Saudi king 'revokes' woman lashing
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) - Saudi King Abdullah has revoked a sentence of 10 lashes imposed on a woman for breaking the ban on women driving in the conservative kingdom, a Saudi princess said Wednesday on her Twitter account.
"Thank God, the lashing of Sheima is cancelled. Thanks to our beloved King. I'm sure all Saudi women will be so happy, I know I am," said Princess Amira al-Taweel, wife of billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
"In tough times we stand together; in good times we celebrate together," the princess said. "I'm proud to be Saudi. To all Active Saudi women thank u for ur efforts."
Sheima Jastaniah was sentenced on Monday by a court in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where she was caught driving in July, a rights activist said.
"We were shocked yesterday (Monday) that she was sentenced to 10 lashes," the activist said, adding Jastaniah would appeal the verdict.
The sentence came a day after the king announced women would be allowed to vote and to run in municipal polls, and to join the all-appointed Shura (consultative) Council, a first in a country that imposes many restrictions on women.
Amnesty International condemned the sentence, saying it demonstrated the "scale of discrimination against women in the kingdom."
"Flogging is a cruel punishment in all circumstances but it beggars belief that the authorities in Saudi Arabia have imposed lashes on a woman apparently for merely driving a car," Middle East and North Africa deputy director Philip Luther said in a statement.
"Belatedly allowing women to vote in council elections is all well and good, but if they are still going to face being flogged for trying to exercise their right to freedom of movement then the king's much-trumpeted 'reforms' actually amount to very little," he added.
"Saudi Arabia needs to go much further. The whole system of women's subordination to men in Saudi Arabia needs to be dismantled," added the official from the London-based advocacy group.
Also on Tuesday, women rights activist Madiha al-Ajrush was detained briefly in Riyadh after she was caught driving around the capital with a French freelance journalist who was working on a video documentary on women.
The journalist said she herself was set free after her consulate intervened, while Ajrush was later released according to posts by the Women2Drive campaign on the group's Twitter page.
Women2Drive said police requested a male guardian to sign a pledge that Ajrush would not drive, but when no one was reached, she was told to sign herself and leave.
A group of defiant Saudi women got behind the wheels of their cars on June 17 in response to calls for nationwide action to break the ban.
The call spread through Facebook and Twitter was the largest mass action since November 1990, when 47 Saudi women were arrested and severely punished after demonstrating in cars.
The is no law banning women from driving. But the minister of interior formally banned women from driving following the protest staged in 1990.
Ajrush was one of the women who took part in the protest.
I have thought more about this. These women in KSA are just seeking attention. Next they will want to immitate West and dress like prostitutes in public. Best just to ignore such women by quietly giving them very large fines. No need to punish with violence because that just gives them the international attention they want. The West will not be outraged over some fines.
edifis if i may elaborate so u can digest my point..same sex marriage is not a norm and not accepted by all.. yet other countries gave their people freewill to do such..i think a woman that drive is a norm for almost all countries.. ( ''i stand corrected and i assume they are the only country with such ban'')..so i believe its not imposoble for KSA Goverment to allow their women to drive aswell..Maybe not for now, but its not impossible in time..t.y.
"And MAYBE some day, a woman will burn herself just to solicit the attention that women should be allowed to drive in Saudi, MAYBE!" Audubillah... May God forbid such a thing. Inshallah this ban should be lifted without anything evil further occuring. And I pray that only good will come out of it all.
Is there a relation between same sex marriage and driving?
how sad for women in Saudi.. if other countries can allow same sex marriage, im sure soon Saudi can allow women to drive aswell..i hope it will be very soon..
she just want to test the patience of those authorities that implement the "unwritten" law of the land regarding banning of women to drive. Actually, she can drive discreetly or secretly as long as nobody sees her. But she was caught and the consequence was the punishment. It's good she was saved by the king! And we should be thankful at least.And MAYBE some day, a woman will burn herself just to solicit the attention that women should be allowed to drive in Saudi, MAYBE!
But there is no law stating that sport..Why are you crying hoarse here, just read Saudi law. it is there on the internet
NOT ALLOWED to drive in KSA. So who is ignorant?
Well you don't know Saudi law and I am not in the business of educating ignorants.If you did know Saudi law then maybe we could have discussed why this woman got the punishment & why she was let off. As it is, you are totally ignorant so discussion is useless.
simple!
flor, women are not allowed to drive because..
- women while holding the hand gear may have indecent thoughts in their minds:)
-men may get distracted watching women drive and cause accidents. also, they may get turned on leading to orgies in the middle of the roads :)
if her international driver'sliscense is honored in Saudi then she dint broke any law..if not, she broke the law driving without a valid liscense..
No, it isn't necessary to explain it to you.
can anyone give me a simple english explanation?
It is clearly mentioned in the article that there is no law against women driving in Saudi Arabia.
Flor one doesn't need to be an expert in law to read plain & simple English. She didn't break any law.
FA who is watching me?
or you want to impose something that can be interpreted many ways? Although I don't agree totally, but law is law. Let us just be grateful that the King intervened (which is also part of their law).
She is to be punished for disobeying the law or law is to be abolished.
Slip she had an international license which is considered valid in Saudi for her male counterparts so actually she didn't break any law.
There is no such law. But there is a law that you can't drive without license. However, they don't provide licenses to women, so I don't blame her for breaking the law. It's time for Saudi to bring about some long overdue reforms. If a country's laws are oppressive against its citizens, the citizens have the right to fight it.
I hope the Saudi King will allow woman to drive in Saudi soon
2012 Olympics can you show us where is it written in Saudi law that women can't drive..
She knew the law. She broke the law. Now she must accept punishment according the law. Next the will be wanting to wear revealing clothing with now punishment.
The revocation was always on the cards .. Now the government will wait , gauge thecreaction and decide on what to do next ..
Edifis, careful someone is watching you.... :P
She deserved 10 lashes for driving without a license.
vegas..yup..just sharin it ;)
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