Princess Loulwa Speaks Out on Women Driving

Princess Loulwa Al Faisal spoke out recently about women driving in Saudi Arabia.

Loulwa is the sensible, smart, and hard-working daughter of Saudi Arabia's beloved King Faisal, who was tragically assassinated in 1975, and Queen Effat, a great pioneer in women's education. Her brothers and sisters are all, in their own way, working hard to bring Saudi Arabia forward. One brother is the Foreign Minister. Another used to be head of Royal Intelligence. Others head up a family foundation, are regional governors, or run charitable organizations. Loulwa helps run Effat University, an all-women liberal arts university whose curriculum is entirely in English. Princess Loulwa is one of my favorite people.

She recently took part in a symposium on women's education in the developing world at Bryn Mawr College and expressed her opinion quite clearly on the issue of women's driving. She also did this some years ago at the World Economic Forum, but this time she extended her remarks to be absolutely clear where she stands.

The story appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The quote begins below. You can read the whole story by clicking on the title of this post.

Princess Lolowah al-Faisal, vice chancellor of Saudi Arabia's first private women's university, described educational opportunities for women in her country in ways that defied Western stereotypes.

"We must promote cultural understanding," she said.

In Saudi Arabia, women's legal rights exceed the public's willingness to embrace them, Faisal said. "By law, salaries are equal," she said. "In every family, daughters have to finish high school."

And although women don't drive, that is by choice, she said. "I think women should drive. It is time now. Women are giving just as much to society as men. The king is not against it. The crown prince is not against it. There is no law against it. It just needs to get through society."

The princess, whose mother founded Effat University, holds an honorary doctor of humane letters from Mount Holyoke College. She embraced the idea of online universities. "I hope we arrive to a certain network where everybody shares this knowledge," she said.

But in developing nations, where so many people still have no electricity, she said, computers are not yet practical.

At Effat, she said, students receive a solid liberal arts education, but with cultural and religious accommodations. "There are things our society wouldn't accept, such as painting nudes," she said. "What we want of our graduates is to become good Muslims, to go out and live excellent lives. A society with uneducated women is dead."

Contrary to what many believe both in the United States and in her own country, the Quran does not place women in an inferior role, she said.

"Someone asked the prophet, 'Whom shall I be grateful for?' And he said, 'Your mother. Your mother. Your mother. Then your father.' People have forgotten this," she said. "This is what we're trying to bring back to our young people. The mother is the nation-builder. If she doesn't have the knowledge or the tools, then she won't help the nation."

Opposition to Women Driving: From the Pulpit to the Stage - Play About Saudi Women Driving Performed in Riyadh

The Arabic daily asharq alawsat  reported on a play that was performed in Riyadh during the recent Eid al-Fitr celebrations after the end of Ramadan, entitled "Profit Becomes a Loss."  The play presents the view opposing women driving, that if women begin to drive, too many difficulties and problems will result. The link to the story is in the title above, and also at right in the list of news stories about Saudi women driving.

Humorous column on Saudi women driving from Arab News

Today's Arab News has a humorous column about Saudi women driving. This is a good sign - when people start to find the humor in the situation, change will likely come soon. It seems healthy to me that writers and thinkers are beginning to poke fun at themselves over this social quandry. The author is Dr. Khalid Alnowaisir, an attorney and columnist.

Eureka...the solution for women to drive cars

I've also listed it at right in the news stories roll.

Saudis speaking out on women driving

Four stories came my way this week about the Saudi women driving issue. All these stories are linked below and at right. The voices in favor of lifting the ban are all Saudi - from a wide spectrum; a religious scholar, a Saudi woman artist, a Saudi woman activist and a senior journalist.

First, a feature article from the Arab News about a female artist and designer, Zaki Ben Abboud, who has been working with an Italian car company to design a six-wheeled automobile designed with women in mind, using 'traditional colors'. Unfortunately, due to turmoil in the financial markets, the project has been pushed back to 2012. She is also launching an art show in the west, entitled 'Revolution'. This show has been shown abroad but was not permitted in Saudi Arabia due to objections from the 'Hai'a' - Saudi Arabia's controversial vice squad. story on Zaki Ben Abboud

Second, an op-ed piece in the Saudi publication alsharq alawsat by its former editor in chief, Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, who now serves as general manager for Al-Arabiyya TV, a major television network in the Middle East.  He writes that so far, efforts to 'push' the government into permitting women to drive have not been successful. He says things will only change once overwhelming public opinion supports women driving. And since it's really difficult to tell what the public opinion is, the proponents of change should be focusing on changing public opinion. He cites the example of Rosa Parks - that after her defiant act riding in the front of the bus in the U.S. - it took years for things to change officially. op-ed piece from alsharq alawsat

Third, is a story from the Netherlands about Saudi women's rights activist Wajeha Al-Huwaidar, who is teaching Saudi women how to drive in the rural areas where the driving ban is overlooked.  story on Wajeha al-Huwaidar

Last, and perhaps most important, is an article summarizing an interview on al-Arabiyya tv, during which a Saudi scholar says there is no need for a fatwa to allow Saudi women to drive. The scholar, Shaikh Ahmad bin Baz, is the son of the former grand mufti of Saudi Arabia. While he isn't officially a 'cleric', the fact that someone from his family and with that kind of commitment to Islamic scholarship is basically saying the ban should be lifted, is quite significant. His most important point in my opinion is that people are taught to know right from wrong. And if they can't behave in a way that is consistent with that, then there is something in the education system that needs adjustment.  Story from al-Arabiyya

Women Driving Resurfaces - Arab News

Great article by Walaa Hawari from the Arab News about the driving issue bubbling along, like a slow-cooking stew. Wonderful to read that someone is pointing out the economic and social reasons that SUPPORT issuing women driving permits. And actually saying, Saudi women are strong, not weak and in need of protection.  You can link to it from the headline above, or from the list of Saudi news stories at right about the issue.

The Economist: Are women on their way at last?

The Economist gives a recap about the amazing changes brewing in Saudi Arabia - the ideas about women and men mixing and yes, women driving. It's been quiet for a while in the English language press on the issue, but as the article says, it's a hot topic of discussion on the ground in the Kingdom itself. You can read the article by clicking on the title of this post, and it's listed on the right as well.

Op-ed Piece Opposing Proposed Network of Women-Only Buses

Saudi writer Sabria Jawhar argues that the proposal, currently before the Saudi Shoura Council, to set up a network of 600 buses to transport Saudi women, is a 'band aid' approach to the problem of women's transport. She argues that the Kingdom should be working instead toward giving women the right to drive. Click below or on the headline to read her article, which appeared in the Saudi Gazette on March 10, 2010. I'll also post it in the list of news stories at right.

Band-aid approach to solve women's transport problems

Visit Sabria's blog: Sabria's Out of the Box