King Abdullah, giving women the right to vote: "Balanced modernization, which falls within our Islamic values...."

"... is an important demand in an era where there is no place for defeatist or hesitant people."

The news today, from Saudi Arabia:

"We refuse to marginalize the role of women in Saudi society and in every aspect, within the rules of Sharia...

"Muslim women in our Islamic history have demonstrated positions that expressed correct opinions and advice," he said, citing examples from the era of Islam's Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century.

He said the members of Saudi Arabia's clerical council, or Ulema, praised and supported his decision.

It's all a matter of interpreting the text.