"It's absurd for the U.S. military to back this kind of a policy at the same time we're putting lives on the line to liberate Afghan women from repression that's symbolized, in part, by these kinds of requirements," Grassley said.
The amendment sponsored by Sens. Bob Smith of New Hampshire, Maria Cantwell of Washington and Grassley prohibits the Department of Defense from requiring American servicewomen in Saudi Arabia to wear the abaya. It also forbids the expenditure of tax dollars for the garment and protects female service members from any sort of retaliation for not wearing the abaya garment.
The bipartisan measure was offered to the bill authorizing defense spending for the coming year. Senators voted 93 to 0 to pass the amendment.
Several years ago, the U.S. Central Command instituted a policy that requires service women in Saudi Arabia to wear an abaya while off the U.S. base. Facing mounting criticism in January, the Central Command modified the policy to say that wearing the abaya is "not mandatory but is strongly encouraged."
"This distinction falls flat both in theory and practice," Grassley said. "While it's reasonable to make some cultural accommodations for our host nations, we can't forget that our service men and women are also representatives of our free society. The State Department explicitly forbids its female officials in Saudi Arabia from wearing the abaya while on duty. The same example should be set by our military personnel in Saudi Arabia."
The abaya is a traditional religious garment worn by Saudi women. It's not unlike the Afghan burka. Saudi women can face beatings by religious police if they are not wearing this garment. The U.S. Central Command has justified its policy as a force-protection measure. Even so, the Saudi government does not require non-Muslim women to wear an abaya. Instead, Westerners are merely expected to wear conservative clothing, such as slacks and collared shirts for men and long skirts and long-sleeved blouses for women.