Riyadh: Efforts to curb the growing number of Saudi women involved in Al Qaida have seen many roadblocks because of the traditional nature of Saudi society.
Reasons for this lie mainly with the difficulty of communication with women, according to experts and analysts.
Women in Saudi Arabia are able to hide and conceal more than men because of their clothing from head to toe. A woman can move easier than a man because of the respect for privacy that society grants them.
This has prompted Al Qaida to use this to their advantage.
Speaking to Gulf News, security experts and analysts say that Saudi authorities need to come up with new tactics to overcome these challenges to keep Al Qaida in check.
Women, because of social pressure, are more susceptible to recruitment.
"Suffering because of family pressure may be a factor for vengeance. Many women are trying to escape from reality," Dr. Muneef Al Shammari, a researcher in security affairs told Gulf News.
"Also, violence against women by the hands of their families could be a factor which pushes them to Al Qaida," he explained.
Extremism
Al Shammari said the woman may also find relief in religious extremism particularly in closed families who rarely allow their women to get involved in public life.
Government clampdown on Al Qaida and the successful foiling of several plots has motivated Al Qaida to further recruit women. Press reports recently published by the Saudi media show that the role of women in Al Qaida was no longer auxiliary or just supportive — providing accommodation and food.
"A number of Saudi women have helped spread Al Qaida news through the internet. They have also smuggled arms and helped in suicide operations," the reports said.
Nasser Al Eraifi, who specialises in pyschology at King Fahd Security College, says that committees have been ineffective in advising women because of traditional barriers.
Al Eraifi said the committees wanted to operate inside the houses of the families of terrorists to educate them, but it wasn't possible because of the nature of the Saudi society.
