Saudi woman arrested for attending soccer game

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA—A Saudi newspaper says a woman arrested after attending a soccer game claims she did not know women were prohibited from going to the stadium.

The state-linked Okaz newspaper reported on Monday that police in the city of Jiddah have questioned the woman, who claims she bought a ticket online without any problems and went to the Friday night game between Jiddah’s al-Ittihad and Riyadh’s al-Shabab in the kingdom’s new al-Jawhara stadium, where she was arrested.The game was between Jiddah’s al-Ittihad and Riyadh’s al-Shabab.

Police spokesman Atti al-Qurashi said security spotted her at the stadium “deliberately disguised” in male attire to avoid detection, reported the state-linked news website Twasul.

Okaz reported Sunday that police questioned the woman, who is in her twenties, for “impersonating” a man by wearing pants, a long-sleeve top, a hat and sunglasses. Most women in Saudi Arabia cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab and all women are required to wear a loose black dress known as the abaya in public.

The paper said the woman has been in police custody since Friday and is being held at a center for girls in the western province of Mecca. No charges have been raised so far.

Ultraconservative Saudi clerics shun female access to exercise and women’s teams are not part of the kingdom’s federation that oversees sports. Women often struggle to find facilities to train and are not allowed to attend matches in stadiums.

Source: http://itsenews.com/saudi-woman-arrested-attending-soccer-game/

WHAT DO I SAY?