Saudi woman to be lashed for driving
According to the sentence, the Saudi woman will be given 10 lashes, whereas two other women ― one in Jeddah and one in al Khobar ― are believed to be facing similar charges.
Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Philip Luther said:
“Flogging is a cruel punishment in all circumstances but it beggars belief that the authorities in Saudi Arabia have imposed lashes on a woman apparently for merely driving a car”.
The news of the sentence came just two days after King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud announced that women will be allowed to stand for election and vote.
Luther said:
“Belatedly allowing women to vote in council elections is all well and good, but if they are still going to face being flogged for trying to exercise their right to freedom of movement then the King’s much-trumpeted ‘reforms’ actually amount to very little.”
“Saudi Arabia needs to go much further. The whole system of women’s subordination to men in Saudi Arabia needs to be dismantled.”
The interior minister has formally outlawed women from driving in Saudi Arabia since November 1990 when a group of 47 women were arrested and severely punished after demonstrating in cars.
Earlier, an online campaign active on Facebook and Twitter “Women2Drive” assembled Saudi women with international driving licenses to drive in order to protest against the ban.
(Read: Saudi women defy drive ban)
Corporal punishments like flogging are routinely sentenced in Saudi courts.
COMMENTS (31)
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@Ashamed: mate here it is allowed and many women drive
@ishtiaer hussain: Dear as a Muslim I want you to study event when Prophet (SAW) said that Fatima (her own daughter) would get the same punishment if found guilty of Stealing item. May Allah forgive us.
@Sitting duck: Yes, Islam teaches a proper way of life by explaining each and every thing through HOLY QURAN and act of Holy Prophet, but it depends on the followers how much they follow it. In this Scenario, I believe Ijtehad has not been done properly, As I recall some lady Sahabi also fought side by side in war and might have used horse for riding. saudi Law should be reviewed by Gov. for driving a car by Lady.
If she broke the Islamic law of Saudi Arabia, she deserves the lashing. There are far too many people dying because un-qualified and unlicensed drivers. Thank you.
The King of SA chickened out! The Islamic Sharia laws are pretty flexible if you are a petro-dollar king. But can be killed if you are only a governor in Punjab.
Um. King just revoked it.
@sheraz: Just the commenters ? What about the politician, army, the law and order people who enforce such cruelty on innocent people ? What about terrorists killing people ? What about numb skulls blowing themselves up ? Do they understand anything about Islam or what the great religion says?
straight to bc 10000, funny, ignorant rules
This is how the Religion of Peace treats its females! Shameful.
Things far more horrible than what you have read in the article would surely happen in Pakistan once Jamat-e-Islami and other right-wingers would ever succeed in grabbing power in Pakistan. Flogging women for driving cars, cutting hands for petty crimes and decapitating criminals in the open markets are on their agenda. Stand up my dear countrymen against the shaggy barbarians.
Why should this shock anyone.
Taliban was doing this also in Afghanistan and PAK was supporting them. If PAK did not worry about what the Taliban did to PAK women, then why should PAK worry now about Saudi women.
after reading all these comments i have concluded that nobody knows what our religion says!!!!
@Sehrish: That is the law of the holy land and so be it.
And we say Islam is religion of peace, love and equality ??. hmmmm........
@Sehrish
There is no law which allows women to be killed/buried. And do you have to chose between driving and getting killed/burried. What kind of comparison is this? And i am sure you are not enjoying the virtues of not driving. The views of educated youth of Pakistan are just shocking
Personally all persons, female or male, should be flogged for driving talking on the cell phone as the photo revels. What is it so important about your talking that threatens the lives of everyone about you?
The mere thought that this page's visitors have both mixed views/comments about this cruelty frightens me about our country's future.
I hope people don't equate Islam with Saudi Laws. Having the holiest places does not mean having holiest people and holiest laws too!
I DO NOT see any Islamic angle to driving ban on women ! Alas, what have we made out of a simple religion.
women can be sold, killed and buried in their villas without any notice to police but can drive themselves! wow!
Plz dont associate Saudi Arab with Islamic laws. just bcoz it has been the birth place of our Prophet SAWs and the origin of Quranic revelations doesnt mean that whatever they do is applicable to all muslims or represents the Islamic law neither that shud be correlated with Islamic ideology. I agree with @Asad totally. Driving is not prohibited in Islam and by no means shud be restricted for women.
serves her right!!!!!!!!!!!!
So a woman can roam around with an unrelated male driver, but not drive the car herself?
@Asad: ......free lunches for all and world peace!!
What happened in Saudi Arabia is horrible...This is Saudi Law based on local customs and is NOT Sharia Law.
@Uzair- We are not Arabs, but we are Muslims and Islam came not just for the Arabs but for the whole Humankind. Prophet (saw) has been called as 'A blessing to the entire universe' in the Quran Kareem. Prophet (saw) said in the last sermon that 'no arab has any superiority over a non arab nor does a non arab have any superiority over an arab, except by Piety'
So following the Sunnah of Prophet (saw) and reading the Quran Kareem is Islam and not Arabism.
true.....
I have never understood why women are not allowed to drive can someone please explain why not? As I understand it in other Arab or Muslim countries I believe that women are allowed to drive!!!!