JEDDAH, 9 October 2007 — The Society for Protecting and Defending Women’s Rights is planning to expand their capmaign for women in the Kingdom to be allowed to drive by going out educating people and rallying support for their ongoing drive, according to a member of the society. The group has already sent a petition to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah during the Kingdom’s Sept. 23 National Day. “The petition is now with the authorities and we are optimistic,” said Fawzeyah Al-Oyouni, a founding member of the society and a human rights activist. She said that after Eid Al-Fitr holidays, members and supporters of the group’s special committee for the women’s driving issue are planning to take field trips in markets, shopping malls and hospitals in order to educate as many women as possible and to spread awareness of the issue. She said that group recently sent an e-mail to the supporters of the women’s right to drive in the Kingdom, explaining the current situation of the appeal and the future goals of the society. Al-Oyouni said that the group’s website and e-mail address were hacked many times by anonymous individuals in an effort to stop the appeal. “Our plan to move to public places is important because the e-mail does not reach every woman in the country,” she added. Al-Oyouni said that they have received letters of support from public officials and well-known members of society who preferred to stay anonymous for the time being. “We received a letter from a (Shariah) judge, praising our effort and asking us to keep on moving with our message,” she said. The group is planning, in a future action, to highlight Saudi women who have driver’s licenses issued to them in other countries in order to underscore the fact that Saudi Arabia is the only country on earth that prevents women from driving. Al-Oyouni called all women who are in possession of driving licenses to contact the society at yes2saudiwomendrivers@yahoo.com. She said that the goal from the society’s effort is to keep the message alive. “Even with the many obstacles, local and international supporters are voicing their support every day,” she said. About the accusations disseminated by opponents to women driving that the society is a tool of the foreign media to force their agenda on Saudi society, Al-Oyouni said that this accusation is simply a sign that the local Saudi media isn’t brave enough to tackle the issue, leaving it to the international media to cover it. “The foreign media gave us the chance to speak our goals and supported us with coverage, while the local media only played a defensive role,” she said. “King Abdullah said previously that the women’s ban on driving is not a political issue, it is a social one, and that the government does not object (to women driving),” she said. Government officials made statements last year indicating that the debate about women driving is a social one. However, authorities could legally detain any woman caught driving.
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