Saudi Women Lobby King for Driving Rights

In Saudi Arabia, a group of women have formed a committee to lobby King Abdullah for the right to get behind the wheel. These women plan to petition the king on Sunday, which is Saudi Arabia’s national day, for the privilege to allow women to drive for the first time ever. Although the government is unlikely to respond because the issue remains so delicate, committee members say their petition will at least emphasize what many Saudis, both men and women, consider a stolen right.

"We would like to remind officials that this is, as many have said, a social and not a religious or political issue," said Fowziyyah al-Oyouni, a founding member of the Committee of Demanders of Women's Right to Drive Cars. "And since it's a social issue, we have the right to lobby for it."

The existing driving ban applies to all women, natives and foreigners, which forces families to hire live-in drivers. Women whose families cannot afford $300-$400 a month for a driver must rely on male relatives to drive them to work, school, shopping or the doctor's.

The last time this same issue was raised was two years ago by Mohammed al-Zulfa, a member of the unelected Consultative Council. This go round the suggestion spiraled from an intense controversy that calls for al-Zulfa's removal from the council and stripping him of Saudi citizenship, as well as accusations that he was encouraging women to commit the double sins of discarding their veils and mixing with men.

Traditionalists, who believe women should be shielded from male strangers, say women in the driver's seat will give free reign to leave the house, giving the ability to go when and where women please. Women driving will then be forced to reveal their eyes will cause them to interact with male strangers and more likely to create situations for sinful temptation.

The petition that has been sent around surprisingly received numerous signatures. Women’s effort to drive has received a lot of support from within the country, by both men and women, as well as from outside of the country.  al-Oyouni, in response to the movement, said "This is a right that has been delayed for too long."

To read more stories on World issues, please visit:

http://news.finditt.com/NewsList.aspx?cat=11&wcat=1