Music video with veiled women poking fun at Saudi laws goes viral

A music video featuring skateboarding women has Saudi Arabia entranced. The song seems lighthearted, but its lyrics make a sharp point. “Hwages” — which roughly translates as “concerns” — is based on an older folk song, which features lyrics such as “may all men sink into oblivion.” The new video, however, takes the political message a step further. Perhaps the most obvious reference comes at the start of the video, when the women pile into the back of an SUV while a young boy takes the wheel. In Saudi Arabia, of course, women are largely prohibited from driving and are unable to obtain driving licenses. Although some women, especially members of Bedouin communities and those in the southern provinces, do drive anyway, the issue has become a touchstone for women's rights in the country.

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