In reality, Saudi Arabia is a prison for its female population. Women may not travel outside their homes unless accompanied by a close male relative. They may not drive; they are subject to beatings by official religious police if they don't wear the abaya and veil; and they may not receive medical treatment without the permission of a male relative.
Their testimony in court is given only half the weight of a man's. Although women may study law and have recently been given licenses to practice law, they may not represent clients in court. Women may be divorced by their husbands without cause but must prove legally specified grounds if they wish to initiate a divorce. And, divorced women lose custody of their children when their sons turn 7 and their daughters turn 9.
Nor is life in Saudi Arabia much better for many of its male foreign workers. Saudis import much of their labor from poor countries in South Asia, and many workers endure slave-like conditions, forced to work long hours with little pay while their employers hold their passports so they cannot leave the country.
The abuse of the rape victim, known only as the "Girl of Qatif," should shame the Saudi government. But it will only do so if the Saudi Royal Family is forced by the civilized world to account for the brutal society the House of Saud has created and rules. President Bush missed his opportunity to do so publicly this week. But it is not too late to do so quietly but directly. The fate of the Girl of Qatif could well turn on the president's intervention.