It was a very telling mini-scandal, the faux-fury over Michelle Obama’s short visit to Saudi Arabia.
First there was the phony claim that Saudi television had blurred the first lady’s image in its transmission of the Obamas’ condolence call on the kingdom. Then came the kerfuffle over her outfit. Was she insensitive in not wearing a headscarf? Should she had worn black? Then, finally, we heard the questions about whether she committed an etiquette no-no when she shook hands with the new Saudi monarch, King Salman.
None of these accusations and claims amount to much on their own. But there is a reason, a very good reason, why social media turned its attention sharply toward Michelle Obama in Saudi Arabia.
The presence of an American first lady on Saudi territory embodies the intense unease that surrounds U.S. and Western relations with the Saudi kingdom. Saudi Arabians can be the most hospitable people in the world, and they are friends of the United States. But all is not well with the relationship.
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A condolence call was not the time for public criticism, and Michelle Obama’s presence in Riyadh was a meaningful sign that the United States believes women belong in the public sphere. The scandal was a sign of the frustration people feel with this ethical dilemma.
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