A trending hashtag in Saudi Arabia has claimed that "girls are the cesspit of humanity"

Another has encouraged men to look for second and third wives

The trends come as Saudi leadership is trying to project an image of liberalization and support for women's rights

However, the viral hashtags may be misleading, as most of the responses were critical

by Rosie Alfatlawi

In recent months, praise has been showered on Saudi Arabia for its “progressive” program of reforms, which has seen women appointed to top roles and allowed to drive for the first time.

Behind the western-appealing veneer of liberalization, however, what are attitudes towards women in the ultra-conservative kingdom really like?

Well, if one hashtag that has been trending over the weekend is to be believed, not great.

“Girls are the cesspit of humanity”, the Arabic tag asserted.

#البنات_مزبله_البشريه الا امي حبيبتي وكم بنت والباقي لمزبلة التاريخ وبقوه — يزن الرويلي (@U8Xll) October 19, 2017

#Girls_are_the_cesspit_of_humanity Except my dear mother and a few other girls, and the rest are really the landfill of history.

Women in Saudi Arabia continue to face considerable restrictions on their freedoms.

Despite a royal decree in May allowing women to access public services without a male relative’s permission, the guardianship system remains partly in place.

A woman wanting to travel abroad or get out of prison, for instance, is still forced to get her father, brother, husband or son’s permission.

This can have serious consequences: in April, Dina Ali Lasloom tried to escape to Australia, only to be returned to Saudi Arabia against her will, despite warning her family would kill her.

A strict dress policy is also applied, forcing Saudi women to wear hijab and abaya to cover their hair and bodies in public. Another young woman, Malak Al Shehri, was arrested after a photo of her walking in Riyadh wearing neither went viral in December.

Meanwhile, men are allowed to marry up to four women - and women only one man. This practice was extolled by a separate hashtag, “marry the second, think about the third,” trending on Saturday.

#تزوج_الثانيه_وفكر_بالثالثه

بما أني مأذون شرعي أرى إقبال واضح من الشباب بين 30الى40 سنة على التعدد وانا من المؤيدين لذلك، وأرى وعي من النساء — أبوفهد مأذون شرعي (@Al_shgaan) October 19, 2017

#marry_the_second_think_about_the_third Since I am legally allowed [in Islam], I see clear acceptance among young men between 30 and 40 years of age, and I am a supporter of that, and I see consciousness among women.

Another Saudi man, @_Aboosultan, tweeted: “Polygyny [a man marrying more than one woman] is a legitimate right in God's law. No living being has the right to object to it.”

But do the hashtags tell the whole story?

Certainly not. It was enthusiastic condemnation of the hashtag “girls are the cesspit of humanity” that caused it to gain traction.

Saudis criticized a “lack of culture” and praised women as “God’s greatest creations”, slamming the “disgusting” and “offensive” trend.

والله يا صاحب التاق انه انت المزبله

لولا البنات ما اكلنا عيش #البنات_مزبله_البشريه — #اسامه_السناني (@alsnanyasamt_) October 19, 2017

The person who made this hashtag is a cesspit. If not for girls, none of us would be alive.

#البنات_مزبله_البشريه كل ولد مغرد فالهاش ومتفق مع هالمقوله يقصد : كل بنات العالم مزبله البشريه الا امي واخواتي

من باقي دام كل واحد سحب اهله؟ — ٰ (@Ran_abdallah) October 19, 2017

Every boy commenting on this hashtag and agreeing with what is said means: All girls in the world are the dungheap of humanity, except my mother and my sisters. But who remains if everyone has taken out his family?

There were also many who spoke out against polygyny.

في مجتمعي :

يدافعون عن تعدد الزوجات

ويحاربون تعدد الاراء

عجبي !!#تزوج_الثانيه_وفكر_بالثالثه — .. (@27asys) October 19, 2017

In our society, they defend multiple wives and fight multiple opinions. #Marry_the_second_think_about_the_third

On Thursday, a hashtag even emerged suggesting that sex outside of marriage was “personal freedom”.

Relationships between men and women in Muslims societies are generally strongly prohibited before marriage.

The trend was a step too far for most in Saudi Arabia, with most decrying the moral fall of the planet and pointing to the depravity they claim has arisen from such a philosophy in the West.

So, what can be learned from this confusing array of hashtags?

First, that what is trending may not be what it seems on the surface. Controversial statements get the most input pushing them to viral status, but not necessarily representing any more than the opinion of an individual or small group.

It is also possible to see that highly conservative social and religious views, and the misogyny that go along with them, remain the norm in the Gulf state. That said, referring to women as the “cesspit of humanity” is not going to go down well anywhere.

In the end, the views of ordinary Saudis on social media are unlikely to have an impact on the situation for women. It is the opinions and decisions of those in power that we need to be worried about.