Social media has been abuzz following a viral statement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud popularly known as MBS in which he reportedly claimed, “Only women can decide what they want to wear.” Netizens posted the remark along with pictures of the crown prince and the country’s first Miss Universe contestant Rumy Alqahtani. They wrote that MBS declared, “From now on, women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they want without male permission.”
Prince Mohammed bin Salman:
— Europe Invasion (@EuropeInvasionn) July 27, 2024
“From now on, women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they want without male permission.” pic.twitter.com/Af8G5hPOT9
BREAKING: From now on, women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they want without male permission.
— UGO & ThĚ Bíg Stéppêrs (@UGOOTWEETS) July 27, 2024
– Prince Mohammed bin Salman pic.twitter.com/dC4si1knqb
However, people utilised “Community Notes” on the post of a user named “Dr Maalouf” who had uploaded the same quote to dispute the claim. As per the note, MBS has not made any such comment. The crown prince only said that Islamic laws do not mandate a black abaya or black hijab, but didn’t say women can wear anything they want.
The note said, “The quote starts with “The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover.”
Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "From now on, women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they want without male permission.” pic.twitter.com/T1vyUjhdzZ
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) July 27, 2024
“Community Notes” were again invoked on the post of another social media user who made the same claim. “While the crown prince did say this in 2018, he refers to women being able to choose from a larger selection of Islamic-approved clothing. No mention of secular clothing or ‘modern clothes’ like the post suggests,” it clarified.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "From now on, only Saudi Arabian women can decide what clothes Saudi Arabian women wear." pic.twitter.com/Fgu2wZgSoj
— Azat (@AzatAlsalim) February 26, 2024
Notably, the comment that is being disseminated in 2024 is derived from his 2018 interview with the American network CBS News. Furthermore, his statement is being misconstrued since, while he talked about women’s personal clothing choices, he did not mention wearing anything without male permission.
In reality, he stated, “The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left to women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire they choose to wear,” during the interview which was published on 19th March 2018.
The statement was in response to a question posed by interviewer Norah O’Donnell, who asked, “You have stated that you are ‘taking Saudi Arabia back to what we were, a moderate Islam.’ What is meant by that?” MBS further conveyed, “We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a workplace. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the prophet and the Caliphs. This is the real example and the true model.” The interview was titled, “Saudi Arabia’s heir to the throne talks to 60 Minutes.”
Notably, Saudi Arabia officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is home to the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. Strict social and religious control has long been a part of the history of Saudi Arabia which is the largest nation on the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia has recently allowed women to drive cars, is holding mixed-gender events, opening cinemas and conducting Electronic Dance Music (EDM) shows after MBS ascended the throne. These might seem like common things in other parts of the world but Saudi Arabia has historically been a very conservative Islamic country, heavily influenced by powerful religious scholars and ruled by stringent Sharia Law. However, it is now gradually witnessing a new dawn of openness and modernity under MBS.
