Wheels should be for women as well

Women in Saudi Arabia should be allowed to drive because being permitted to drive is a basic need, just like being permitted to work to earn a living is.

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By (Alina Shahid, by email)

Published: Fri 18 Oct 2013, 9:21 PM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 5:15 PM

When Saudi women have been allowed to compete at the Olympics and become members of the Shura Council, why are they denied such an important right which is in no conflict with Islam? It is about understanding and justice.

To allow women to drive is to equip them with independence to do their own shopping, daily tasks, take kids to hospital and deal with all kinds of emergencies in the absence of male relatives. Women often need to hire drivers, which can be expensive. Besides, if the conservatives frown over the mingling of men and women, they should do it all the more at employing foreign male drivers who are not at all related to the women. It means people who are unrelated would be together in a car a lot of times. Isn’t that contradictory?

(Alina Shahid, by email)

Published: Fri 18 Oct 2013, 9:21 PM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 5:15 PM

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