Monday, June 06, 2011

Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, Women Apologize For Driving



At least according to this article:
JEDDAH: Wajnat Al-Rahbini, a Saudi actress who was arrested after driving her car Saturday along Jawazat Street in Jeddah, expressed regret for her actions and apologized to the Interior Ministry.

...

On May 21, police detained 32-year-old divorced mother Manal Al-Sharif after she was caught driving her brother's car in in Alkhobar. She was first arrested after uploading a video on YouTube in which she talked about the challenge of having to rely on drivers. Al-Sharif was released last week after appealing to high officials with a promise not to do it again.

...

In the city of Bisha, police arrested another woman, aged 48, for driving car. A large number of people gathered when police and Haia officials stopped the woman at a school. The woman was released after taking an undertaking that she would not do it again.

From the Annals of How To Maintain Gender Inequality. Subsection: Religious Policing.

I should note here that the laws of Saudi Arabia do not ban women from driving. It is religious fatwas which do that.