Scholars Frustrate Extremists on Women Driving Issue
Saad Al-Matrafi, Arab NewsJEDDAH, 31 May 2005 — A number of extremists have expressed their frustration at the reaction of some scholars to the matter of women driving which was ruled out at the Shoura Council Session last week.
The reaction of the scholars, which frustrated their followers, was of two kinds. Some of the scholars, such as Naser Al-Omar and Safar Al-Hawali, kept quiet and did not comment on the issue. Others, such as Salman Al-Oudah and Abdul Mohsin Al-Obaikan, said there were no religious objections to women driving but that the community was not yet ready for it. The scholars agreed that if women were allowed to drive at present, it might lead to situations which would result in behavior which violated religious laws.
The question of Saudi women’s driving is not a dead issue. This article from the Arab News suggests that there’s a lot of in-fighting going on in the country, with those who interpret their religion narrowly having to put up a rear guard action. They’re being challenged by religious scholars of equal merit.
Do read the whole article; it’s fascinating!
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