An image on the cover of Vogue Arabia of a Saudi princess behind the wheel of a red convertible has sparked anger in the conservative kingdom following the jailing of activists who campaigned for women to be allowed to drive.
Published : 01 Jun 2018, 11:29 PM
Nearly a dozen prominent activists were arrested last month, just weeks before the ban on women driving is due to be lifted. Most were women who had for years campaigned for the reforms now being implemented.
Supporters of the activists took to social media to accuse the publishers of Vogue Arabia of insensitivity over the cover image of Princess Hayfa bint Abdullah al-Saud.
"A princess on the cover of Vogue Arabia to celebrate lifting the ban while the women driving activists are in jail for treason," tweeted another user under the handle @Hala_Aldosari.
Some Twitter users shared doctored versions of the cover photo swapping the face of Princess Hayfa with that of Loujain al-Hathloul, one of the detained activists.
The decision to lift a decades-old ban on women driving cars was hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in Saudi Arabia.
But activists' arrests have raised concerns from campaigners and the United Nations over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's approach to reforms.
After @VogueAlArabiya thought it’d make sense to feature HRH in June 2018 issue on “trailblazing women of #Saudi Arabia” & their driving, Saudi women have taken to Twitter to object & replaced her image with 3 of arrested activists labeled as “traitors”: Aziza, Loujain, & Eman. pic.twitter.com/SOZA28YS72
— Nora Abdulkarim نورة الدعيجي (@Ana3rabeya) May 31, 2018