In a shocking report being shared online it is said that a panel of Saudi scientists recently concluded that "women are actually mamals, granting them the same rights as other mammal species such as camels, dromedaries and even goats". The scientist stopped short of awarding women full rights as they are supposedly still considered 'not human'. The report quotes a 'Jane Austin' of the 'Women's Liberation Action Network' who actually describes this as progress:
This is a great leap forward for women's rights in Saudi Arabia. It may seem too little, too late, but it is truly a milestone event for all women in the region. From now on, women will be considered as members of the mammal class, whereas before women shared the legal status of an object, similar to that of a home appliance.
The entire report is of course a hoax and the entire thing is not true. There is no 'Women's Liberation Action Network', and the news about the report was only published on World News Daily Report, a website specializing in publishing fake, made-up news in order to get clicks.
Ironically, the image that goes with the fake article is actually taken from a real report on Al Arabia about a panel discussion decrying "the embarrassing state of Arab science".
This particular fake article plays both on the stereotypical image of Saoudi Arabia as a country where women are considered second-class citizens while at the same time mocking feminists for being naive. It manages to offend just about everyone involved in the debate, which makes it the perfect clickbait.
Saudi Arabia: Panel of Scientists admits Women are Mammals, yet 'Not Human'
Riyadh | In an unprecedented ruling, a panel of Saudi scientists has concluded that women are actually mammals, granting them the same rights as other mammal species such as camels, dromedaries and even goats. The verdict, which fell just hours before the International Women's Day, is consider
When sharing the article online, the part that is visible looks convincing enough. The added reference to International Women's Day makes it complete. So we are not surprised many people shared the article without checking the source (or even caring about the veracity), as long as it confirmed their existing prejudices.
