Good for you Michelle. Respect is a 2 way street and the subjugation of women is both infantile & ignorant.

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[h=1]Michelle Obama shrugs off media storm over her bare-headed visit to Saudi Arabia - after she was pictured glaring at officials when some refused to shake her hand[/h]

• Pair looked tired as they stepped off Air Force One - the president smiled and waved, but Mrs Obama held his hand and kept her eyes down
• The president and Mrs Obama cut short their trip to India to pay their respects to the Saudi Arabian royal family on the death of King Abdullah
• First Lady looked unhappy during visit to Riyadh to meet new King Salman
• During a meet and greet many Saudi dignitaries refused to shake her hand
• Mrs Obama wore conservative outfit during five-hour visit, but not a head scarf
• Both Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush did not wear headscarves during visits to Saudi Arabia

The Obamas landed back in Washington DC in the early morning hours of Wednesday after spending just a few hours in Saudi Arabia.
The pair appeared tired from the international flight as they stepped off Air Force One - the president smiled and waved to the waiting press, but Mrs Obama kept her eyes down.
As they walked towards the White House at 3:30am, Mr Obama held his wife's hand in a supportive gesture after she spent the previous day in Saudi Arabia, where dozens of Saudi officials refused to shake her hand.

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Mr and Mrs Obama landed back in Washington DC in the early morning hours of Wednesday after spending just a few hours in Saudi Arabia

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The pair appeared tired from the international flight as they stepped off Air Force One - the president smiled and waved to the waiting press, but Mrs Obama kept her eyes down

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Obama salutes as he steps off the plane following a three-day visit to India and Saudi Arabia

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As they walked towards the White House at 3:30am, Mr Obama held his wife's hand in a supportive gesture after she spent the previous day in Saudi Arabia, where dozens of Saudi officials refused to shake her hand

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Passed over: Mrs Obama glared as a Saudi delegate passed her by and refused to shake her hand after greeting her husband

 

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Their three-day trip to India had been cut short to pay respects to the Saudi royal family on the death of King Abdullah.
The First Lady was criticized by Twitter users in the ultraconservative desert kingdom for not wearing a headscarf during her trip to region where women have few rights alongside a record of human rights abuses and links to terrorism.


The 51-year-old did change from a floral dress to a more conservative long-sleeved jacket and slacks on the plane journey, but according to the Washington Post, this did not stop more than 1,500 tweets written using the hashtag, 'Michelle_Obama_unveiled' criticizing the first lady.

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Although she did change from floral dress for a more conservative long-sleeved jacket and slacks on the plane journey, this did not stop more than 1,500 tweets (such as the one pictured) using the hashtag 'Michelle_Obama_unveiled' which were sent criticizing the first lady

 

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But one topic significantly overtook Mrs Obama's wardrobe - many social media users in Saudi Arabia were delighted that their new king left the president to go and pray.
'King Salman leaves Obama to pray' attracted more than 170,000 messages, according to the BBC.
'This is the man who left the leader of the most important country in the world to pray,' a Saudi tweeted.
Mr Obama is seen on the red carpet watching a parade when a man is seen approaching the president.
Mr Obama puts out his hand to shake the man's hand, but he simply turns and tells King Salman it is time for prayers and they walk away, leaving the president to turn back awkwardly to the parade.
Under the kingdom's strict dress code for women, Saudi females are required to wear a headscarf and loose, black robes in public.
Most women in Saudi Arabia cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab.
But covering one's head is not required for foreigners, and some Western women choose to forego the headscarf while in Saudi Arabia.

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One topic significantly overtook Mrs Obama's wardrobe - many social media users in Saudi Arabia were delighted that their new king left the president at a parade to go and pray

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In a video which has been watched by over a million people online, a man is seen approaching the president. Obama puts out his hand to shake it, but the man turns and tells King Salman it is time for prayers





Mrs Obama's outfit is likely to have been carefully considered - she has worn covered her head when visiting the Pope and when she went to a temple in Jakarta.
Anita McBride, former chief of staff for Laura Bush, told CBS: 'It really is not required for Western women to wear a headscarf when they are in a Muslim country. They could do it as a sign of respect, but it is not a requirement.
'I did not make anything of that. Having traveled to Saudi Arabia several times myself and with Mrs Bush. the only time she put a headscarf on was when it was given to her as a gift by a group of breast cancer survivors who made it for her.'
'There is a lot of thought that goes into packing for a foreign trip. The wardrobe memo was a key part of our planning because yo are sensitive to the culture you are going to, to the climate that going to and what some of the norms are.
'She wore loose fitting clothes and she was covered and that was very appropriate.'
In pictures at the airport and Egra Palace, Mrs Obama pursed her lips and glared as she stood her husband.

 

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Not-so-happy in Saudi Arabia? First Lady Michelle Obama didn't look too thrilled to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a country with virtually no women's rights

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Supporting her husband: Mrs Obama pursed her lips and wore a tired expression as she greeted Saudi dignitaries at the airport and Egra Palace

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Letting her hair down: Mrs Obama did not wear a headscarf on Tuesday, though Saudi women are required not to let any of their hair show in public. Western women who visit the country do not need to cover their hair, but conservative dress like the outfit sported by the First Lady is necessary

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Dreaming of the Taj Mahal: Mrs Obama and her husband cut short their India trip - including a planned visit to the Taj Mahal - to lead a delegation of American dignitaties to pay respects to the Saudi royal family on the death of King Abdullah

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Women's rights record: Just last year, King Abdullah was publicly criticized by one of his own daughters who said she and her female relatives were practically held 'hostage' in their palace for a decade due to strict restrictions for women. Mrs Obama with her husband and King Salman (right)

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Outfit change: When the president and Mrs Obama left India on Tuesday, she was dressed in a floral dress. Though her husband wore the same suit and polka-dot tie when they landed in Saudi Arabia, Mrs Obama had changed into a long-sleeve coat and slacks to cover up in the conservative Muslim country. She smiled broadly for the photo opportunity

 

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While the oil-rich Saudis are America's biggest Arab ally, the relationship has come under increased scrutiny over the conservative Muslim country's questionable human rights record - including their treatment of women.
In addition to not being able to drive, Saudi women must always have a male chaperone when going out in public, they can't try on clothes while shopping or open a bank account without their husband's permission.
And despite most Saudi women being educated, they make up just a sliver of the work force.

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Life as a woman in Saudi Arabia: Other restrictions placed on women include not being able to go out in public without a male escort, open a bank account without their husband's permission or try on clothes while shopping. Mrs Obama stands between her husband and King Salman on Tuesday

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A closer look at her face. Following King Abdullah's death, President Obama and other Western leaders praised him for leading 'reform efforts'

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Mrs Obama is passed by as her husband greets diplomats on their brief trip to the ultraconservative desert kingdom

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Mrs Obama a respected lawyer, looks on as the diplomats greet her husband and ignore her

 

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Mrs Obama got a taste of the patriarchy when she stepped out of Air Force One in Riyadh on Tuesday and was greeted by the new King Salman and an all-male group of delegates.
When the group lined up to greet the president and his wife, some of the Saudis shook the First Lady's hand while others just nodded their head.
Reporters who were travelling with the president and First Lady told ABC News that Mrs Obama bowed to cultural differences and stood slightly behind her husband during the greeting line.
If one of the men would offer to shake her hand, the First Lady would oblige but mostly stood back and smiled while they passed.

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Sidelined: Mrs Obama appears left out of the conversation in this picture of the First Lady and president visiting Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

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All by her lonesome: The First Lady sat silently while King Salman's entourage courted her husband, looking at them speak from the corner of her eye

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Contact: Mrs Obama got a taste for the Saudi Arabian patriarchy when local dignitaries lined up to greet her husband. While some Saudis (like the one above) shook the First Lady's hand, others simply nodded and moved on

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On their terms: Reporters who traveled with the president and First Lady said she purposely stood back from her husband and waiting for the Saudi men to approach her first for a handshake. She mostly just stood and smiled as they passed though

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What's she thinking? The Princeton and Harvard educated First Lady kept her hands clasped in front of her

 

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The head scarf wasn't the only aspect of the First Lady's wardrobe to raise an alarm in Saudi Arabia.
Mrs Obama's bright blue jacket was a bit too bold compared to the more common all black head-to-toe dresses Saudi women wear in accordance with strict customs to conceal their bodies.
Mrs Obama wasn't the only American woman to visit King Salman on Tuesday, but dignitaries like former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Minority House Leader Nancy Pelosi received less attention in their monotone black outfits.
A video even started circling on YouTube, showing a Saudi state television station broadcast of the Obama trip with the First Lady blurred out.
However, the video is believed to have been edited by a third party, according to several Saudi users online who say the First Lady was not erased from the original broadcast.

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Some in the Muslim world criticized Mrs Obama for not wearing a headscarf in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, when she had previously covered her hair on trips to other Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia. The First Lady pictured above visiting a mosque in Jakarta in 2010

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Tagging along: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (left) and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (right) were two other women in the American delegation visiting Saudi Arabia, but attracted little attention in their neutral all-black outfits even though they too decided to forgo head scarfs

However, some Saudis jumped to defend Mrs Obama online, saying it was only a brief visit and that the First Lady should not be too highly criticized as the wife of a strong ally.
One woman appealed to her fellow Saudis on Twitter not to 'make Obama angry at us'.
Following the death of Abdullah, President Obama and other Western leaders praised the former king for his 'reform efforts'.
While he did institute a royal decree that will finally give women the right to vote in local elections this year, Abdullah was criticized by his own daughters for being anti-feminist.
Last year, Abdullah's daughter Princess Jawaher gave an interview to Channel 4 News saying she and her female relatives had been practically held 'hostage' in the palace of Jeddah for a decade due to the strict policies towards women in the country.

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When Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton visited Saudi Arabia in 1999, (pictured) Mrs Clinton did not cover her head, although she wore a conservative black outfit

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When Laura Bush visited in 2008 (pictured) with her then president husband George Bush, she did not cover her head either - although she wore a black suit. She was pictured wearing one on the trip, but only because it was a gift made by breast cancer survivors

'No one is allowed in or out. If he does that to his own children, how do you think the rest of the country is?' Princess Jawaher said.
While Saudi women have become increasingly outspoken on fighting for more rights, the end of Abdullah's reign does not exactly bring hope of change.
In a televised address shortly after his brother's death, King Salman promised to continue enforcing 'the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment'.
Ahead of his visit, President Obama explained the complicated U.S.-Saudi Arabian relationship.
'Sometimes we need to balance our need to speak to them about human rights issues with immediate concerns we have in terms of counterterrorism or dealing with regional stability,' Obama said in a CNN interview.
But others say that's not good enough. In an opinion piece for the Montreal Gazette, stand-up comic Eman El-Husseini wrote.
'As a Middle Eastern Westerner, I grew up knowing all too well that life isn't meant to be fair, but that shouldn't be acceptable. It is not right that members of half the world's population are not equals. It doesn't matter that we have it a lot better in the West as women than we would in the developing world. A lot better is still not equal, not just, not fair.'

 

[mplastered]

Good for her? Why? Ok, which of you guys, Libs or conservatives, would let anyone disrespect your wife?