A group of women in Saudi Arabia is for the first time to lobby
the kingdom's government for the right to drive cars.
Members of the Committee of Demanders of Women's Right to Drive
Cars plan to deliver a petition to King Abdullah by Sunday, Saudi
Arabia's National Day.
Correspondents say the demand is likely to be rejected, as
conservatives argue if women are allowed to drive, they will be
able to mix freely with men.
The issue of women driving has recently become the subject of
public debate.
Two years ago, a member of the Consultative Council sparked a
heated debate when he pointed out there was nothing under Islamic
law or the constitution that justified the ban, and that the
council ought to discuss ways of lifting it.
Mohammed al-Zulfa's comments later prompted the Saudi interior
minister to dismiss calls for the ban to be lifted, saying the
country had other priorities.
'Social issue'
The current driving ban applies to all women in Saudi Arabia,
whatever their nationality.
It was originally unofficial, but became law after an incident in
1990, when 47 women challenged the authorities by taking their
families' cars out for a drive.
After strong criticism from the Saudi religious authorities, the
women were jailed for one day, their passports confiscated and many
lost their jobs.
A founding member of the Committee of Demanders of Women's Right to
Drive Cars, Fawzia al-Oyouni, said its electronic petition would
highlight what many Saudi men and women consider a "stolen
right".
"We would like to remind officials that this is, as many have said,
a social and not religious or political issue," she told the
Associated Press. "Since it's a social issue, we have the right to
lobby for it."
"This is a right that has been delayed for too long."
King Abdullah has in the past said that he thought a day would
eventually come when Saudi women were allowed drive.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7000499.stm
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Btw bear in mind that banning women from driving is a
cultural practice under the pretext of religion. There are other
Muslim majority countries where women are allowed to
drive
If we looked back in history, we will see clearly that these guys
who signed the statement are the same kind of people who opposed
King Faisal 30 years ago when he decided to start girls education
in the country. They are using the same language, and the same lame
excuses. What happened then? King Faisal said, we will open the
schools anyway, and if you dont want your daughters to study at
our schools then dont let them. King Faisal was a wise man. He
did not weaken to those people, and today, more than 55% of
students in Saudi universities are females."
