Not what some of you are thinking. This is not going to be a sexist rant about women drivers. Actually, this is about women driving in Saudi Arabia. You see, women driving in Saudi Arabia is not allowed. It is actually illegal for women to drive a car in the Saudi kingdom.
I first heard about this law from my mother a few years back. Her boss is Lebanese. He and his wife are both devout Muslims. They do their prayers, observe Ramadan, she wears a hijab. They were thinking of moving to Saudi Arabia where he had a lucrative job lined up. Until his very independent and strong willed wife heard from her sister about the driving ban and she put an end to the moving to Saudi Arabia talk.
There is a movement in Saudi Arabia which is being overshadowed a bit by everything else going on in the Middle East. It is called Women2Drive and is a collection of women who defy the law in protest. As a supporter of freedom I congratulate them and wish them the best of luck in their cause.
Big changes can often have simple beginnings. The American Civil Rights movement was started by a simple church going woman who was too tired to move to the back of a bus. The Arab Spring was started by a simple street vendor who tried to stand up to police bullying. Who knows what these driving women can accomplish in a country that oppresses women more than almost any other.
Check it out:
Very interesting! good luck to the women in Saudi Arabia, although i hope they all take their driving lessons! (sorry i had to put that in, couldn't resist)
ReplyDeleteGlad the women in Saudi Arabia are taking a stand! Imo everyone should be allowed to drive, women or men!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear, always sad when some archaic cultural practice is still in use today :\
ReplyDeletesaw this on the news, good for them
ReplyDeletePretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteI hope these women will be ok. Saudi Arabia can be pretty brutal to people who stand out from the crowd.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to them, I can't imagine driving being illegal to me.
ReplyDeleteI wish them the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteHope to see how this resolves!
ReplyDeleteEveryone deserves the right to drive!
ReplyDeleteI got an urge..FIGHT THE POWER! lol had too..
ReplyDeleteWow. What kind of policy is that.
ReplyDeleteWe can't blame them if it's their culture right?
But for me, equality is still the best.
Followed!
Tradition and religion are 2 very strong forces and they are to be practiced as such
ReplyDeleteDon't understand em me, they need to be introduced to the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteThey deserve to drive cars, and vote, and to study. To make a life on their own
ReplyDeleteLove the video! great find!
ReplyDeleteman, i dont know how places like this still exist!
ReplyDeleteI think everyone deserves to drive.
ReplyDeleteNot to insult other cultures but I find this completely absurd.
ReplyDeleteRather degrading.. Good thing we don't live there :)
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