Saudi TV presenter, Muna Abu Sulayman, sparked intense debates online following a tweet where she discussed how she enforced a clerk to deal with her despite her not wearing a niqab. In a report by Gulf News, Sulayman (who was wearing a hijab) was asked by a clerk to cover her face before receiving service at the justice department. 

She then cited the Crown Prince’s statements…

After the clerk’s refusal to bring her required documents, she told him about Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s statement a few months ago that women do not necessarily need to cover their face. The clerk tried to argue with Abu Sulayman, to which she said: “I’m inside a public institution, so please give me the required document.”

She’s referring to statements made by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last March- on women’s dress codes

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman mentioned that women in the Kingdom do not need to wear the hijab or the black abaya (a loose-fitted robe), as long as their attire is “decent and respectful”. His Highness was quoted making these statements during an interview with CBS for the show ’60 Minutes’. 

Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s open statements about women’s equality to men have since encouraged and empowered Saudi women. Muna’s use of his public statements is just one great example of this.

Social media users engaged in a heated debate over the tweets

Most reactions from Muna’s tweets were positive, with people supporting her courage and voice for women’s rights in the Kingdom. A few were against the act, claiming she should not have used her status as a media person to pressure the clerk. 

Muna deleted the tweet after receiving three different apologies from employees at the department

The document was given to Muna after only 10 minutes, a transaction, she says that usually takes much longer. She decided to delete her tweet after receiving  apology calls from three different people at the department. In a TV show, Abu Sulayman mentioned that the employees’ eloquence and courteous apologies is what urged her to delete the tweets. 

She further added that they showed complete understanding of her reaction.

“If a man can’t accept to deal with a woman who wears the hijab but not the niqab, he shouldn’t work somewhere where he needs to interact with people,” Abu Sulayman told Saudi daily Okaz on Thursday. She continued by saying that the main point is to follow the rules and regulations in every public institution, as well as provide women with all its services without belittling them.