All this controversy about women driving is as ridiculous as the controversy which followed the late King Faisal’s decision to introduce education for girls. There is no basis in Islam for women being banned from driving — so what is all the fuss about?
Those against women driving claim that it will lead to corruption. Yet a woman traveling alone with a strange man is perfectly acceptable to them. I cannot fathom how they came to the conclusion that a woman traveling alone with a strange man — which is prohibited in Islam — is somehow a lesser evil than a woman driving which is not prohibited. Since when is what is prohibited a lesser evil than what is permitted?
There have been numerous incidents when a woman has been raped by her driver. If women were able to drive, then such horrible things would not take place. Also because our society always blames the woman, many of women have had to keep their traumatic experiences to themselves, never seeking much needed psychological help. They have had to endure a lifetime of secrecy and suffering, despite being the victim. How can this possibly be a lesser evil?
Obviously if women drive in Saudi Arabia, there will be harassment but at least a woman will be in a better position to protect herself than she would be if the man after her is in the car with her, having complete control over the car.
When it comes to the harassment of women, it varies from place to place. So why not allow, to start with, women driving in places where there is less harassment? In addition, the fact that there is a difference in harassment from place to place is something that must be investigated. A study into this might be the best way to eradicate such despicable behavior. Instead of always making the same petty excuses that Saudi men will harass women if women drive, then why not do something about it and prevent it from happening?
In addition, many women are already driving in villages and small towns and they seem to be getting on with their lives without either hassle or corruption. Also, women and men are interacting now in work places, such as in banks and hospitals and again there has been no increase in corruption there.
Women drive all over the world and it had not led to increased corruption, so why would it be any different in Saudi Arabia? Is it because our society is backward and our men are simply incapable of controlling themselves at the sight of a woman? Are men really that primitive or is the issue merely the need to keep the status quo whereby women are forced to depend on men for everything?
Even if women are allowed to drive, they will still require permission from their male guardians. So all those men who are opposed to their wives, daughters and sisters driving will have the power to prevent them from doing so — just as they already have the power to prevent them from acquiring an education or even getting medical care or surgery.
Driving is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Many lives could be saved if women were able to drive. This was evidenced by a recent article in one of our local newspapers. A woman managed to save her husband’s life by driving him to the hospital in the middle of the night.
Let’s face it: The issue here is not women’s safety or the likelihood of increased corruption. The issue is simply women’s independence. Why do men fear a woman being able to depend upon herself? Why don’t they follow the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? Not only was he unafraid of independent women but even married one, Khadija.
The world will not sit silently waiting for Saudi men to grow up. Just as apartheid ended in South Africa, so too will the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia.
(Jawahir Al-Subaie is a Management and Information Systems student. She is based in Alkhobar.)
