*Sighs* They don't make them like that in America.
The part of the article that stuck out for me was this; permits for the women to enter,
Permits? WtF? Are women diseased or something? Is this similar to how when you go to Arizona you can't bring plants or animals with you? *Boggles*

LOVE THIS GUY...dont even know who he is really. yeah, permits, its like we have to be quarantined or something.

That took guts, basically risking his country's relationship with the Saudis to stand up for the rights to have all the journalists with him treated equally.

Nice to know that some political figures take equality seriously.

That's awesome. Spain seems to be on the right track in a whole lotta ways.

Somebody needs to send this man some roses!

Somebody needs to send this man some roses!

Can we organize this?
I'll gladly chip in $5.

Being serious.

Or at least something saying that his boldness and integrity has not gone unnoticed.

"... his boldness and integrity HAVE not gone unnoticed."

I am mortified. Sorry for the heinous grammar.

Spanish Justice Minister Fernando Lopez Aguilar canceled a speech he was scheduled to give in Saudi Arabia yesterday because the women journalists with him weren’t allowed to attend.

Soooo dreamy.

Would it have been worse if he had gone in but admonished the Saudis for their rampant sexism?

I'm with Tanya and A Human - it can't be THAT complicated to send roses to Spain! (I'll chip in, too.)

Alon -- No, that wouldn't have been "worse," it would also have been cool, but since what he DID do was excellent, why not admire him for it?

I'll chip in for flowers.

So why do the Saudi's give Condi Rice a pass and not require her to dress in full chador?

I saw a press image yesterday of her sitting with a Saudi prince and wearing a business suit (skirt).

Even our female military personnel have to follow Saudi custom and completely cover themselves when venturing off base.

What's the deal with Condi?

So why do the Saudi's give Condi Rice a pass and not require her to dress in full chador?

I saw a press image yesterday of her sitting with a Saudi prince and wearing a business suit (skirt).

Even our female military personnel have to follow Saudi custom and completely cover themselves when venturing off base.

What's the deal with Condi?

Just because a lawmaker protests a speaking engagement does not mean he is pro-woman. Spain still doesn't have legalized abortion-wonder what his views are on that before I'd start swooning.
However, it's good to see a politician voice their outrage at injust treatment of woman by protesting their engagements.Perhaps then it will encourage these middle eastern countries to be more conscientous about their cultural treatment of woman.

Spain has a health exception for abortion. It pretty much amounts to getting a note from your doctor, which apparently isn't that difficult. Portuguese women have been crossing the border to get abortions.

I'm not saying that the Spanish system is perfect, nothing short of abortion on demand is acceptable, but Spain is still lightyears ahead of most countries.

Spain's abortion law is apparently liberal enough for there to be official statistics about the number of abortions. Countries where abortion is mostly illegal, like Portugal and Ireland and Poland, don't have such statistics.

GibletsFan, I'm not saying it wasn't admirable. I'm only pointing out it wasn't the sole acceptable course of action.

You're right not to endorse someone simply because of this action, rugbywoman. However, before I commented, I looked him up and looked at his track record and was pretty impressed.

He also stood beside many activists when Spain legalized gay marriage. I find him pretty impressive.

at least something saying that his boldness and integrity has not gone unnoticed.free online games