Peculiar goings on with a story originally put out by Al-Arabiya TV regarding the Saudi Shoura Council’s decision to permit some Saudi women to drive. That story is no longer on Al-Arabiya’s website, but other news organizations, from Al-Quds Al-Arabi and Arabic CNN to Kuwait’s Al-Siyassa have all picked it up. It seems to be the same story, from the same Shoura Council source, who might be mistaken, or at least premature in his comments. The new law has yet to be passed by the Council, has not yet even been scheduled for debate.
This story, along with the January report in the British paper The Telegraph, suggest that something is happening on the issue.
In any event, what’s being reported (and thanks to commenter Saudi in the US for the links) is:
â–ª Women over the age of 30 will be permitted to drive
â–ª They will need permission from their male guardians
â–ª Hours to be limited to 7AM to 8PM on weekdays and noon to 8PM on weekends
â–ª Dress in conservative Islamic dress
â–ª Pass women driving school
â–ª Cell phone available at all times
The new law would also provide some protections for female drivers:
▪ Women driver’s hot-line to handle emergencies
â–ª Jail sentences for men who harass women drivers of up to 8 months
â–ª Women only get their license taken away if they violate the rules
This proposal is actually more liberal than what I had imagined it might be. I had expected that the age for women’s licenses would be—at least to start—over 45. I also suspected that it would be limited to women who needed cars to drive to jobs. The driving hours do sort of suggest a work-related restriction, but I doubt that that limit will work out in practice; it’s not as though things in Saudi Arabia stick to any really tight time table, after all. And I don’t think that sex only happens after 8pm, either, so the notional ‘protection’ of women’s virtue is not going to come from time limits only.
But a baby step is better than no step…
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March:18:2008 - 11:51
This proposal is actually more liberal than what I had imagined it might be.
On the surface, perhaps. I wonder what the rules for “women driving school” will be? Also, if “conservative dress” means a full hijab, how are police supposed to verify the photo on a license?
This “proposal” is fully deniable by the powers-that-be, yes? In the U.S. this is called a trial balloon.
March:18:2008 - 17:56
Solomon2,
Islamic dress allows women to have their face uncovered. In many parts of Saudi this is already acceptable.
I agree that this can be viewed as a trial balloon. Although, I do not believe that women should have any rules that place more restrictions on them than men, I do think the restrictions are required for a transitional stage. There is a big risk that if there is a large number of incidents of men and women mixing and/or women getting harassed on the roads, then the conservatives may find away to shut this down. The probability of those issues increase if younger women are allowed to drive. This is not perfect, but it allows for a period where the society can adjust and revisit the rules a few years later.
March:18:2008 - 18:57
I agree. Not to delve too much into Zeno’s Paradox, but you can’t get to where you’re going until you get halfway there first.
Transitions are useful, though they have their own dangers of being pulled back if there’s too much resistance.
March:21:2008 - 17:29
[...] BTW thanx to 7ijazi $P3ctaT0r for the link Shoura Council to Permit Saudi Women’s Driving? [...]
March:21:2008 - 17:45
http://www.mideastyouth.com/2008/03/21/shoura-council-to-permit-saudi-women%e2%80%99s-driving/
March:21:2008 - 18:47
[...] The blog entry below is more than sufficient to explain the details but I must say I am surprised that this has happened at all since it has been under discussion for at least the last 15 years! Well done women of Saudi is all I can say! Shoura Council to Permit Saudi Women’s Driving? [...]
March:22:2008 - 03:47
[...] tip, Crossroads Arabia Via Ha Ana Za! [...]
March:22:2008 - 05:42
[...] إنه بدهم يخلوا الØريم يسوقوا ÙÙŠ السعودية(هون، هون، هون)، طيب Ø¥Øنا من وين بدنا نلاقيها، هظول [...]