Women not only voted for the first time, but also ran for office in Saturday’s municipal elections in that country, the seat of Mecca.
They still can’t drive.
Saudi Arabia, an otherwise absolutist monarchy, has occasional municipal elections where citizens can vote and stand for office. About 6,000 men ran for office, joined by almost 1,000 women.
Saudi Arabia is considered a key ally of the United States and tactically accepts the reality of Israel. The Sunni Islamic nation is a staunch enemy of Iran, with whom it fights proxy wars with in Yemen and Syria.
The election comes with the monarchist kingdom under renewed attack in the West for promoting a strict brand of Islam that restricts women’s rights and civil liberties while fueling, critics say, radical Islamic terror groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, though the both groups call Saudi rulers an enemy. The Saudis support the military campaign against the Islamic State.
Saudi Arabia’s relations with the U.S. have also been complicated by the Obama administration’s Iranian nuclear agreement.
Republican presidential candidates often support maintaining and even strengthening ties to the nation and historical ally. Democratic candidates like Bernie Sanders have chastised them for not contributing their fair share to the fight against the Islamic State.
