Driving in Saudi
Michael Buchanan writes:
"Last Sunday the Saudi king, Abdullah, opened what is believed to be the largest women's university in the world. It can take 50,000 students, has more than 20 academic schools, a large hospital and 2 mosques. It also has a 19 km railway track to get around the campus, because women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.
Najla Hariri has had enough of that. For the past few days she has been driving around the city of Jeddah in broad daylight. She says she's not scared and that her family, including her husband, are very proud of her. She's at the vanguard of several calls for reform from across Saudi Arabia, most of which are likely to be resisted by the country powerful and vocal religious leaders."
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Comment number 1.
At 18th May 2011, Big Sister wrote:I hope that her actions will soon be emulated by many other women in Saudi. It is preposterous that women should be the subject of prohibitions of this kind. I salute Najla Hariri.
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Comment number 2.
At 18th May 2011, Nidnight wrote:What a brave lady! I hope she is allowed to continue and that many more join her.
As an ex-pat worker in Saudi, I found the restrictions forced upon women (these are cultural, nothing to do with religion) to be both demeaning and insulting. Such restrictions are not part of the world in 21st century. She has all of my support.
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Comment number 3.
At 18th May 2011, Lady_Sue wrote:I would like to add my support and echo the comments made above.
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Comment number 4.
At 19th May 2011, The Stainless Steel Cat wrote:A kind of automobile Rosa Parks. Good luck to her.
Having said that, as a non-driver, I'd love a dedicated railway to get round my University campus!
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Comment number 5.
At 19th May 2011, Fearless Fred wrote:It was a very interesting piece. Especially interesting was the comment that this wasn't actually against "the law". I may be wrong on this, as I'm going by memories of newspaper articles over the years, but I believe that a lot of the "rules" that govern what people are and aren't allowed to do in Saudi Arabia are decided on and enforced by a self appointed "moral police" that take their guidance from religious leaders rather than the government.
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Comment number 6.
At 24th May 2011, Fifi wrote:I echo the sentiments above. When my Other Arf worked as an expat in Saudi for 2 years, people here kept asking why I didn't go with him. Well, I had considered it - for about three minutes. I would have had to:
* become married to him, contrary to our wishes
* cover my arms, legs and hair whenever outside our home
* only travel by car, with Other Arf as the driver (my Dad being in the UK of course)
* put up with these and all the other ridiculous (to my modern mind) rules.
Having grown up taking gender equality as a right (if not always a strictly observed one) I would not have lasted five minutes in Saudi. I'd have been lucky just to be deported.
Hats and scarves off to Najla Hariri. I hope she's not putting herself at risk...
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Comment number 7.
At 1st Jun 2011, jo wrote:She's very, very brave but the world is changed by brave people like her!
I would never go to Saudi Arabia - why would I voluntarily give up my human rights like that?
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Comment number 8.
At 1st Jun 2011, Big Sister wrote:How sad to hear that she has now felt coerced to give up driving. And how odd to think that there is, in this day and age, even one country where this could happen.
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