Was This Saudi Woman Really Murdered by Her Husband for Taking an Uber Ride?

In the wake of a recent murder in Saudi Arabia in which a woman was reportedly killed by her husband in Abha to the southwest of the kingdom, online activists took to Twitter using the hashtag #قتل_فتاه_ابها (Killing of Abha Girl) posting details about her being killed after allegedly taking an Uber ride her husband didn't know about.

Accounts that the woman was killed over a car ride using a car-hailing app hasn't been verified by police but locals in the area are reporting it as a motive.

Translation: "It happened yesterday in Sultan City because the wife was in an Uber car. As soon as the husband saw her, he stabbed her in the head while the driver ran away scared of what he saw. The husband has been arrested but the wife passed away may she rest in peace. Now we should expect his release in a few years claiming he's mentally unstable. I only hope they don't have kids because they'll be poor victims."

While official authorities have yet to confirm the car-hailing details of the incident, police have briefed the public that an investigation was launched into the crime.

Translation: "Asir police are investigating a murder in which a woman was killed by her husband in Abha: Asir province authorities are investigating a murder that took place on Friday evening, where a woman was stabbed to death by her husband. Sources confirmed that a local citizen has stabbed his wife who lost her life in Abha city."

As the story began trending on social media, different details and version of the story began circulating.

Translation: "It happened by Al Mahalah village not in Sultan City. I saw the whole thing with my own eyes."

Saudi online users were outraged by the details of the murder, saying that it's not the first crime in which a male family member attacks and kills a woman for arbitrary reasons, calling on the government to issue stricter laws to protect women's lives in the conservative kingdom.

Translation: "May God help girls in the southern area, they live miserable lives especially in villages. Don't you dare call me a liar because I was a teacher there and my students always told me about their controlling brothers."

Translation: "Is this a true story or is it a horror movie?"

Some people pointed out that the reason for the killing is not significant, highlighting that a woman should never be killed regardless of what she could have done. This came in response to comments that tried to justify the murder, claiming that the husband must have killed her because she didn't ask for his permission to call for a car.

Certain reactions were directed at the murder victim, suggesting women ought to take greater precautions. 

Translation: "Every woman should tell her brother or husband before she takes an Uber, because any man will burst in anger seeing his wife or sister with a strange man. She should tell them so these things don't happen. May she rest in peace."

While justifications of the crime included that domestic violence "happens all over the world" and that "whoever commits a similar crime must undergo psychotherapy", activists who posted details of the crime received backlash over "having hidden agendas" and were accused of being "feminists who want to destroy the reputation of Saudi Arabia."

Translation: "Why are you tweeting this in English? Are you provoking western countries against Saudi Arabia?