Interesting quote from the same article: “Officials who back Abdullah fear that without reforms young people will be drawn to militancy in the future.”

    So the introduction of co-education has nothing to do with giving women some resemblance of rights. Rather, they’re hoping young Saudi men will find university life “more appealing” than militancy.

    No great surprise that this “reform” has ruffled a few feathers.

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