Saudi Stride

After Bob Woodward, Saudi Arabia could use some good press this week. Depending on how you look at it, the story about Rania al-Baz, the Saudi television host who came forward as a victim of domestic violence, could be the ticket. The Associated Press reported this week that after al-Baz suffered 13 facial fractures as a result of a beating by her husband, she immediately went public with the photos “so that other battered women would be encouraged to speak up.” Despite the Kingdom’s conservative reputation, the Saudi public seems to have been supportive of al-Baz’s decision. A Saudi princess even offered to pay her medical bills. Let’s hope this progressive slant persists.