Recently in our media there has been a number of articles dealing with whether or not women should drive. Many oppose the idea and many others support it. What disturbs me, however, is that certain people are trying to make it a religious issue. It is not. As Interior Minister Prince Naif has pointed out, it is a social issue: “I believe that this is a controversy which has no meaning because it is a social matter to be decided by society. It looks as if some people want to make it an issue but it’s not.” And we should treat it that way.
I don’t know why some people have fits and go into convulsions and fainting spells at the thought of women driving. My mother drove a car over 50 years ago though not in the Kingdom. My daughter drives in the United States, Bahrain and Dubai. Many Saudi women (who are no less responsible and competent than their male counterparts) drive when abroad. So why all the fuss? Muslim women all over the world drive and they also lead normal lives — as good, practicing Muslims who make every effort to live according to Islamic teachings and precepts.
At one point not long ago, there were three female heads of government in the Muslim world: Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, Khaleda Zia in Bangladesh and Tansu Ciller in Turkey. More recently, the president of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim state, was Megawati Sukarnoputri. The people who voted these women into office were all God-fearing Muslims. In 1965, Pakistan President Ayub Khan ran for election against Fatima Jinnah. All eight of the Pakistani Islamic religious parties supported her.
Muslim women in most Muslim countries have attained a status equal to that of men. In fact, Islam gave them their full rights 1426 years ago. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in his last sermon spoke about women.
So why all this noise and palaver today? The same strident voices in the Kingdom which were once raised in horror when the radio was introduced, when girls’ schools were opened and when women were first employed are being heard again today. They are now being raised against women driving.
Our government is a progressive one. While maintaining the Shariah, it has decided that progress for Saudi citizens must be a part of its vision. And Saudi citizens naturally include women. We are not now and never will be a Kingdom of men. Saudi women have shown unequivocally that they are equal to their peers in other countries. They have brought credit upon themselves and our country; they should be allowed to work for their goals and decide their destiny.
We should not stand in their way — and by “we” I mean those who have their own vision of life. And all of us must respect that. I myself am pro-choice. If certain individuals in society don’t want their women members to drive, that is their decision and I will accept it. By the same token, they must not forbid me to follow my vision. I will leave the choice to the women in my family and so will thousands of others.
The women are adults; they have been educated, are reasonable and logical and should be allowed to decide for themselves. This is, after all, the 21st century. I am happy to report that a Shoura member has decided to bring up this issue. He should be accorded the respect due a brave and forward-looking man. In all honesty, the government has also been brave and pragmatic in setting up the Shoura and giving it the freedom to discuss social and economic issues relevant to our times. It is imperative that the larger social and economic interests of the country be given top priority. We are all Muslims and no one is better than another. For that very reason, many of us do not want a trustee over us. We are perfectly qualified to make our own decisions.
This “trusteeship” covers not only driving but a host of other areas as well. There are unfortunately those who want to run our lives, tell us what to do, what to think — in other words, they want to control us. The matters of driving, covering the face, educating women and deciding how to live are all topics which are covered by the teachings of Islam, our religion and our conscience. They are not decided by custom and tradition for these differ, not only from country to country but also very often from town to town in the same country.
Our country has entered, and is passing through, a crucial stage. We need to concentrate and direct our energies toward providing a first class education for all our young people, to protecting our environment, to taking our rightful place in the comity of nations and, above all, implementing plans today that will make us a viable and vibrant society in the year 2050. If that vision, which is dear to many, is to become reality, there can be no question about the importance of mobile, strong and active female participation.
