On Oct. 26 women were to drive in major Saudi cities to protest ban on women driving. The total number of women who were questioned for driving that night did not exceeded 12. They were distributed as follows: Six in Riyadh, five in the Eastern Province and one woman in a small city called Afeef.
Ironically, the most famous advocates for the campaign did not appear on the scene, leaving thousands of Saudi female supporters disappointed. Therefore, I stand by my earlier suggestion in this very column: Saudi authorities do not yield to social pressure, especially if these are based on assumptions. Why would it work now if it didn’t work with the large social media campaign “my salary doesn’t meet my needs,” or “Alratib ma yekfi alhajah?”
The Saudi female activists should have arranged for a meeting with the local authorities, explaining their justifications and aims for such a move. If the answer was “no,” this could have prevented other Saudi women from paying dues on behalf of feminist misleaders!
