Madeha al-Ajroush
{{Short description|Saudi Arabian activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Madeha al-Ajroush
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| birth_place = Saudi Arabia
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| occupation = Psychotherapist, photographer, women's rights activist
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| website = {{url|madehaalajroush.com}}
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Madeha al-Ajroush ({{Langx|ar|مديحة العجروش}}) is a Saudi Arabian women's rights activist, psychologist and photographer. She was detained by Saudi authorities in May 2018 along with Loujain al-Hathloul and five other activists.
Women's rights activism
In 1990, al-Ajroush took part in the first protests by Saudi women against the ban on women driving.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-harsh-saudi-crackdown-famous-feminists-are-branded-as-traitors/2018/05/19/b3bc3502-5b63-11e8-9889-07bcc1327f4b_story.html|title=In harsh Saudi crackdown, famous feminists are branded as 'traitors'|last1=Fahim|first1=Kareem|date=2018-05-19|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-05-20|last2=Morris|first2=Loveday|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}} As a result of these actions, al-Ajroush was detained and lost her job and passport.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/08/saudi-arabia-women-driving-international-womens-day|title=This year let's celebrate … the Saudi women's driving campaign {{!}} Eman Al Nafjan|last=Nafjan|first=Eman Al|date=2012-03-08|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-05-20}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-women-driving-rights-ban-latest-campaigners-detained-traitors-a8359171.html|title=Saudi women driving campaigners detained and branded traitors|date=2018-05-19|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en-GB}} With the first Gulf War taking place in neighbouring Kuwait, "Seeing female U.S. soldiers stationed in Saudi Arabia driving gave the women the push they needed to act".{{Cite journal|title=Body: Female: Gulf and Saudi Arabia|doi = 10.1163/1872-5309_ewic_ewiccom_0159b}} As an additional punishment for this action, photographic negatives created by al-Ajroush over 15 years were burned by Saudi authorities.{{Cite news|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180424/p2a/00m/0na/019000c|title=From women taking the wheel to the arrival of cinemas, Saudi Arabia is changing|date=2018-04-24|work=Mainichi Daily News|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en}}
In 2013, al-Ajroush told The Telegraph, '"Back in 1990 I was absolutely terrified... And there was no social media to highlight what we were doing and protect us."'{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/10404747/Saudi-women-prepare-for-driving-protest.html|title=Saudi women prepare for driving protest|last=Alexander|first=Harriet|journal=The Daily Telegraph |date=2013-10-25|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}
Around 15–18 May 2018, she was detained by Saudi authorities, along with Loujain al-Hathloul, Iman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Yousef, Aisha al-Mana and two men involved in women's rights campaigning.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/saudi-arabia-arrests-women-rights-activists-180519075533018.html|title=Saudi Arabia 'arrests women's rights activists'|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2018-05-20}}[https://tribune.com.pk/story/1714687/9-saudi-government-detains-seven-womens-rights-activists/ Saudi government detains seven women's rights activists], May 20, 2018[https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/20/middleeast/saudi-women-arrests---intl/index.html Saudi Arabia arrests female activists weeks before lifting of driving ban], By Sarah El Sirgany and Hilary Clarke, May 21, 2018, CNN Human Rights Watch interpreted the purpose of the arrests as frightening "anyone expressing skepticism about the crown prince's rights agenda".{{Cite news|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/18/saudi-arabia-womens-rights-advocates-arrested|title=Saudi Arabia: Women's Rights Advocates Arrested|date=2018-05-18|work=Human Rights Watch|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en}} Saudi authorities accused the arrested activists of having "suspicious contact with foreign parties", providing financial support to "hostile elements abroad" and recruiting government workers.{{Cite news|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/politics-economics/396889-saudis-detain-womens-advocates-ahead-of-driving-ban-lift|title=Saudis detain women's advocates ahead of driving ban lift|work=ArabianBusiness.com|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en}}
According to The Independent, the arrests came "just six weeks before Saudi Arabia is due to lift the world’s only ban on women driving."{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-women-driving-rights-ban-latest-campaigners-detained-traitors-a8359171.html|title=Saudi women driving campaigners detained and branded traitors|date=2018-05-19|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en-GB}}
Madeha al-Ajroush and Aisha al-Mana were released after a few days, while the others remained under arrest.[https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saudi-releases-70-year-sweep-womens-activists-55403588 Saudi Arabia releases 3 women as other activists still held], May 24, 2018 ABC news
References
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{{Portalbar|Biography|Feminism|Saudi Arabia}}
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:People of the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests
Category:Saudi Arabian dissidents
Category:Saudi Arabian feminists
Category:Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
Category:Saudi Arabian women's rights activists
Category:Saudi Arabian women activists