Saudi Women Drive To Protest Female Driver Ban
Jun 17th, 2011 | 6 responses
In World War II and post-war U.S. “women drivers” jokes were all the rage, a stereotypical joke form that has long since died. But in Saudia Arabia attitudes towards women drivers — and women driving — is no joke. And women there are doing something about it:
Women in Saudi Arabia have been openly driving cars in defiance of an official ban on female drivers in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
The direct action has been organised on social network sites, where women have been posting images and videos of themselves behind the wheel.
The Women2Drive Facebook page said the direct action would continue until a royal decree reversed the ban.
Last month, a woman was arrested after uploading a video of herself driving.
Manal al-Sherif was accused of “besmirching the kingdom’s reputation abroad and stirring up public opinion”, but was released after 10 days having promised not to drive again.
“All that we need is to run our errands without depending on drivers,” said one woman in the first film posted in the early hours of Friday morning.
The film showed the unnamed woman talking as she drove to a supermarket and parking.
“It is not out of love for driving or traffic or the experience. All this is about is that if I wanted to go to work, I can go. If I needed something I can go and get it.
“I think that society is ready to welcome us.”
Another protester said she drove around the streets of Riyadh for 45 minutes “to make a point”.
“I took it directly to the streets of the capital,” said Maha al-Qahtani, a computer specialist at the Ministry of Education.
Here’s an excellent CNN report on this story:
6 Responses to “Saudi Women Drive To Protest Female Driver Ban”
It’s nice that our closest Arab ally is one of the most oppressive governments on the planet.
The point is, it’s not about women drivers, but about women and the status of women in that society. Driving is just one example of the oppression or tyranny to be found where you set your watch back six hundred years.* Note that we support the Saudi government because the alternative there (as in Pakistan) almost surely would be worse to much worse.
* When leaving Saudi Arabia on an aircraft, the pilot told the passengers that they could now set their watches ahead by six hundred years. (The passengers broke out in applause to that.)
(from an account by someone who was there in the first Gulf war)
A Saudi women drivers’ story, also from the account I just referred to:
Note that when we were there for the first Gulf war, female as well as male military personnel expected to drive their vehicles. The Saudis objected. Calm negotiation with them (we were there to save their asses and they understood that, even if they resented our presence there) resulted in a solution for our military: Female military members were declared officially not women when operating military vehicles in uniform. That kept them out of trouble (and the Saudis’ faces somewhat saved, presumably).
@DLS
The Saudis were Arab trash even before OBL. Why don’t we send in cruise missiles to support the women protesters?
Real liberal Arab governments allowed the Grateful Dead play three nights at the foot of the Great Pyramid.
http://www.deadlists.com/default.asp?http://deadlists.com/deadlists/showresults.asp?KEY=6/28/95
Neither Israel or the Saudis allow their citizens to be corrupted by the Dead or Roaches(Beatles).
Rudi, you’re the one who thought that up, so why don’t you tell us why “we should go in”? (Recommending Obama be asked doesn’t count as an answer.)