A video of a Saudi woman at a football match in the United Arab Emirates has caused a "moral uproar" in Saudi Arabia.
Women are banned from attending football matches in the conservative Muslim nation because their presence is said to promote "immoral and sinful behaviour". This forces many women to travel to other Gulf states where rules are more relaxed in order to watch football and other sporting events.
In the short clip, a fully veiled woman wearing a black abaya and niqab is seen shouting at her team after a bad tackle. While shaking her fist in anger, her sleeve falls to expose much of her lower arm.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The clip has been viewed almost half a million times and the majority of the comments have been made by "angry men critical of the unidentified woman for being in a stadium filled with thousands of men", reports the BBC's Mai Noman.
"Does this woman not have a man? Her place is in the house," reads one comment underneath the video.
Another one says: "As a man I do not want to get married to a woman who, surrounded by men, shouts at stadiums."
Despite the reaction, some argue that attitudes towards women and sport are changing in Saudi Arabia.
Lina Al Maena, a former athlete and advocate for girls' sports in Saudi Arabia told the BBC: "There's a lot more acceptance of women's involvement in sports today than there used to be a decade ago."
Indeed, not all of the YouTube comments left by Saudi Arabian men were critical.
According to local reports, Saudi sporting officials are considering allowing women to enter stadiums, but only if they follow strict guidelines, including not mingling with men.
-
What’s the best way to use your year-end bonus?the explainer Pay down debt, add it to an emergency fund or put it toward retirement
-
10 concert tours to see this winterThe Week Recommends Keep cozy this winter with a series of concerts from big-name artists
-
What are portable mortgages and how do they work?the explainer Homeowners can transfer their old rates to a new property in the UK and Canada. The Trump administration is considering making it possible in the US.
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
