Activists on Friday urged women to get behind the wheel for Sunday’s first anniversary of the Women2Drive campaign, which resulted in the arrest of people defying Saudi Arabia’s ban on women drivers.
“The key to ending the ban imposed on women driving in Saudi Arabia starts with women themselves,” said a statement from the Women2Drive initiative, received by AFP.
It urged “women who hold driving licences [from abroad] to drive on the anniversary day, June 17, and document their acts.”
Islam is the right religion and the only way to God.
While visiting a manufacturer/Supplier in the USA I met a Brit guy who at the time was on contract in Saudi Arabia. Comical as it may seem,he told me, women have very little rights there,if a father dies, his eldest son has the right to own and drive the family car , regardless of age.Its not uncommon to see a 8 or 10 year old boy driving a big sedan, and if he gets involved in an accident with a foreigner, the foreigner is always deemed wrong- period. But a common sight he said , is seeing a husband with an Air conditioned double cab pick-up truck going to the market across the hot desert. The wives sit in the open back of the pick-up exposed to the elements, while his precious cargo of goats enjoy the comfort of the air-conditioned cab. Hard to believe eh ?
The last part of your comment is a lie, a lie, a lie…I have lived in Saudi Arabia for many years and I have never seen women at the back of any pickup get your facts straight.
All I can say is that if this was non oil producing countries, the West would have clamped down on them already talking about democratic rights.
But it is amazing how governments can turn a blind eye to democratic human rights when oil is involved huh?
I can understand the religious leaders of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enforcing the moral laws of their land, buti can’t understand how women drivers would destroy the morals of the land.Why do these men(religious leaders) think it is ok for them to go to las vegas and gamble away the peoples wealth and engage in all types of nastiness including prostitution,but would deny their women the right to drive a vehicle? Ma sa copan sa.
This ban on women to drive is foolishness, I am a student pursuing my degree in Islamic Studies and this is simply nonsense.
This is nothing to do with Islam. In the time of the prophet women rode horses so that is an issue with these foolish arabs, not Islam
When you live in Saudi Arabia you will understand, don’t Judge the Judgement and don’t be racist, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was also Arab….Saudi Arabia is under attack by those trying to destroy the values of the Society ( don’t be one of them ).
How could disagreeing with an action be racist? Even if our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was an arab this was not the intent of Islam.
Yes we know that the west has an agenda however, this case where women cannot drive is not from Islam, as I mentioned above women could ride horses. When something doesn’t comply with Islam especially when it contradicts Islam then this thing needs to be placed in the dustbin.
Salam Alaikum, praise be to Allah. You are a sensible muslim. One love brother.
It’s appalling the way women are being treated in the middle east. About a month ago I met an American woman at my job who lives in Saudi Arabia. I was startled when she told me she’d been living there for 12 yrs. Her husband and herself had moved to take a high paying job and so she had no choice. She said she’s allowed to go to the streets without her head being covered, however when she goes out into the city itself she has to cover her entire body hair ofcourse and when her husband is working she’s not allowed to go to the city since it’s far and women are’nt allowed to drive. She said it’s nice living there but women have practically no rights.They are not allowed to vote or keep jobs in high positions. Most of the women primary jobs are domestic in the homes caring for their family. These women are slaves to Saudi men.
You want Islamic countries to become like the west where women are loose without morals; before they are 10 their honor is gone? You need to be informed about Islam and it’s outlook on family life. A housewife is a very esteem position given by God. What is better than feeding, clothing and educating your own children? Why run after the material world? Don’t you recognize the main reason for juvenile deliquency, the lack of bonding with the parents of the children is one major factor.
And yes, women do hold high positions there such as lecturers, university professors, gynacologists, doctors etc, thus you are lying to the bloggers here. What is practiced is segregation of the sexes, free mixing is not allowed in Islamic societies between strange men and women, this is where fornication and adultery begins in the first place. Islam is about prevention for it is really better than cure.
What in the world should prohibit a woman from being able to drive? Are they more visually impaired on the road than men are? Are they more reckless or careless? They hold international drivers licences…So why in the world can’t these women drive a car in their own damn countries?
u all to like to pla in other countries laws and not think of the reactions internationally it will cause u askign foreign women to jeopadise there standing and safety in a foreign country to openly break the countries laws i would arrest u on the charge of inciting public disorder
Nice comment…1 million thumbs up!!!
Over the last few weeks, we were debating in Dominica the “right to be gay,” In Saudi Arabia, this is a death sentence. Now, Saudi women are fighting for “the right to drive” in the 21 century. When you read these things- you could see why our taunts us that “Dominica is too free.” Inasmuch as I respect people’s religious beliefs and practices – this is just ludicrous and silly. Saudi Arabian men in a matriarchal society think too much about themselves and appear to have ascribed privileges on men that our creator did not intend. Please, get down from that man-made, ultra-conservative, self-righteous pedestal. Let the women drive their cars. Don’t you agree “Always – Muslim”
you mean a patriarchal society
Sorry, of course a patriarchal society with a male dominated chauvinistic disposition
how about not getting married…so these men wont get sex…..isn’t this a better strategy…..in a couple of years the young men would protest with the women for their rights
I wouldn’t try it if I were you, To my understanding in that country if the man rape you he can take you for his wife…