Grand Mufti advises women against riding with ministry drivers

The Saudi Gazette carries this story about a meeting within the Ministry of Education in which Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Aal Al-Sheikh, warns female school inspectors about riding in cars driven by education ministry drivers, in remote areas where they have to inspect schools. This would seem to support the concept of women driving themselves. Link to the story here

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TAIF – Saudi female education inspectors of the General Administration of Education here have been warned about the impropriety of being driven by the administration’s drivers to remote areas when they inspect schools.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz Aal Al-Sheikh, the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti, in a closed TV circuit meeting with the female staff, said that such trips with drivers who are not related to women inspectors are dangerous and require an urgent solution, Arabic daily Al-Watan reported.

Aal Al-Sheikh raised with the education inspectors several issues which they face in carrying out their duties such as using the Internet and the administration’s stationery for their personal purposes. He said nothing in religion restricts the utilization of such things, but they should be used reasonably.

Regarding how best to benefit from the summer holiday, he said it serves as a good opportunity for taking a break from the long year of hard work, but advised that part of it should be invested in reading useful books especially those which deal with home affairs.

As for trading in the stock exchange, the Grand Mufti said it is permissible if the one who sells is the owner of the commodity whether it is stocks or other goods, pointing out that Islam permits this since the one who owns a commodity is allowed to sell it to others.

He also urged the educators to bear in mind their responsibility to immunize and protect the younger generation from programs which are transmitted by some satellite TV channels which fight the faith and attempt to drag viewers into an abyss of vice, terrorism and corruption. –
Saudi Gazette __