What does the women's driving protest mean for Saudi Arabia?
|
Friday, 6 June 2011
|12:00 - 12:30 GMT
Women across the deeply conservative country are being urged to drive through the streets today to defy a decades old driving ban. An online campaign has called on women who hold international driving licences to start driving today. The "Women2Drive" campaign has used Facebook and Twitter to encourage women to drive as part of their normal daily activities rather than converge in one place.
This blog outlines to women what they should and shouldn't do today
It's not the first time women have tried to get the driving ban lifted. But last month a woman called Manal al-Sharif filmed herself driving a car through the streets of Saudi Arabia and uploaded it to youtube, she was later arrested, but the movement began once more..
This article compares the movement to that of Rosa Park.
"women are not permitted to share elevators with men. Nor are they allowed to walk in the streets, drive cars, or leave the country without the permission of a male guardian."
"Fatima, a young woman from Mecca, sent me an e-mail at the height of the Egyptian revolution: "Forget about the cries for freedom; I can't even give birth without being accompanied to hospital by a mihrim," or male guardian. She went on, "And the [religious police] have been given the right to humiliate us in public."
MFQahtani tweets
My wife, Maha, and I have just come from a 45-minute drive, she was the driver through Riyadh streets. #saudi #women2drive #WomenRights
angrywhitekid tweets
In 1999, sat next to a woman on a plane who participated in the 1990 driving protest. Told me they burnt her house down after. #women2drive
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia, not only about the defiance of the driving ban, but what this now means for Saudi society. As the Arab spring continues around Saudi Arabia, with women and men standing side by side protesting, is this the opportunity for women to gain independence?
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia and hear from Hiba in Dharan who is a professional woman who says she will only drive when the King say she can.
Nato is jus a group of gangster ,bullies and hypocrites nothing more
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16:27
117731901
Van Ly
New Zealand
Catch or kill Libya鈥檚 leader Gadderfi rather than bombing
Comment sent via SMS
16:27
118236930
Nato has taken too long to end libya war
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
16:27
118236928
@主播大秀_WHYS it doesn't matter what we want it's what the "western world needs"it's putting down freedom here as always.West's Justice ?Lol
Comment sent via SMS
16:26
118236885
The arab uprising is being hijacked by the same politicians who were working with the dictatorships and have switched sides so as not to lose power. Tunisia, egypt, libya, all have former criminals rebranded as new leaders of the revolution. E.g. al gamaty was the torturer of the bulharian nurses, the egyptian generals only chose sides at the last minite and in tunisia the head was cut but the body of the old regime still alive. Kirvin.
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16:26
118236884
I feel the NATO mission in Libya is not about protecting civilians, rather a way of getting back at Libya by the US & UK for the Lockerbie bomber that was recently freed. The events in Syria and Yemen by far have recorded more civilian casualties so far, and there is no UN resolution YET!
Chinedu, Nigeria
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16:26
118236879
No way da west took too long to realise yemen was a family stuff so lets move on without saleh who cnt have asay e.g where do u get aperson with 7 salaries.ALI
Comment sent via SMS
16:25
118236787
The youth are poor everywhere against aging populations in the west who want wage war to maintain their affluent lifestyles. Iraq,Libya, Yemen is only about oil and imperialism
Comment sent via SMS
16:25
118236847
The Western World is afraid to intervene for fear of agrevating the Islamic fanatics at the detriment of the freedom fighters and the democracy that west so promotes. Somebody has got to have the testicular fortitude to support this movement
Comment sent via SMS
16:24
118236833
If some western leaders are supporting rebels in Libya than, why Charles Taylor is in the Hague today? Edwin, a Liberian residing in Australia.
Comment sent via SMS
16:23
118236787
I think all these uprisings are a demonstration against western imperialism and imposed so called democracy. Even the recent events in Vancouver reflectthe frustrations of inequality and failure of this western model of democracy
Comment sent via SMS
16:21
116815994
Assad must stay to raise war against israel .ismael
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16:19
118236685
WHEN IS NATO GOING TO REALISE ITS REACHED THE LEVEL OF ITS OWN INCOMPETENCE? TOBEY. NEWZEALAND.
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16:19
116815994
The role of nato is not to destroy libya nor to remove kaddafi .ismael
Comment sent via SMS
16:18
118236452
NATO under the cover of western powers must leave Africa to Africans. They must stop destroying africa . Egide
What does the women's driving protest mean for Saudi Arabia?
| Friday, 6 June 2011 | 12:00 - 12:30 GMT
Women across the deeply conservative country are being urged to drive through the streets today to defy a decades old driving ban. An online campaign has called on women who hold international driving licences to start driving today. The "Women2Drive" campaign has used Facebook and Twitter to encourage women to drive as part of their normal daily activities rather than converge in one place.
This blog outlines to women what they should and shouldn't do today
It's not the first time women have tried to get the driving ban lifted. But last month a woman called Manal al-Sharif filmed herself driving a car through the streets of Saudi Arabia and uploaded it to youtube, she was later arrested, but the movement began once more..
This article compares the movement to that of Rosa Park.
"women are not permitted to share elevators with men. Nor are they allowed to walk in the streets, drive cars, or leave the country without the permission of a male guardian."
"Fatima, a young woman from Mecca, sent me an e-mail at the height of the Egyptian revolution: "Forget about the cries for freedom; I can't even give birth without being accompanied to hospital by a mihrim," or male guardian. She went on, "And the [religious police] have been given the right to humiliate us in public."
MFQahtani tweets
My wife, Maha, and I have just come from a 45-minute drive, she was the driver through Riyadh streets. #saudi #women2drive #WomenRights
angrywhitekid tweets
In 1999, sat next to a woman on a plane who participated in the 1990 driving protest. Told me they burnt her house down after. #women2drive
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia, not only about the defiance of the driving ban, but what this now means for Saudi society. As the Arab spring continues around Saudi Arabia, with women and men standing side by side protesting, is this the opportunity for women to gain independence?
We'll be speaking to people in Saudi Arabia and hear from Hiba in Dharan who is a professional woman who says she will only drive when the King say she can.
Your comments
Comment sent via SMS
Nato is jus a group of gangster ,bullies and hypocrites nothing more
Comment sent via SMS
Van Ly New Zealand Catch or kill Libya鈥檚 leader Gadderfi rather than bombing
Comment sent via SMS
Nato has taken too long to end libya war
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@主播大秀_WHYS it doesn't matter what we want it's what the "western world needs"it's putting down freedom here as always.West's Justice ?Lol
Comment sent via SMS
The arab uprising is being hijacked by the same politicians who were working with the dictatorships and have switched sides so as not to lose power. Tunisia, egypt, libya, all have former criminals rebranded as new leaders of the revolution. E.g. al gamaty was the torturer of the bulharian nurses, the egyptian generals only chose sides at the last minite and in tunisia the head was cut but the body of the old regime still alive. Kirvin.
Comment sent via SMS
I feel the NATO mission in Libya is not about protecting civilians, rather a way of getting back at Libya by the US & UK for the Lockerbie bomber that was recently freed. The events in Syria and Yemen by far have recorded more civilian casualties so far, and there is no UN resolution YET! Chinedu, Nigeria
Comment sent via SMS
No way da west took too long to realise yemen was a family stuff so lets move on without saleh who cnt have asay e.g where do u get aperson with 7 salaries.ALI
Comment sent via SMS
The youth are poor everywhere against aging populations in the west who want wage war to maintain their affluent lifestyles. Iraq,Libya, Yemen is only about oil and imperialism
Comment sent via SMS
The Western World is afraid to intervene for fear of agrevating the Islamic fanatics at the detriment of the freedom fighters and the democracy that west so promotes. Somebody has got to have the testicular fortitude to support this movement
Comment sent via SMS
If some western leaders are supporting rebels in Libya than, why Charles Taylor is in the Hague today? Edwin, a Liberian residing in Australia.
Comment sent via SMS
I think all these uprisings are a demonstration against western imperialism and imposed so called democracy. Even the recent events in Vancouver reflectthe frustrations of inequality and failure of this western model of democracy
Comment sent via SMS
Assad must stay to raise war against israel .ismael
Comment sent via SMS
WHEN IS NATO GOING TO REALISE ITS REACHED THE LEVEL OF ITS OWN INCOMPETENCE? TOBEY. NEWZEALAND.
Comment sent via SMS
The role of nato is not to destroy libya nor to remove kaddafi .ismael
Comment sent via SMS
NATO under the cover of western powers must leave Africa to Africans. They must stop destroying africa . Egide