Daring to Drive

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By Manal al-Sharif

Manal started the driving revolution for women in Saudi Arabia. While that makes her sound like some radical firebrand, she is not. She seems a very normal, mild person devoted to her Muslim faith but just fed up with not being allowed to drive. Having grown up under extreme Islamic fundamentalism, early on she was herself angrily militant about the faith, but through her education, she realized her faith is being quite distorted and mismanaged by its control-freak stewards. She remains a dedicated Muslim but wants to see it get out from under the misguided leaders holding it hostage in many parts of the world with her primary passion being women’s rights under Islamic rule. What I found most fascinating were two things, one, how incredibly difficult it would be to not have the freedom to drive myself places (seriously, think about how hard that would be!) and two, the hideous, glaring hypocrisies in the rule. I mean they are laughable. How the men in charge can even make such rules with a straight face is a puzzle. Women may never be alone with or even speak to a non-related male except when they need a ride someplace. So, these women may not buy an apple from a kind neighbor man at the corner store, but they are forced to climb into a car alone in the dark of night with a man who is a complete stranger. Explain that! She articulates how difficult it was for women in medical emergencies and all other manner of situations because they couldn’t simply drive themselves. Anyhow, I like that her writing is not angry and she isn’t anti-Islam or really even totally anti-Saudi Arabia, amazingly. She recognizes the traditions and the culture but respectfully makes her case for why this must change…and it did thanks to her and her friends. She has much more change to work towards and I hope her efforts continue.