Activists oppose women getting behind the wheel

In a move aimed at countering the request of three female members of Shoura Council seeking driving rights for women, several women activists in the Kingdom have drafted a letter to be submitted to the Royal Diwan listing out several points on why women should not be allowed to drive in the Kingdom.
Justifying their action, the activists, who have sent copies of the letter to the interior minister and Shoura Council chairman, said that women driving was not only a violation of the Kingdom’s public order and scholars’ fatwas, but would also impact the social fabric, family values, religious sentiments and even security.
Seeking rejection of the request for women driving and ban on campaigns to drum up support, the activists pointed out that what the middle-class families needed was public transport system.
Using cyberspace to make her point, awareness activist Rawdah Yousef said from the social perspective, it would be a disastrous move since it would mean women moving away from families if granted permission to drive. The letter will be signed by prominent activists from various fields, she said.
The letter contends that permission for women to drive can increase traffic accidents, cause a shift in women’s role which can threaten family stability and change crime scene since men can cover their faces while committing offenses under the garb of a woman’s veil.
If anything, the three women members should focus on more important women’s issues, such as right to employment, housing and insurance rather than driving around, the activists argued.
Supporters of women driving launched a social media campaign Sunday. They urged citizens to vote in favor of the campaign through Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.
A group of women who would like the authorities to lift the ban have urged women to drive on Oct. 26. More than 15,000 women and men supported the campaign and signed the online petition on www.oct26driving.com to lift the ban on women driving. The campaign has become a hot topic for national and international media.