The Saudi woman who dared to drive

June 16, 2013 • 9:12 am

Apparently Driving While Female is not technically illegal in Saudi Arabia, but you can still get arrested and jailed for it. This woman, Manal al-Sharif, found herself sufficiently ticked off at the prohibition of women driving that she defied the ban, landing in jail for ten days and garnering the expected death threats. Unwittingly, she became an icon for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. She describes the incident and its aftermath in this 14-minute TED talk.

Her statement about how to effect change in a misogynistic society, starting at about 10 minutes, is quite eloquent.

While Americans often think of Saudi Arabia as an ally, it’s hardly a democracy, and, soaked in Islam, enforces despotic rules on its people.  They also still behead people in public. Most of the despotism, of course, comes from Islam.

h/t: Matt

15 thoughts on “The Saudi woman who dared to drive”

  2. The most insidious part is that the boys at her son’s school were being taught this misogyny. Not surprising but sad and indicative of how long it will take the misogyny to dissipate.

  4. I think I’ve told this here before, but it was a long while ago. When I was a post-doc in Stockholm in the earlier 80’s, the lab had a female post-doc from Pakistan for a year. At the party for her departure, they asked the standard question, “What have you found most interesting about Sweden?”

    She replied, “In Stockholm, the women can drive buses.”

    But at least, even if ever so slowly, things do seem to be changing.

    1. A colleague of mine was in US Army logistics during a past military intervention in the Middle East (Desert Shield/Storm?). Apparently they were firmly requested not to let the women truck drivers drive trucks. They quietly failed to comply.

      /@

  5. Worth reading this Jakarta Post, Feb. 12th 2013 article in full

    Some sample quotes:-

    Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said the government would not lift the moratorium on sending housemaids to the Middle East until destination countries in the region signed a labor protection agreement with Indonesia. The moratorium has been effective since June 2011.

    …government would also place harsh sanctions on labor exporters and unauthorized agencies supplying women workers to countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria and Jordan, the minister added.

    …At least five female workers — Satinah, Siti Zaenab, Aminah, Tursilawati and Darmawati — have been sentenced to death for various crimes in Saudi Arabia and are awaiting execution. Hundreds of workers in the region, mostly employed as domestic helpers, have been repatriated each year after escaping mistreatment in their workplace.

    …end the slavery of Indonesian workers in the Middle East and to ensure governments there respected the relevant UN convention

    …85 other Indonesians facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabian courts for crimes they could not be blamed for

  6. Saudi Arabia has lots of oil that it’s happy to sell to that United States. That’s why they’re considered such an awesome bastion of all that’s good and righteous in the Middle East.

    In reality, they’re pretty horrific. They have enough money to keep the streets clean, but, otherwise, they’re little better than the Taleban.

    And, let’s not forget, all the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis, and Bin Laden was a Saudi prince….

    b&

    1. Though born in Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden comes form a Yemeni family, and was not a member of the Saudi (or any other) royal family. The bin Laden family has grown rich through their business connections with the Saudi royal family.

      1. Hmm…I had always been under the impression that the bin Laden family was, in fact, royal…but it turns out that they’re merely the closest you can get to being royal without actually being royal.

        Thanks for the correction..

        b&

  7. I’m an American, and I’ve never thought of Saudi Arabia as an “ally”. Then again, I’ve ignored the US government’s official allies and enemies lists for a long time.

  9. Not that there are ‘good’ beheadings and ‘bad’ beheadings but I always have to check my blood pressure when I see somebody gets beheaded in Saudi Arabia for the amazing crime (cough) of …witchcraft.

    That is really an evil cocktail of stupid and cruel, even more so than beheadings for say, murder.

  10. She is no doubt a brave woman.
    But I do wonder when she will be brave enough to remove the scarf and become truly liberated.

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