Saturday, December 03, 2011

It Would Increase Prostitution Pornography Homosexuality and Divorce: Anything Else?


'End of virginity' if women drive, Saudi cleric warns

By Sebastian Usher
2 December 2011


A report in Saudi Arabia has warned that if Saudi women were given the right to drive, it would spell the end of virginity in the country.

The report was prepared for Saudi Arabia's legislative assembly, the Shura Council, by a well-known conservative academic.

Though there is no formal ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia, if they get behind the wheel, they can be arrested.

Saudi women have mounted several campaigns to try to overturn the ban.

Aside from the practical difficulties it creates, they say it is also illogical as in trying to keep them under family control and away from men, it actually puts them in daily contact with a male driver.

The issue has received huge international attention.

Some Saudi women feel it has attracted too much interest, obscuring other equally important issues.

As part of his careful reform process, King Abdullah has allowed suggestions to surface that the ban might be reviewed.

This has angered the conservative religious elite - a key power base for any Saudi ruler.

Now, one of their number - well-known academic Kamal Subhi - has presented a new report to the country's legislative assembly, the Shura.

The aim was to get it to drop plans to reconsider the ban.

The report contains graphic warnings that letting women drive would increase prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce.

A Saudi woman who has campaigned for women drivers told the BBC that the report was completely mad.

She said the head of the Shura had assured women campaigners that he was still open to hearing the case for lifting the ban. BBC

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I have seen very young boys as young as 10 or 11 driving their mothers around"

http://bit.ly/ufg9Ra

Himself said...

Living and Working in Saudi Arabia is nothing like anywhere else in the world that I have ever been....


....Basically, if you think it is fun then there is a good chance that it will be illegal here in Saudi!


And an awful lot inbetween. None of it sounding in the least attractive.

It must be hell on earth for anybody that has those, those, what do you call them? Thoughts, yes, those thoughty things.

Himself said...

I forgot to leave you this.

http://bit.ly/t7RCwZ

Something previous and something a tad different.

Himself said...

Did you check out the ''dating in Saudi Arabia'' link in the article?

http://leanman.hubpages.com/hub/Dating-Saudi-Girls

Sounds like fun!

Himself said...

Maren, if you would be so kind.

Could you scroll down this page and let me know if the background colour of the page changes half way down?

Thank you.

Back yo the feathers.

Anonymous said...

Hi Himself, no, as far as I can see the background colour of the page doesn’t change half way down.

By the way, nice layout, well designed, good reading.

I was thinking about that first comment. Perhaps far-fetched but suppose a 10-year old boy causes a fatal accident, e.g. the mother dies, are they holding him responsible, not to mention the mental distress. Maren

Himself said...

Thank you on both counts.

I can live with it knowing that it is only my instillation that is somehow corrupt.

I don't know if it is the same in Saudi as it is in Iran, but the age of majority is nine for girls and fifteen for boys. (So not legally responsible?)

I don't think you need to be a philosopher to work out the reason for that little anomaly.

But I do believe laws relating to driving are virtually non-existent in the land of darkness.

It's all down to the will of Allah so to speak.

Here you go, try this.

http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/03/saudi-arabia-death-toll-driving/

Himself said...

Check out the comments.

Anonymous said...

"No one in Saudi “really” goes to driving school, boys just go and learn on the streets, and licenses mostly get delivered to them at home."

http://bit.ly/voS2pc