Odds and endsSaudi woman driver released from jail

Published 31 May 2011

Saudi women are not allowed to drive because, according to Saudi senior clerics, prohibiting women from driving is a protection against the spread of vice and temptation because women drivers would be free to leave home alone and interact with male strangers; the prohibition forces families to hire live-in drivers or rely on male relatives to drive; on 21 May, a 32-year old woman posted on the Web a video of herself driving, and was promptly arrested and thrown in jail; her posting was part of a campaign calling on Saudi women to show up on 17 June in their family cars — driving, not being driven — for drive-around rallies for women’s rights in major Saudi cities

Worldwide grassroots pressure brought al-Sharif's release // Source: wordpress.com

Bowing to growing international pressure, the Saudi government yesterday released Manal al-Sherif, a 32-year old Saudi woman, who was arrested on 21 May for defying Saudi Arabia’s rules which prohibit women from driving.

The rule is not written into law, but is the result of several fatwas, or religious edicts, by senior clerics. These clerics claim that prohibiting women from driving is a protection against the spread of vice and temptation because women drivers would be free to leave home alone and interact with male strangers. The prohibition forces families to hire live-in drivers or rely on male relatives to drive. Fox News reports that there is growing Internet campaign inside and outside Saudi Arabia, calling for a mass rally by Saudi women on 17 June. The organizers hope to have hundreds, if not thousands, of women across Saudi Arabia drive their husbands’, fathers’, or brothers’ cars on the main streets of several Saudi cities, thus forcing hard choices on the government.

Al-Sherif was arrested after she posted on the Internet a video of herself driving a car. The posting was part of the campaign to encourage women to show up in cars for the 17 June event.

Fox News notes that Al-Sherif’s Facebook page, called “Teach me how to drive so I can protect myself,” was removed after more than 12,000 people indicated their support. The campaign’s Twitter account also was blocked. Hundreds of other sites have sprouted to support her and the protest call.