Every once and a while in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the file of women's driving is opened wide. Indeed, this (old-renewed) file continues to be tackled by supporters and detractors, to be thrown back and forth by attackers and defenders, and to be the object of disputes between rejectionists and enthusiasts, while in the end, the final result is always null. Clearly, the Saudi government seems to prefer to keep this case's door partially open and to maintain the debates and controversy in the ranks of the public. To the supporters and detractors, the picture is crystal clear – based on the way of thinking of each group – but to many others, the grey area is sustained as long as the government has not yet adopted a final decision in this regard. Two weeks ago, the file was activated once again after ladies who were unknown on the popular and human rights levels stepped behind the wheel, namely Manal al-Sharif who was arrested by the security bodies and turned out to be an employee in the largest oil company in the world (Aramco), scientifically and professionally outstanding, and an expert on information security. But a few days before and after Al-Sharif's arrest, other women drove their cars such as Najla al-Hariri in Jeddah and other ladies in Qatid, Ar-Rass, Bisha and Riyadh. In the meantime, women in villages and desert areas are riding cars and tending to their family's needs with utter freedom, as there is nothing against them driving in the desert according to the advisor at the Royal Court, Sheikh Abdul Mohsen al-Obeikan. The Facebook-based revolution allowed some women to publicly voice their opinions in regard to the issue of driving among others. They thus dared take to the streets and gather in front of ministries and official institutions to demand their rights, take care of their own affairs, and speak before officials with a “confident” tone. This new female action, which coincided with the issue of women's driving, activated the women's file on the domestic level and shed light on it on the external level. Consequently, it gathered support from several national factions via traditional and new media outlets and secured the non-objection of renowned sheikhs. However, the issue is still facing a deadlock and has not yet been settled by the decision-maker. Since 1990, the file of women's driving has been distanced from all official discussions, after around 50 women drove cars in Riyadh. Hence, the issue was never deeply tackled except in the form of articles in dailies or on websites. When Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz assumed power in the country, he said during a televised interview on ABC with American journalist Barbara Walters in October 2005: “I strongly believe in women's rights. My mother, my sister, my daughter and my wife are women. I believe that a day will come in which women will drive cars.” He added: “In reality, they already do in some areas of the Kingdom, especially in the countryside and the desert areas. This requires patience, and in time, I think that this will be possible.” For his part, and in response to a question raised by the press in 2005 – after Shura Council member Mohammed Al-Zalfa proposed at the time the discussion of the issue of women's driving before the council– Second Deputy to the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Prince Nayef Bin Abdul-Aziz commented by saying: “This is a social issue and the decision must be made by society,” indicating: “The ongoing controversy surrounding it is rendering it an issue, while it is not actually so.” Reading into the position of the Saudi command, one can see it is not expressing any opposition but prefers not to settle this issue via a political decision. This is why we are witnessing a stalemate, which will probably be sustained until an official decision is adopted to grant women this right. There now seems to be some sort of leniency (an easy one in form but very difficult to apply) in the fatwas of sheikhs and preachers in regard to this issue, appearing to be the result of pressures that are both social and religious. For example, member of the Senior Scholars Association Qais al-Mubarak implicitly rejects the prohibition of women's driving, while Aaidh al-Qarni believes that the solution resides in women's driving and Mohammed al-Monajjed that it is an urgent need. Recently, member of the Shura Council Hatim al-Sharif called on those insisting on the prohibition of women's driving to speak what is right. Far away from the justifications and the problems of the drivers and their harassment of women and children, their massive monetary transfers abroad, their depletion of the monthly wages of the families, and the high costs induced by the visa fees, the renewal of the residency papers and the provision of plane tickets, housing, food and clothing, is this “pending” issue not worth closing for being an obligation and not one of the pillars of Islam? Some might wonder: What is the easiest way to settle the issue of women's driving? In my opinion, the answer resides in the formation of a specialized committee including qualified people from the relevant ministries and institutions, in order to come up with a decision that would contribute to the final resolution of this issue, or the creation of an official “survey” website that would be closely monitored and would allow the registration of the names and ID numbers only once, so that people can vote in favor or against this matter. Those responding to the supporters of this right can in no way become convinced that this issue is a matter of priority. But if it is not a priority and is described as being “marginal,” why is it not permitted in accordance with traffic regulations and clear religious and legal grounds? When compared to the other countries around the world, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not doing that well, because in order to prove the rightfulness of this choice, it must be decided that women's driving in Arab and Islamic countries is prohibited and costly, at a time when this is only applied by the Saudi population! The proof for that is the fact that the Islamic Fiqh Council in Holy Mecca did not prohibit women's driving.
