Video Shows A Brave Saudi Woman Defying Her Country's Driving Ban
It's a strange set of rules that would have been unheard of even during Afghanistan's Taliban period, according to the Atlantic, which notes that it comes from a particularly strict brand of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. Women in the country can also be prohibited from traveling abroad, getting a job, or opening a bank account without permission from male "guardian" and are expected to wear the veil.
One Saudi cleric recently declared that women who drove risked damaging their ovaries.
In recent years, however, women in the Saudi kingdom have questioned the law. One campaign calling for women to take to the roads on October 26 has apparently spread so quickly that Saudi authorities blocked the website within the country (https://www.oct26driving.com). A petition at the site currently stands at almost 15,000 signatures.
Eman Al Nafjan, a journalist who supports the October 26 plan, today uploaded a time lapsed video to YouTube that shows a woman driving around the streets of Riyadh for a couple of hours. You can watch it below:
It's a remarkable act of bravery from Nafjan and the unnamed driver. While there have been a number of protests from female drivers in recent years, many women who got behind the wheel have been arrested. In 2011, Saudi activist Manal al-Sharif spent a week in jail after uploading a video to YouTube of herself driving.
However, things may be changing in Saudi Arabia. According to Reuters, today the female members of Saudi Arabia's influential Shoura Council proposed that women should be allowed to drive, a rare sign that King Abdullah's government may be considering giving more power to Saudi Arabia's female citizens.
Nafjan's video may be a sign of the times too. In the video the female driver drives past a police car and the cop either doesn't notice or doesn't care that a woman is driving (00:45). Then, towards the end of the video (00:52), a male driver in another car gives the female driver an enthusiastic thumbs up.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- Experts warn of rising temperatures in Bengaluru as Phase 2 of Lok Sabha elections draws near
- Axis Bank posts net profit of ₹7,129 cr in March quarter
- 7 Best tourist places to visit in Rishikesh in 2024
- From underdog to Bill Gates-sponsored superfood: Have millets finally managed to make a comeback?
- 7 Things to do on your next trip to Rishikesh