June edition of Vogue Arabia that features the Saudi Princess behind wheel on its cover has called harsh criticism from women rights activists. Vogue tried to show that women would be finally able to drive in Saudi Arabia by the end of June but ended up facing criticism for featuring the wrong person.
Social media users and activists slammed the Vogue for not representing the women who struggled for the women’s rights and who ended up in jail for the crime of advocating the women’s right for driving, rather exhibiting a privileged princess.
The kingdom has allowed the women to drive but it has also arrested those activists who struggled to get this right recognized. The cover featuring the Saudi Princess in a driving seat somewhat exposed the hypocrisy of the government.
A princess on the cover of Vogue Arabia to celebrate lifting the ban while the women driving activists are in jail for treason https://t.co/I1uqgpjlbr
— هالة الدوسري (@Hala_Aldosari) 31 May 2018
Vogue’s Cover of Saudi Princess Behind Wheel
Vogue Araba’s cover of June featured Hayfa bint Abdullah Al- Saud. wearing an off-white gown and white high heels, while sitting in a red car and holding the steering wheel with her hands wrapped in black leather gloves.
The official Twitter account of Vogue Arabia that shared the picture of Saudi Princess behind wheel said, “this June the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is putting women in the driving seat- and so are we”.
This June, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is putting women in the driving seat – and so are we. https://t.co/CaOwxsdQQI
— Vogue Arabia (@VogueArabia) 30 May 2018
The June issue of Vogue is aimed at lauding trailblazing women of Saudi Arabia and praising the Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman who is looking to modernize the Kingdom by loosening the social restrictions.
Criticism on Vogue Arabia
The cover became a subject of harsh criticism because it featured a Saudi princess behind the wheel and not those women who ended up in prison for advocating the Saudi Women’s right for driving. Here is what Twitter users and women rights activists had to say.
Let’s put a princess who never struggled from the driving ban on the cover. Who her family issued the driving ban in the first place, put so many women in jail for driving, and just imprisoned prominent women’s rights activists who risked their life and freedom to lift the ban.
— Sara (@sassy1989sara) 31 May 2018
Users Asking to Amend the Issue
And, this user asked to amend the issue because the women who struggled for the rights were facing the treason charges and were in jail.
Do you know that the women who asked for the right to drive now are in prison on charges of state treason … Please amend this issue of the magazine because it violates the rights of activists #FreeSaudiActivists
— elana~إيلانا (@elanarm451) 31 May 2018
This man shared a photoshoped version of Vogue Arabia where an activist replaced the Saudi Princess behind wheel. But he lamented that how this could be possible when the real activist was in jail?
| @VogueArabia is telling the wrong story.
Right (Original Cover): lie..lie..lie
Left (photoshopped): reality (But Lujain is jailed paying price for #SaudiWomenDriving) pic.twitter.com/fXk4anYSYi— Fadi Al-Qadi (@fqadi) 31 May 2018
I’m disappointed in Vogue Arabia’s cover choice for the month of June. You can’t put Saudi princesses on your cover and call them feminists, when the actual Saudi feminists are being thrown in jail.
— ???????? ?? (@PawansBrownSwtr) 31 May 2018
The act was considered offensive
This is extremely offensive to the saudi feminists/activists who fought for this right. This is BS ☺
— ?????????????? ☮ (@outsiiderx) 30 May 2018
