Abortion, homosexuality and separations are being debated In Nigeria and in Saudi Arabia too
Abortion, homosexuality and divorce are "hot topics" in the Arab world as well. Just a few days ago, it was announced that Saudi Arabia refuses to grant any rights to gay people. In a tweet, the Minister of the Interior said that the principles of human rights proposed by the international organizations are supported, provided that they are in accordance with Islamic law. The United Nations has exhorted Nigeria to make abortion more accessible for girls who have become pregnant in Boko Haram captivity. Since 2014, more than two thousand women in northeastern Nigeria have been kidnapped. There, abortion is legal only if the woman‘s life is at risk. Yet, the United Nations High Commissioner Ra‘ad Zeid Al Hussein said, "I strongly urge the most compassionate possible interpretation of the current regulations in Nigeria to include the risk of suicide and risks to mental health for women and young girls who have suffered such appalling cruelty." The Commissioner has also urged the authorities to help women and girls freed from Boko Haram enslavement, who often face stigmatization, to reintegrate into their communities. Finally, in Saudi Arabia, the number of marriages between Saudis and foreigners has dropped by 84%. According to data released by the Ministry of Justice, 700,000 Saudi women are married to foreign nationals, mostly from other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Since October, there have been only 1,928 marriages, a much smaller number than the nearly 12,000 contracted between Saudis and foreigners during the same period last year.