Post 9/11 Saudi Arabia
Part -2-
Saudi women been 7rbeen (between two wars)
Back in 1991, at the peak of Anti-western sentiments in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War, a group of Saudi women took to the streets of Riyadh while driving their cars in a public protest to demand the laws banning Saudi women from driving to be changed in accordance with the rest of the world, and “Logic”.
Less than half an hour later, this rally was abruptly ended when the Saudi religious police “al-hay2a” captured the women, interrogated them, confiscated their cars, confiscated their passports to ban them from leaving the country, fired them from their government jobs (they were re-instated later on), Made public a list of their full names and the names of their male relative guardians “m7rm” to bring shame to any Saudi who belongs to one of the families/tribes mentioned in the notorious “driving ladies” list.
This example has been the “model/prototype” for dealing with anything “female” in Saudi for years to follow, until, ten years later,when in 2001, another type of war was declared on all western nations by a group of mostly Saudi Muslims, which caused a domino effect to take place all around the world, that effect reached Saudi Arabia and led -as a collateral outcome- to Saudi women slowly but steadily getting some of their stolen civil rights back.
Posted by SaudiEve at 12:11 AM
8 Comments
Well Crown Prince Sultan, released a statement today in which he talked about the possibilty of the ban on women driving being lifted.
"When fathers, husbands and brothers ask us for women to drive we will look into it, though if they ask us the opposite we can't force them (to let women drive)."
Just another 'if' obstacle thrown in the path to freedom. This isn't the first 'if'.
-'if they are over 30',
-if they are accompanied by a male guardian
-if there are strict laws
if, if if.
But then again
"Without a struggle, there is no strength.
Without a battle, there is no victory."
Keep at it, it'll happen one day.
If it doesn't happen now then it's never going to happen. Saudi is now undergoing its second economic boom which means Boody can make changes rapidly. He can lift the ban on women driving and only the extreme conservatives will be upset. The majority of the people here wouldn't really care, because their women wont be able to drive anyway without their permission so why would they make a fuss?
People regardless of what system they live under, be it democractic or totalitarian, care about their financial well being more than anything else. It is only when their finances r messed up that they will look for anything to blame the gov with.
So unless Boody takes advantage of the economic boom and does what's right then we're basically fucked forever.
Plus I think that the people know that Boody is a good guy as he is one of the few royals not tainted with corruption. We all know Sultan and Naif are arseholes so no matter how much some Saudis may disagree with Boody's reform policies they wont make a fuss cuz they know if he goes they're financially screwed...
we all hope for the best and these days we are hearing alot about women driving. such a thing is not only for women and men advantages but it will aslo limits the amount of money sending out by drivers every year if not every month..
Saudi Arabia is the second country after the US regarding the amount of money sending abroad every single year and you can do the CALCULATION!!!
The usual subject, I see it everywhere, not that I'm upset about it or anything, but, this is.. " never " the true problem.
even if it isn't the true problem!! it's a problem that should be solved.. and I do not mind starting to solve the small problems heading to the bigger ones!!!
Death To women's Rights.
“Death To women's Rights.” ….. !!!!
Ok, now here’s a start of a VERY constructive debate :-)
Sometimes in order to actually solve a problem you have to go to the source, the heart of the matter and deal with the cause. Trying to handle the smaller problems only that arise from the cause without addressing the root cause doesn't cure the disease, it's like treating the disease's symptoms but leaving the vaccine in the next room. Handling the smaller issues is fine in the short-term, but eventually understanding their relation and role in the bigger arena, and what purposes that they serve in keeping the larger issues going, needs to happen so real change can occur.
The idea of the whole, the total context---determines what the meaning of the smaller things are. Isolating the smaller things without keeping a vision of the whole can bring confusion to the meaning of the smaller things. There is a term for this----it's called "taking something out of context" and it refers to taking a topic or an issue or an idea and assigning all kinds of meanings to it without seeing its actual relation to the meaning and flow of the conversation or actions.
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