Do We Need a Referee?
Abeer Mishkhas, abeermishkhas@arabnews.comSCHOLARS, academics, imams — 118 of them — signed a petition opposing women driving, saying that in these times “westernized†voices are asking loudly for women to drive. The petitioners listed several points that to them seemed the main objections against women driving.
This is not the first petition concerning women driving. Last month another petition was presented to the human rights body asking for women to drive, and according to Al-Majallah magazine another petition was submitted to the same body asking for exactly the opposite. The debate is hot; each side is trying to show the advantages and disadvantages to support their arguments.
The interesting thing in the petition against women driving, referred to by Al-Majallah, was that the petitioners quoted a study of “unknown†source saying that in the UK 40 percent of women drivers suffer from psychological problems emanating from stress. It also added that a “big†number of these women die below the age of 40. Talk about concocted studies.
This is a great article! Abeer Mishkhas takes to task the mental midgits who came up with a list of the most preposterous reasons why women shouldn’t drive in the KSA. She does a “fisking” of her own on such drivel as “Women shouldn’t drive because they’d want to stay in fashion and buy new cars too often.” Read the whole piece for a good laugh.
Read down in her piece, too, for a notice of the impact that the new Harry Potter book is having. A few years ago, the Harry Potter series was banned in the kingdom. Something’s clearly changed for the better!
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August:02:2005 - 04:12
Okay, don’t show Abeer my comments. Funny comments she wrote, granted, however I will give you my analysis of years not driving in Q8 Vs. driving in Q8.
Rather than list the scholars opinions, let me list the reality of women driving in the M.E.
Many of my comments can go for the men, too.
1. As for danger, third world drivers top my list. Furthurmore, drivers are hardly maharem or bodyguards and can be paid $5 to hush what they see.
2. Sadly, and dangerously, there are no driving programs implemented in any of the schools. This should be priority. One year of learning laws, then time for hands on experience.
3. Niqabs are not an issue. I drove with mine, as others do. You have complete peripheal vision. We need “eyes” to drive. Only issue here on niqabs is security, so you will get ticketed.
4. Implement laws on driving with mobiles, which sorry to say is the most dangerous thing women habitually do here. I’ve almost been killed due to the multi tasking of women. Men do it too, women more.
5. Despite western views which should not be the topic, we now have teen boys and girls using cars as “passing numbers” and “flirting” time, and almost cause accidents hourly. Due to segragation (which is more prevalent in Saudi) this is their way of meeting, and causing major insanity on the road.
I have no problem with women driving, but I won’t judge this topic on what works in the West. It simply is not the same here. First step first. Drivers Education for all before putting the other half of the population on the road. After finally being able to drive here, I gave up due to stress! Ditto for many of my female friends.