Saudi blogger Eman Fahad al-Nafjan reviewed Manal al-Sharif's book DARING TO DRIVE, which was released today. Here is the link to her post: Saudi Woman's Weblog.
Lovely review.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Manal al-Sharif's Memoir Rated #1 Summer Read by O Magazine
Congratulations to Saudi author and women's rights activist, Manal al-Sharif! Her book DARING TO DRIVE comes out this week. She is on a book and speaking tour. And...just now, Manal posted on her facebook page that O Magazine has rated her book the #1 Summer Read! I couldn't find it on-line yet but am posting in a photo she took from the magazine. Bravo! We need to read more first-hand accounts of life from Saudi women (and men too).
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Manal al-Sharif interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air
Saudi women's driving activist Manal al-Sharif is in the U.S. for the launch of her new book, DARING TO DRIVE. She is making appearances and sat down with Terry Gross of Fresh Air. You can link to a podcast of the interview on the right side of the site linked here.
Below is an article about the interview. The link above also will take you to a book excerpt.
Manal al-Sharif's path to activism began simply enough: In 2011, the Saudi woman filmed herself driving a car, then uploaded the video to YouTube. Ordinarily such a video might not get much notice, but because it's not socially acceptable for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, where there is a de facto ban, Sharif's video went viral.
Sharif describes driving as an act of civil disobedience: "For me, driving — or the right to drive — is not only about moving from A to B; it's a way to emancipate women," she says. "It gives them so much liberty. It makes them independent."
Initially arrested for driving, Sharif was released when her story elicited outrage from around the world. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, with her second husband and son.
Though she is no longer in Saudi Arabia, Sharif remains outspoken about women's rights: "When I see something wrong, I speak up," she says of her advocacy on behalf of Saudi women. "It should be the norm, not the exception." Her new memoir is Daring to Drive.
We have the guardianship system and that is the one that imposes a lot of restrictions on me, as a woman. ... A woman cannot choose her guardian. So when you're born, your father is your guardian. When you get married, it moves to your husband. If you get divorced, it either moves back to your father if he's alive; if he's not alive, it could move back to your brother.
If you don't have a brother, it could move back to your adult son,
as young as 18 years old. He could be your own guardian issuing you
permissions ... for important things like going to school, getting a
job, leaving the country, going to the court, even going to the police
and complaining. They always ask for a man's consent and permission.
On why she decided to advocate for Saudi women's right to drive
I think it chose me. I didn't choose it. As a single mom, I was divorced with a son and I had a car and I had a driver's license, but I couldn't drive my car. I was paying the installments for this car for five years. That was very frustrating. I almost got kidnapped once because I couldn't find a car to take me back home.
It's a daily struggle to find a car to do anything in your life in
a country where there's no public transportation and our cities are not
pedestrian-friendly. It was a continuous struggle, and it was very
empowering that I know how to drive. I have a car and I have a driver's
license. When I knew that there is no law, I was thinking, "Well, if
there's no law, so why are not driving?" It was accumulating, it didn't
just happen overnight.
On Saudi women's reliance on foreign drivers
[Private drivers] get paid around $500 a month. No Saudi would accept this salary, and no Saudi will be 24/7 available ... to drive you around. ... [Drivers] work long hours with you, because they drop the kids at school, they drop you at work, when you need to go for grocery shopping, all these things — you will not find Saudis accepting these jobs.
The private sector itself in Saudi Arabia, 90 percent of the
people working there are non-Saudis, so also the contradictions here
make me mad, because you don't allow me to mix with Saudis or men in
general all my life, but then you enforce a perfect stranger to be
living in my house, to be driving my own car and have my own phone
number. ...
Most of them don't even know how to drive! My first driver, I had to teach him how to drive. He didn't even know the signs. ... He didn't know the city. He didn't speak Arabic.
On how her protest helped inspire others to drive
I know a girl, she's 14 years old. She's so young, but in Saudi Arabia, you can drive as a boy as young as 14 years old. She dressed like a boy and I met her mom and I met her other sister, and they said [the police] stopped her so many times and they found out she's a girl, and she would plead with the police officer and explain to him that she doesn't have anyone. But she continued driving.
She always posted videos of herself driving, and that was amazing. She said, "We never thought of buying a car, because we were three girls in the house," — they don't have a man — "until we saw you driving."
Her mom ... kept saying, "Don't stop." Her daughter said, "They stole Mom's life. We'll not allow them to steal my life."
On the hard-line views she encountered as a student
In the '80s in Saudi Arabia, you were radicalized. We were radicalized in the '80s and the '90s. There was one source of information, the books were censored and we had all these wars going on around in the Islamic world. ... I was brought up in this era or in this time. ... We've been through this. ... Destroying our photos, stopping everyone from listening to music, questioning the beliefs of the others, the hate against the infidels, we were brought up this way. ...
I always questioned them, even when I was practicing to be a "good Muslim" and I was trying to please God and stay away from hellfire and go to heaven, I was still questioning these things. I wasn't really happy. The more I was trying to follow the rules we had been taught, the more miserable I became.
On undergoing female genital mutilation as a girl
The one, really, who circumcised us was a barber. He was my father's friend. My mom herself was circumcised and she told us the story that she ran away when they cut one labia and the other one they couldn't cut, and she was bleeding and she hid in the neighbor's house.
It was shocking to me that [my] mom, she put us through the same thing. But the pressure from the society is huge ... that a mother and a father can put their own daughters through so much pain just to abide by the society rules. This is how dangerous it is, that your own children, you put them through so much pain because you need to be obedient. ...
I think the worst was not the pain, the worst is losing trust in the people you love. ... It's very difficult even to talk about today. ... They didn't explain to us what was going to happen. ... These things bother me so much, that we put women through this pain.
Below is an article about the interview. The link above also will take you to a book excerpt.
Manal al-Sharif's path to activism began simply enough: In 2011, the Saudi woman filmed herself driving a car, then uploaded the video to YouTube. Ordinarily such a video might not get much notice, but because it's not socially acceptable for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, where there is a de facto ban, Sharif's video went viral.
Sharif describes driving as an act of civil disobedience: "For me, driving — or the right to drive — is not only about moving from A to B; it's a way to emancipate women," she says. "It gives them so much liberty. It makes them independent."
Initially arrested for driving, Sharif was released when her story elicited outrage from around the world. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, with her second husband and son.
Though she is no longer in Saudi Arabia, Sharif remains outspoken about women's rights: "When I see something wrong, I speak up," she says of her advocacy on behalf of Saudi women. "It should be the norm, not the exception." Her new memoir is Daring to Drive.
Interview Highlights
On the guardianship system for women in Saudi ArabiaWe have the guardianship system and that is the one that imposes a lot of restrictions on me, as a woman. ... A woman cannot choose her guardian. So when you're born, your father is your guardian. When you get married, it moves to your husband. If you get divorced, it either moves back to your father if he's alive; if he's not alive, it could move back to your brother.
On why she decided to advocate for Saudi women's right to drive
I think it chose me. I didn't choose it. As a single mom, I was divorced with a son and I had a car and I had a driver's license, but I couldn't drive my car. I was paying the installments for this car for five years. That was very frustrating. I almost got kidnapped once because I couldn't find a car to take me back home.
On Saudi women's reliance on foreign drivers
[Private drivers] get paid around $500 a month. No Saudi would accept this salary, and no Saudi will be 24/7 available ... to drive you around. ... [Drivers] work long hours with you, because they drop the kids at school, they drop you at work, when you need to go for grocery shopping, all these things — you will not find Saudis accepting these jobs.
Most of them don't even know how to drive! My first driver, I had to teach him how to drive. He didn't even know the signs. ... He didn't know the city. He didn't speak Arabic.
On how her protest helped inspire others to drive
I know a girl, she's 14 years old. She's so young, but in Saudi Arabia, you can drive as a boy as young as 14 years old. She dressed like a boy and I met her mom and I met her other sister, and they said [the police] stopped her so many times and they found out she's a girl, and she would plead with the police officer and explain to him that she doesn't have anyone. But she continued driving.
She always posted videos of herself driving, and that was amazing. She said, "We never thought of buying a car, because we were three girls in the house," — they don't have a man — "until we saw you driving."
Her mom ... kept saying, "Don't stop." Her daughter said, "They stole Mom's life. We'll not allow them to steal my life."
On the hard-line views she encountered as a student
In the '80s in Saudi Arabia, you were radicalized. We were radicalized in the '80s and the '90s. There was one source of information, the books were censored and we had all these wars going on around in the Islamic world. ... I was brought up in this era or in this time. ... We've been through this. ... Destroying our photos, stopping everyone from listening to music, questioning the beliefs of the others, the hate against the infidels, we were brought up this way. ...
I always questioned them, even when I was practicing to be a "good Muslim" and I was trying to please God and stay away from hellfire and go to heaven, I was still questioning these things. I wasn't really happy. The more I was trying to follow the rules we had been taught, the more miserable I became.
On undergoing female genital mutilation as a girl
The one, really, who circumcised us was a barber. He was my father's friend. My mom herself was circumcised and she told us the story that she ran away when they cut one labia and the other one they couldn't cut, and she was bleeding and she hid in the neighbor's house.
It was shocking to me that [my] mom, she put us through the same thing. But the pressure from the society is huge ... that a mother and a father can put their own daughters through so much pain just to abide by the society rules. This is how dangerous it is, that your own children, you put them through so much pain because you need to be obedient. ...
I think the worst was not the pain, the worst is losing trust in the people you love. ... It's very difficult even to talk about today. ... They didn't explain to us what was going to happen. ... These things bother me so much, that we put women through this pain.
Saudi woman driver activist released after second arrest
Nadine Dahan of Middle East Eye reports (June 8, 2017) that Saudi women's rights activist Lujain al-Hathloul, has been released from detention in Saudi Arabia. She was arrested in recent days as she attempted to leave the country through an airport. A link to the story is here, and the text is pasted in below.
A
Saudi Arabian human rights campaigner who was famously detained for 73
days in 2014 for defying the kingdom's ban on female drivers, has been
released after being held in Dammam on Sunday.
Lojain al-Hathoul's husband tweeted on Wednesday that she had been released after being detained at King Fahad International Airport, thanking all those who'd supported them.
The reason for her arrest this time was unclear, however Hathoul had not been allowed access to a lawyer, nor her family, according to Amnesty, which believes the arrest was made in relation to her human rights activism.
Before her first arrest in 2014, Hathloul had attempted to drive into Saudi Arabia from the UAE in defiance of Saudi’s ban on female drivers.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world in which it is illegal for women to drive.
“Loujain al-Hathloul is a prominent Saudi Arabian human rights defender who was detained for 73 days after she defied the kingdom’s de facto driving ban for women by attempting to drive into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates on 30 November 2014,” Amnesty International said this week.
“The Saudi Arabian authorities’ continuous harassment of Loujain al-Hathloul is absurd and unjustifiable," added Samah Hadid, director of campaigns at Amnesty International in the Middle East.
"It appears she is being targeted once again because of her peaceful work as a human rights defender speaking out for women's rights, which are consistently trammeled in the kingdom." Twitter users shared their joy at her release, and their support for what the couple is doing.
Lojain al-Hathoul's husband tweeted on Wednesday that she had been released after being detained at King Fahad International Airport, thanking all those who'd supported them.
The reason for her arrest this time was unclear, however Hathoul had not been allowed access to a lawyer, nor her family, according to Amnesty, which believes the arrest was made in relation to her human rights activism.
Before her first arrest in 2014, Hathloul had attempted to drive into Saudi Arabia from the UAE in defiance of Saudi’s ban on female drivers.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world in which it is illegal for women to drive.
“Loujain al-Hathloul is a prominent Saudi Arabian human rights defender who was detained for 73 days after she defied the kingdom’s de facto driving ban for women by attempting to drive into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates on 30 November 2014,” Amnesty International said this week.
“The Saudi Arabian authorities’ continuous harassment of Loujain al-Hathloul is absurd and unjustifiable," added Samah Hadid, director of campaigns at Amnesty International in the Middle East.
"It appears she is being targeted once again because of her peaceful work as a human rights defender speaking out for women's rights, which are consistently trammeled in the kingdom." Twitter users shared their joy at her release, and their support for what the couple is doing.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi women's driving activist arrested
Story in the 6/6/17 BBC website about Loujain al-Hathloul. A link to the story is here, text pasted in below.
Loujain al-Hathloul was picked up at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on 4 June, the human rights group Amnesty International says.
It says Ms Hathloul has been denied access to a lawyer or her family.
Ms Hathloul was arrested in 2014 when she tried to drive into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that forbids women from driving.
Authorities have not disclosed the reason for Ms Hathloul's latest arrest.
Amnesty International's Samah Hadid called for her immediate release, saying her "continuous harassment" was "absurd and unjustifiable".
"It appears she is being targeted once again because of her peaceful work as a human rights defender speaking out for women's rights, which are consistently trammelled in the kingdom."
While it is not technically illegal for women to drive, only men are given driving licences - and women who drive in public risk being arrested and fined by police.
Ms Hathloul was arrested in December 2014, when she tried to drive into Saudi Arabia from the neighbouring United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In November 2015, Ms Hathloul stood for election in Saudi Arabia - the first time the conservative kingdom had let women vote, or stand as candidates. However, her name was never added to the ballot paper.
A Saudi rights activist who was detained for 73 days for flouting the country's ban on female drivers has been arrested again.
Loujain al-Hathloul was picked up at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on 4 June, the human rights group Amnesty International says.
It says Ms Hathloul has been denied access to a lawyer or her family.
Ms Hathloul was arrested in 2014 when she tried to drive into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that forbids women from driving.
Authorities have not disclosed the reason for Ms Hathloul's latest arrest.
Amnesty International's Samah Hadid called for her immediate release, saying her "continuous harassment" was "absurd and unjustifiable".
"It appears she is being targeted once again because of her peaceful work as a human rights defender speaking out for women's rights, which are consistently trammelled in the kingdom."
While it is not technically illegal for women to drive, only men are given driving licences - and women who drive in public risk being arrested and fined by police.
Ms Hathloul was arrested in December 2014, when she tried to drive into Saudi Arabia from the neighbouring United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In November 2015, Ms Hathloul stood for election in Saudi Arabia - the first time the conservative kingdom had let women vote, or stand as candidates. However, her name was never added to the ballot paper.
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