The other day, the German Defense Minister, a woman, met in Saudi Arabia with their leaders, refusing to "cover herself" as insisted per Islamic law. Outrage and insult was broadcast throughout the Muslim world; what are your thoughts on this?

When in Rome......

I worked extensively in Saudi Arabia in the '90s. I only ever saw women at the ends of the trips, that is to say getting on and off aircraft, and they were mainly Western Women and they were well-covered up.

The lot of women in Saudi Arabia is a disgrace, they cannot drive, cannot vote, are unable to form their own friendships and whilst they have rights and protection (in theory) under Muslim law, their lifestyle is such that they often cannot avail themselves of the help and support that law provides.

I've given this situation great thought, but I continue to arrive at the same point:

There is no place in civilized society for the institutionalized subjugation of women. Period. Muslims insist foreigners adhere to their dress codes but refuse to acculturate to the standards of other nations when they are the foreigners themselves. This is hypocrisy.

Maybe the Saudis figure even meeting with a woman in an official capacity is concession enough, but yet the West's concession to the deplorable Saudi (or more to the point, Islamic doctrine of) misogyny goes on, virtually uncontested. I assert that if the oil that Saudis were conveniently blessed with under their desert (which westerners actually found for them) was non-existent, so would be any need for Western interest in any and all things Saudi Arabia.

What we see in this is the cohabitation of two toxic bedfellows: wealth and religion; which in no historical context has resulted in the betterment of human culture nor, particularly, the interests of women... Or, as Mr Hitchens so poignantly observed, religion "poisons everything". 

As you said yourself The Z, and I agree 100% 

There is no place in civilized society for the institutionalized subjugation of women. Period. Muslims insist foreigners adhere to their dress codes but refuse to acculturate to the standards of other nations when they are the foreigners themselves. This is hypocrisy.

I have found that I am getting more impatient and less tolerant  with what I consider to be "crap" as I get older.

Perhaps any Saudi who is somehow offended by the site of an "uncovered woman" should simply wear blinders to avoid being incensed thereby.

At any rate, as an official of a foreign state, I think the square yard that she occupies while in Saudi Arabia should be designated as German territory and she should have diplomatic immunity from Sharia law.

(And yes, I am aware of cultural anthropology.)

I don't like to Identify myself with anything other than my character but with this question I just can't ! So as a Muslim, I find Saudi Arabia an extremist country because of their religious practices, and I feel sorry for Saudi's women and anyone who dares to think differently there.

but what's really interesting is that they get away with everything they do! And this isn't even close to the most shocking or ridiculous thing I've heard about them. They're just sitting there ready to be insulted and outraged over every right humans possess.

P.S:On a second thought and forgetting about that country's treatment of women, maybe it would have been wiser if she had covered her hair, because if this is an objection to their ways, why have relations with them or visit their country when you know what's going on and what their laws are?

There is the saying the others have mentioned:  "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

However ... There is the higher standard of ensuring human decency and respect.  >  In other words, just because the "Romans" treat their women as property doesn't mean their guests should change their views of "women are human with the same rights as men".

Well it is interesting, considering how some Western nations want to ban women from wearing a hijab or niqab, and yet here we have the opposite situation in Saudi Arabia. It would be hypocritical to require women to remove their veil upon entering Europe but then refuse to don one when visiting Saudi Arabia. It's a fine line to tread between respecting another country's culture and selling out your own.

Well, many British people would like to air their concern about the way some Muslim women dress and are treated in Britain, but of course they'd be called racist if they did.

You'd think when in Rome would be a fair enough statement, but only if that also applied to Britain...but oh no apparently it does not. How on earth did we get here? How can it be ok for us to allow our British culture and identity to disappear, while allowing hate speech against British citizens and their freedoms by Islamic Extremists who want to install Sharia Law?

Muslims have already set up Sharia Law councils here in Britain, it is the only place some Muslim women can get a divorce because their marriage is not recognised by British law, yet few manage this and so end up staying in abusive marriages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhbkyCjIvuw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN3eKN-ybG8