Loujain Hathlool: A Saudi Girl in Canada

One of the stereotypes of the Arabic countries is that women are covered from head to toe including their faces and eyes. This is because of Islam’s role in Saudi Arabia that plays a huge role on this behavior alongside with the culture and traditions that women should be covered up.

Globalization has not affected people in Saudi Arabia, and still many women are still covering up from head to toe including their faces. However, there are many Saudis that have adapted the western cultures and traditions and forgot their own. Loujain Hathlool is a good example of a girl standing up against the Saudi traditions and wants to live her life the way she is.



Loujain Hathlool, was born in 1989 and is probably the most negatively sanctioned girl in Saudi Arabia. She is a French Literature major student in British Columbia University, in Canada. She became popular on the social network “Keek” which is a social network where people have to upload videos that are 36 seconds or less to their feed.

Loujain is considered a deviant by most men in Saudi Arabia. Men are afraid that she is ruining the Saudi reputation of discipline. She receives negative comments from men from all the Gulf countries because she shoots videos of herself without wearing a hijab or abaya. Loujain however, keeps commenting about these comments and makes fun of them in her videos and laughs at them.

I believe that Loujain is a symbol of a neo-feminist woman, or an example of a modern woman that believes that women should be independent and less controlled by men in the society. To add to that, Loujain is also the head of the Arab Student Association in her campus which is clearly an indicator that she is respected and accepted as a leader.

I personally think Loujain is nice from her videos, even though I am against that she threw away her traditions, but others misinterpreted her and argue that she is ignorant and a rude woman that is just proud of doing the wrong thing.

Loujain is popular by the issues she brings up in her videos. She discussed certain important issues like Democracy USA Vs. KSA (arguing with USA of course), and sexual harassment in USA Vs. KSA, and other sensitive political topics too. She always argues with the USA and North America and that they are developed and open minded not like the closed minds of those in KSA. In this video: Loujain talks about a rumor that people spread that she was born in India. She encouters that by saying that she wishes she was born Indian, because they have democracy, freedom, ducation, culture, everything a woman wishes for. And, quote from her "I wish we can have at least 25% percent of the good things they have". In this video she clearly speaks negatively about KSA, which is what made the people furious about her.



Sources:

Arguing with/aganist Loujain
Bibliography
Loujain: The Girl most discussed in Saudi Arabia