In 2011, Saudi Arabian woman Manal al-Sharif made headlines around the world when she posted a video of herself driving on YouTube. Today, the Saudi Arabian government announced that it would allow women to drive in June 2018. Today on Mia Freedman’s podcast No Filter, Manal speaks about her decision to challenge the country she grew up in. Below is an edited extract from her 2017 book, Daring to Drive…
Inside Saudi Arabia, there had never been complete unanimity on the subject of women and driving.
The Saudi royal family and government officials have argued that Saudi society, not the government, should decide whether it is right for women to drive. After the 1990 protest, the Ministry of the Interior did issue a statement (although not a specific traffic rule) that “driving while female was illegal and subject to a fine.” (The Ministry of the Interior is also not a legislative entity, and a driving ban should technically be issued by a legislative body.)
That statement was based on the religious fatwa issued by Grand Mufti Bin Baz immediately after the November 6 protest, in which he called these women morally corrupt and underscored that it was haram for women to drive. But online I found other “grand Islamic scholars,” colleagues of Bin Baz, who questioned the decision to issue a fatwa against driving. One scholar, Al Albani, even suggested that in Muhammad’s (PBUH) time women could ride a donkey, so why not a car? Cars provided more protection for women. I was not the only Saudi woman growing desperate to drive. Only days after my humiliating walk along the side of the road, a friend invited me to join a Facebook event called “We are driving May 17th.”
Top Comments
So they will still be required to cover their face and they will be driving. Great for the peripheral vision.
Driving (as a passenger) in .riyadh was one of the most horrifying experiences of my life. My driver, had two speeds. 100kmh and Stop. I doubt the women, even with their eyes closed could do any worse.
"The most feminist religion", was Yassmin's description...
You forgot "to me". It's her personal belief.
And she's probably right, at least regarding the Abrahamic religions. Historically, women were granted more rights under Islam than Judaism or Christianity.
Mind you, most religions have a pretty appalling record for women badly, and I won't be sorry when they all die out.