Saudis test the waters with a new proposal giving women the right to drive. Rasheed Abou-Alsamh reports from Riyadh Saudi Arabia retains the dubious distinction of being the sole country in the world that still does not allow women to drive. Although there is no injunction in Islam against women driving cars, or any such law on the books in the kingdom, it remains a taboo subject for the ultra-conservatives. But their time is fast running out as evidenced by the increasing number of Saudi men and women who have been publicly speaking out on the issue. Suleiman Al-Salman, a candidate in the Riyadh municipal elections held last February, ran on a platform that argued for allowing women to drive as a means of reducing Saudi reliance on foreign drivers. He said that the country would save hundreds of millions of riyals every year if women could drive themselves to school, hospital and work, instead of having to rely on the army of imported men to get them to their destinations. Al-Salman lost the elections after getting a slew of outraged phone calls from distressed Saudi men who cursed him and accused him of trying to Westernise the kingdom. More recently, Mohamed Al-Zulfa, a member of the government-appointed Shura Council, which advises the government on legislation, also called for allowing women to drive. He too was attacked by the ultra-conservatives who bombarded him with phone calls and posted maps on the Internet showing where he lived, urging citizens to show up on his doorstop to personally deliver their sentiments of opposition. The ensuing outcry forced Al-Zulfa and the rest of the Shura members to shelve the discussion, with a disappointed Al-Zulfa complaining that if only Crown Prince Abdullah had given him just a little sign to continue, perhaps a wink and a nod, then the issue would have been kept alive. But many Saudi women's rights advocates view the whole debate on whether women should be allowed to drive is a healthy one, and take it as a sign that the government is finally serious in giving them the right to drive. "I think the whole debate in the Shura was positive," said Najat Al-Shafie in an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly. "Al-Zulfa certainly had permission from the higher authorities to speak on the issue. I think they were testing the waters to see public reaction." Al-Shafie, a teacher of English in the Eastern Province, and one of the five Saudi women who had wanted to run in the municipal elections but was ultimately not allowed to, believes that in the end economic reasons and a concern for the kingdom's image abroad will eventually secure the right to drive for Saudi women. Al-Salman estimates that there are at least 250,000 foreign drivers in Riyadh alone, who he says are a huge drain on the local economy. "Just look, an average family has to spend at least SR2,000 ($533) a month on a driver, when you take into account his salary and accommodation. If a less wealthy family uses taxis to get around, then they have to spend at least SR1,000 ($266) a month on fares. Letting our women drive just makes sense economically," he explains. Yet rational thinking is sometimes hard to find among more conservative Saudis. "But what will happen when their cars break down?" asked one dismayed caller to Al-Salman, citing the most used scenario to scare people who advocate women driving in this male-dominated society. "Will we allow our wives and daughters to be raped by shameless hooligans?" "Of course not," replied Al-Salman. "It will only be hectic in the first few months. After we become accustomed to seeing women driving, I assure you hardly anyone will be harassed." Indeed, even Al-Shafie believes that allowing women to drive should be introduced gradually in the beginning. "The government should approach it as a pilot study. They could first restrict allowing women to drive according to their profession and age. For example teachers, doctors and businesswomen 35 years of age and above could be allowed to drive first," explained Al-Shafie. "I understand if some conservatives are against women driving, but no one will be forced to drive," she said. "What we want is the right to drive. The choice of whether to drive or not, should be left to the individual woman."
