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UGREIT: Parliamentary Representative Emilie Enger Mehl thinks it looks bad when the Saudi ambassador sends congratulations on Women’s Day. Photo: Private
The Saudi Arabian ambassador sent flowers and congratulations to the Storting’s women politicians on March 8. – It comes with a bad taste, says the Storting politician.
On Monday afternoon, the Storting representative, Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp), found flowers, sweets and a greeting card on her mail shelf at the Storting.
The gift was a greeting from the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Norway on the occasion of Women’s Day on March 8.
SP politicians Åshild Sem-Jacobsen and Jenny Klinge from the Center Party have also received the same greeting.
– The first thing I thought was how ironic this was. It comes with a bad aftertaste when we know that Saudi Arabia is committing serious violations of women’s rights, Mehl says.
Say hello to the ambassador
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Norway is Amal Yahya Almoalimi, the country’s second ambassador in history.
“I want to send my regards to the ambassador and urge her to show that Saudi Arabia takes women’s rights seriously by stopping the prosecution of those who fight for women’s rights,” Mehl said.
Reports have shown that female activists in Saudi Arabia have been subjected to torture and sexual harassment in prison.
GREETINGS: “All best wishes on International Women’s Day,” read the card Mehl received on Monday. A brochure was attached presenting highlights of the Saudi authorities’ work on women’s rights. Photo: Emilie Enger Mehl
Storting politician Heidi Nordby Lunde (H) reacts in disbelief when she learns that the Saudi authorities have sent a salute to the Storting women politicians on 8 March.
– The day Saudi Arabia takes gender equality and women’s rights seriously I send flowers to the on Women’s Day, write an SMS to VG.
Well, Loujain al-Hathloul was released after three years in prison last month, so it’s a form of progress for women’s rights.
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Al-Hathloul is one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent activists, who was imprisoned from 2018 to February this year. Among other things, she has been accused of filming driving a car across the border into Saudi Arabia in 2014, three years before it was decided that women should be allowed to drive in the country.
Al-Hathloul is still subject to a number of restrictions.
– If they are serious, they can give you total freedom to leave the country, then we can start talking, writes Lunde.
ABSURD: Heidi Nordby Lunde reacts in disbelief when she learns that the Saudi embassy has congratulated politicians on Women’s Day. Photo: Hallgeir Vågenes
“Don’t be fooled by the flowers”
Along with SV representatives Karin Andersen and Kari Elisabeth Kaski, Heidi Nordby nominated Lunde al-Hathloul for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. Also in 2021, Andersen nominated al-Hathloul for the peace prize.
Andersen says he also did not receive any greetings from the embassy on Monday.
– But I have also nominated human rights activists in Saudi Arabia for the peace prize also this year, writes in an SMS to VG.
He points out that he has also demonstrated outside the embassy on several occasions.
– They probably understand that I am not fooled by flowers. There is no credibility in the supposed liberalization of Saudi Arabia. You can go to a football game, but under the bright picture the chase is tougher, he writes.
CAUSED: Karin Andersen (SV) believes that the West also fails in the absence of reactions to Saudi Arabia. – It’s an instinctive reaction to oil and money, he says. Photo: Frode Hansen
Provoked amnesty
– Obviously, this is an attempt to create good will in a somewhat difficult opinion, seen from the Saudi point of view, but it seems to be completely ridiculous and very provocative, says Ina Tin to VG.
She is a political advisor to Amnesty and has written a book on Saudi Arabia.
“The Saudi authorities must understand that they have no credibility on the issue of women’s rights before giving them freedom of expression, abolishing the guardianship system and ending the monitoring and prosecution of those who speak,” she said.
CRITICAL: – Only the day when women can express themselves freely and the struggle of women in Saudi Arabia is recognized and respected, it is good public relations to celebrate March 8 with flowers, says Ina Tin in Amnesty. Photo: Photographer: Frida Marie Grande
Tin says Amnesty has been trying to meet with the embassy for years.
– We had our first and last meeting at the Saudi Arabian embassy in 2013, and since then we have not been welcomed there. We have requested a meeting since the new ambassador arrived in December, but so far she has been completely silent on Amnesty, she says.
– I hope the Storting politicians respond to the ambassador and thank the flowers with an invitation to meet with them and us at Amnesty in the Storting to discuss women’s rights in Saudi Arabia and the situation of women human rights defenders who are imprisoned.
