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Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive

D

Dalek

Member
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/...eakingNews&contentID=65876973&pgtype=Homepage

Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that it would allow women to drive, overturning a longstanding policy that has become a global symbol of the repression of women in the ultraconservative kingdom.

The change, which will not happen immediately, was announced on state television and in a simultaneous media event in Washington. It highlights the damage that the policy has done to the kingdom's international reputation and its hopes for a public relations benefit from the reform.

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, is a Muslim monarchy ruled according to Shariah law. Saudi officials and clerics have provided numerous explanations for the ban over the years.

Some said that it was inappropriate in Saudi culture for women to drive, or that male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them. Others argued that allowing women to drive would lead to promiscuity and the collapse of the Saudi family. One cleric claimed — with no evidence — that driving harmed women's ovaries.
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Rights groups have long campaigned for the ban to be overturned, and some women have been arrested and jailed for defying the ban and taking the wheel.
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But the momentum to overturn the ban has picked up in recent years with the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a 32-year-old son of the king who has laid out a far-reaching plan to reform the kingdom's economy and society.

Beyond the effects it could have on Saudi Arabia's image abroad, letting women drive could help the Saudi economy.

Low oil prices have limited the government jobs that many Saudis have long relied on, and the kingdom is trying to push more citizens into gainful employment, including women. But some working Saudi women say that hiring private drivers to get them to and from work eats up much of their pay, diminishing the incentive to work.
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C

cwmartin

Member
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
 
E

ElectricBlanketFire

Member
Some said that it was inappropriate in Saudi culture for women to drive, or that male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them. Others argued that allowing women to drive would lead to promiscuity and the collapse of the Saudi family. One cleric claimed — with no evidence — that driving harmed women’s ovaries.

tumblr_lxbd7k8zrF1qi6914o1_500.gif
 
C

Clydefrog

Member
cwmartin said:
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
Click to expand...

Almost as if Saudi Arabia is full of GAF-Mans

2443585-gaf+man.png
 
TheContact

TheContact

Member
cwmartin said:
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them
Click to expand...

Like what does this mean? They’d see a woman and lose their shit and drive into a wall or lake?
 
G

Glix

Member
TesUsa said:
Like what does this mean? They’d see a woman and lose their shit and drive into a wall or lake?
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I mean, the Vice President can't handle being alone in a room with one, why should we expect Saudi Arabians to be any different?
 
E

Exodust

Banned
FINALLY!!

Happy that my Saudi sisters get to take advantage of low gas prices like the rest of us. Now get that forced hijab shit outta here.
 
J

Jumeira

Banned
Great news. Baby steps i know but its still good to see for the millions of women who reside there. Screw the religious police, get out of here with that nonsense.

Your country and economy can only grow of you allow your womem to participate equally.
 
B

BajiBoxer

Banned
TesUsa said:
Like what does this mean? They’d see a woman and lose their shit and drive into a wall or lake?
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I'm thinking more along the lines of violent road rage incidents.

I'm glad this Saudi Prince was able to see how stupid this policy is. It's a loooooong road to Saudi women being treated like human beings.
 
J

Jenov

Member
Still gotta drive around wearing this tho:

saudi-drive-superJumbo.jpg


Crank up that AC.

Good for SA, hopefully this leads to further progress down the road, and they stop forcing women to cover every centimeter of their face and bodies.
 
U

UtterlyPerplexed

Member
TesUsa said:
Like what does this mean? They’d see a woman and lose their shit and drive into a wall or lake?
Click to expand...

Terrible things will happen. Put a woman in a car physically next to a man and who knows what he will do. He may do something reprehensible like...I dunno, behave like a hedonistic Saudi prince behind closed doors or something.
 
S

Sarek

Member
I mean it is obviously a good change, but at the same time this is such a incredibly tiny step on a very long road it feels wrong to give SA positive press for this.
 
O

Oberon

Banned
Things like this makes you appreaciate to live in a country were somebody else did the hard lifting as far human rights goes.
What are countries around the world even doing? How can you pretent to be on the side of human rights and freedom while giving this gouverment more power?
But Nooo, let's sell them weapons and not directly adress it.
I bet _some_ people are jealous of SA, they WISH they could get away with what they are.

Sarek said:
I mean it is obviously a good change, but at the same time this is such a incredibly tiny step on a very long road it feels wrong to give SA positive press for this.
Click to expand...

The internent made people really inpatient. Of course in a global way this is nothing. But this like China unbanning whatapps or something. It's certainly a good thing relative to the country
 
M

Madness

Member
Others argued that allowing women to drive would lead to promiscuity and the collapse of the Saudi family. One cleric claimed — with no evidence — that driving harmed women’s ovaries.
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My god man...
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
So does the law that women need to have a male chaperone accompanying at all times in pubic still apply while driving? I guess so :/
 
K

KmA

Member
Some said that it was inappropriate in Saudi culture for women to drive, or that male drivers would not know how to handle women in cars next to them. Others argued that allowing women to drive would lead to promiscuity and the collapse of the Saudi family. One cleric claimed — with no evidence — that driving harmed women’s ovaries.
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This paragraph is so funny in how it drags Saudi. "With no evidence" lmfaoooo

But this is great news! However... I pray for these women lmao. The one time I was in Saudi, we were on this bus taking local streets to get to our destination. The bus driver was making this really sharp right turn and he couldn't make it because there were parked cars on the curb. So literally 6-7 big guys on the bus got out, PICKED UP THE CAR THAT WAS IN THE WAY, placed it a few meters back, and we kept fucking going. It was... a surreal moment for me. Driving rules do not exist there.
 
ZiZ

ZiZ

Member
Prost said:
Still gotta drive around wearing this tho:

saudi-drive-superJumbo.jpg


Crank up that AC.

Good for SA, hopefully this leads to further progress down the road, and they stop forcing women to cover every centimeter of their face and bodies.
Click to expand...

Covering the face is no longer enforced in public.

Naked Snake said:
So does the law that women need to have a male chaperone accompanying at all times in pubic still apply while driving? I guess so :/
Click to expand...

This hasn't been enforced for years.
 
S

Sesha

Member
About time.

They'll doom and gloom for a few years, and then most will move on to the next battlefield, with a few "good old days" stragglers.
 
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