Manama: Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al Shaikh has reiterated his opposition to allowing women to drive cars.
The Mufti who has regularly held out against the lifting of the ban said that driving would leave women vulnerable to a number of grave problems.
“Driving cars could mean the opening of floodgates that would not be controllable,” he said.
“It is our duty and responsibility not to open them because women would then be exposed to serious dangers, especially from those with terrible intentions. Allowing them to drive could also mean women could leave their houses alone and go to places without the knowledge of their families, and this could of course imply several evils,” he said during a talk show on a private television station.
Al Shaikh said that Muslims must always think about protecting fellow Muslims from evil and from falling into depravity.
“Religion has closed the doors that take to evils and problems, and we must think in that direction. We should ensure that women do not travel without a mahrim [a male custodian] or sit without a mahrim. They must wear the veil and [be] encouraged to cover up,” he said, Saudi news site Al Marsad reported on Sunday.
Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia even though there is no legal text that bans them from driving.
However, women, if found driving, are pulled over by traffic police for doing so without a Saudi licence. They are allowed to go home after they sign a pledge not to drive again.
Attempts by women and their supporters to get permission to drive have become more intense lately, but the challenges in overcoming the stiff resistance of conservatives are proving singularly formidable.
Al Shaikh’s latest statement has triggered, as expected, a tsunami of reactions on social media, ranging from full agreement with his view to flat rejection of his call, reflecting the chasm between those supporting women’s right to driv and those opposing it.
For years, both camps have been using religious, economic and social arguments to reinforce their positions.
In 2013, a local comedian, Hesham Faqeeh, became an internet sensation after he posted “No Woman, No Drive”, a tongue-in-cheek Saudi version of Bob Marley classic “No Woman, No Cry” that garnered millions of views on YouTube.
