Asayel Slay, a female rapper from Saudi Arabia, released a music video last week called "Mecca Girl." Officials have ordered her arrest, according to CNN, and the prince of the nation has asked that Asayel and her production team be "investigated and punished."
In the video, Asayel celebrated being a woman from Mecca through rapping in Arabic and English.
She is depicted wearing a headscarf and sunglasses and dancing with backup dancers and children in a coffee shop. The song describes Mecca women as “powerful and beautiful.”
“Our respect to other girls but the Mecca girl is sugar candy,” she sings.
»RELATED: Saudi Arabia halts pilgrimage; Iran vice president has virus
The rapper’s original YouTube page has been taken down, but many have reposted the full clip.
"A Mecca girl is all you need
Don't upset her, she will hurt you.
With her, you can complete the Sunna [which means get married]
Your life with her will become Paradise." — Asayel Slay in "Mecca Girl"
The city of Mecca is significant, often considered the holiest city in Islam. Devout Muslims will journey to Mecca at least once in their lifetime in a pilgrimage of repentance and forgiveness called Hajj.
"Prince Khalid bin Faisal of Mecca has ordered the arrest of those responsible for the Bint Mecca rap song, which offends the customs and traditions of the people of Mecca and contradicts the identity and traditions of its esteemed population," officials said in a tweet, translated by Independent.
The video was released when the nation has recently taken political action to loosen restrictions on Saudi women.
Last December, restaurants lifted their gender segregation. In August, women were granted the right to own a passport and travel without a male guardian. Other important rights in recent years include the ability to drive and increased freedoms of choice in careers.
»MORE: Sun, sand, religious police: holidays in Saudi Arabia may be hard sell
The Independent interviewed Yahya Assiri, director of ALQST, a Saudi human rights organization, who claimed the arrest was counter to the government's progress.
“Reports that Saudi authorities have called for the arrest of those involved in the production of a video about Mecca shine a light on the contradictory approach that they have toward freedom of expression,” she said.
"While the Saudi authorities want to present an image of a country striving for reform, and have invested heavily in entertainment including by hosting music festivals and inviting world-famous musicians to perform, at the same time they continue to show a brazen disregard for the fundamental right to freedom of expression for those living inside the country." — Yahya Assiri
The orders for arrest have prompted a slew of tweets defending either Asayel or the Saudi Arabian government.
Some find the song offensive given the holiness of the city. Others draw attention to race, claiming that Asayel’s Eritrean origin means she isn’t truly a “Mecca Girl” after all.
"Who gave this foreigner the right to speak about Saudi Arabian women in general and specifically about girls of Mecca?" said one tweet, posted by The New York Post.
"Lol Makkah [Mecca] is where the house of Allah is. That whole area is sacred. Governed by shariah law. It's not meant for trashy songs and anything that is considered haram. It's really not that hard to keep it out of ur lil 'cute' songs." — tweet by @abdullah113438, translated by The New York Post
Supporters of the rap are calling out authorities on their double standards because the nation invited Nicki Minaj to perform in Saudi Arabia last year.
"This is so typical of the Saudi government to do – bring western influencers to artwash the regime but attack real Saudi women who try to artistically express their cultural identities." —tweet by Amani Al-Ahmadi via The New York Post
»MORE: Ivanka Trump lauds Saudi, UAE on women's rights reforms
About the Author
