Tuesday, January 28, 2014

cc 3.1

In a recent article by Ben Hubbard of The New York Times, entitled "Saudi Women Rise Up, Quietly, and Slide Into the Driver’s Seat," Hubbard talks about Saudi women attempting to drive in the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. 

In the article Hubbard interviews, Madiha al-Ajroush who says she wishes to drive to "get into my car and do something as small as get myself a cappuccino or something as grand as taking my child to the emergency room." I think its good that women are wanting to drive in Saudi Arabia and I support their right to drive with Saudi Arabia being the only country that allows women not to drive a lot of women seem to be on a tight leash. And many seem to agree in Saudi Arabia asking to let women drive and posting videos of their wives or sisters driving to support their cause.

Also Hubbard states, "The fact that the activists have been at it for so long without creating a mass movement or any change in government policy underlines the power of tradition in Saudi society and the tremendous political clout of social conservatives who fear that Westernization or anything that looks as if it will detract from the kingdom’s Islamic character" If this is true then why is Saudi Arabia Covered in fast food shops and many malls, if the people wish to keep tradition they should also flex around to let women be more equal as the men. In history we have seen many people who held on tightly to tradition, however we have also learned that those who cling to the traditions and past to tightly are doomed to stay in the past and are left behind, where the world is constantly looking to the future it may be soon that Saudi Arabia changes and looks ahead as well.

Hubbard also says that, "Despite the strong opposition, the women believe that time is on their side. They point to the huge numbers of Saudis who study and travel abroad and return with new perspectives on their culture. They also suggest that the kingdom’s youthful population and the tremendous rise of social media will over time make the country more open to change." As stated the women believe that it may not be now or very soon but they know that the ability for women to drive may just be around the corner. However with much of the leaders still clinging to the past it may not be until new leaders come to power for such a day to come.

This article can relate to me in the way that some girls are treated driving here although its generally opposite then that of Saudi Arabias power holders who think women can't drive. Here the women are statistically better drivers than men so much that their insurance is generally lower than that of men.

In summary women in Saudi Arabia women are pushing hard for some equality mostly the small abilities that we take advantage of here like driving. Although there push is also pushed back i believe that if they keep pushing for equality they will eventually get it, like the ability for women to vote in America in the 1920s the Saudi women just need to keep pushing.

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