Saudi female poet defies men…and law

A well-known Saudi female poet mounted the platform and delivered her poems in a hall packed with men in defiance of tradition and protests by male organisers, Sahafaonline Arabic language paper reported on Thursday.

Organisers of a poetry festival in the famous Okaz Souk (market) near the central town of Makkah told Badeia Kashgari to recite her poems while she is seated among a few women who attended the male-dominated event.

“The organising committee asked her to respect tradition and deliver her poems while seated…but she refused their request and mounted the podium to recite her poetry in the hall that was packed by men,” the paper said.

A few days ago, an Algerian female poet tried to climb to the stage to recite her poems during the Okaz poetry festival but was told to get off.

Zainab Alawaj was about to read her poems at stage before one of the organising committee approached and asked her to get off the podium.

“Alawaj climbed the stage and was about to start reciting her poems before one of the organisers rushed to her and said ‘please go back to your seat.”
 

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