沙特阿拉伯国王阿卜杜拉星期二宣布该国修罗理事会第一位女性成员就职，并在指定机构建议下颁布新的法律维护这一制度，这一举动激怒了保守的神职人员。...
沙特阿拉伯国王阿卜杜拉星期二宣布该国修罗理事会第一位女性成员就职，并在指定机构建议下颁布新的法律维护这一制度，这一举动激怒了保守的神职人员。
阿卜杜拉，自十一月背部手术后不久，一直未曾出现在电视上，这次国家媒体报道了他在皇宫作的一个简短的演讲，他为新的议会成员宣誓就职。
这一举措反映出阿卜杜拉国王正在谨慎的推进沙特妇女在社会中的作用。
国王今年已经90岁，一直以来在密切关注着这个世界最大的石油出口国，因为这将是他最后提出的政策。
最近几个月，大部分的演说已经由他的继承人阿卜杜拉的嗣子，沙尔曼王储来代言了。国家媒体还登出沙尔曼代替国王作为主席出席每周的内阁会议。
“你们参加协商会议不是为了那些荣誉，而是那些被托付的责任，因为你们代表了社会的一部分，”他对新的女性议员这么说。
新的协商会议即那个有五分之一是女性。决定任命女性为议会主体的一部分，是在议会投票中决定的，2011年宣布了这个决定，但他们的名字只在上个月才公布。
修罗理事会将重塑其议会厅以严格确保的不同性别成员之间的隔离。
沙特阿拉伯的政府是由国王完全任命的，国王同时兼任总理。全国唯一的在选举上拥有市议会半数席位，以及其他一些权力。
妇女也都有选举权和被选举权，阿卜杜拉2011年的时候说到。
决定任命女性为理事会议员的举措，一月份的时候，引起了数十名保守派牧师在皇家法院外抗议。
他们不满这项举措，以及其他旨在使女性工作得更轻松，违背伊斯兰教法的改革措施。
在极端保守的沙特王国，妇女禁止开车，需要一个男“监护人”的同意才能工作，出国旅行或开一个银行账户。
Saudi king swears in first womenon Shura Council
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Tuesday swore inthe country's first female members of the Shura Council.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Tuesday swore inthe country's first female members of the Shura Council, an appointed body thatadvises on new laws, in a move that has riled conservative clerics in theIslamic monarchy.
Abdullah, who has not been seen on television sinceshortly after a back operation in November, was shown on state media sitting ina palace chamber to give a short speech as he swore in the new council members.
King Abdullah is seen as having pushed to cautiouslyadvance the role of women in Saudi society.
The health of the king, who turns 90 this year, isclosely watched in the world's top oil exporter because he has the final say onpolicy.
Major speeches in recent months have been made onAbdullah's behalf by his heir, Crown Prince Salman. State media have alsolisted Salman as chairing the weekly cabinet sessions in place of the king.
"Your place in the Shura Council is not as thosewho have been honoured, but as those who have been charged with a duty, as yourepresent part of society," he said, addressing the new women members.
One fifth of the new Shura Council are women. Thedecision to appoint women to the body, which functions in place of an electedparliament, was announced in 2011 but their names were only made public lastmonth.
The Shura Council is remodelling parts of its chamberto ensure strict gender segregation between members.
Saudi Arabia's government is entirely appointedby the king, who is also prime minister. The country's only elections are forhalf the seats on municipal councils that have few powers.
Women will also have the right to vote and stand foroffice in the next municipal ballot, Abdullah said in 2011.
The decision to appoint women to the Shura Councilprompted a protest by dozens of conservative clerics outside the royal court inJanuary.
They complained that the move, and other reformsaimed at making it easier for women to work, went against sharia law.
In the ultra-conservative kingdom, women are bannedfrom driving and need the consent of a male "guardian" to work,travel abroad or open a bank account.
