Comments on: Saudi Arabia: Sex-segregated sidewalks and women’s car driving

By: Grant

Grant — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:55:13 +0000

Dear Haitham,
Iâ€™m a student studying Middle Eastern gender relations in the U.S.A. and I found your post to be of particular interest. Negative and inaccurate stereotypes of Middle Eastern women are extremely prevalent within western media, and I feel as though it is from extreme examples such as this that fuel this fire. Such segregation is unheard of in the culture Iâ€™m familiar with, and quite frankly Iâ€™m a little appalled. Stories such as this paint an image of Middle Eastern women as being in need of â€œsavingâ€, and leads some I know to adopt a very orientalist viewpoint. Do you believe that examples such as this have created a serious internal debate over the koranic law and womenâ€™s rights within a contemporary middle east? If so, what is your opinion on this issue? I know that there is certainly an external debate over these issues, but Iâ€™m interested to now what an insiderâ€™s opinion might be.
Thanks,
Grant

By: somesaudi

somesaudi — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:56:38 +0000

whatever

By: SC

SC — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:44:25 +0000

to jl:
valid criticism of saudi policy, however, i don’t think this is something that “islam has to learn.” I don’t think the different policy’s have anything to do with buddhism or islam, they are just cultural differences (differences that Saudis need to address).

But this is a very poignant article, and the fetid state of womens rights in the arab world (a cultural thing which existed before the spread of islam) is something that we, as muslims, should be ashamed of.

By: jl

jl — Sun, 18 May 2008 14:14:54 +0000

As far as I know Japan doesn’t sex segregate their public transport, there would be NO WAY it could, it’s so crowded and rush hour, they would have to build a whole other transit system to accomodate them, there’s no money and no room, they are not hung up on ‘unclean unvirtous thoughts’, it’s a whole other buddhist thought which is in a way something that islam could learn a thing or two from (dare I criticize islam, well JUST GET OVER IT!-for a religion to remain vital, it needs to deal with it-and NOT bY just saying ‘pray harder and be more pious’-in ANY religion THAT HAS NEVER WORKED!!! but I digress). Here’s what you have in at least the Tokyo metro area and extensive public transport system and ONEROUS requirements for private auto ownership-you MUST have a space for offstreet parking, and your vehicle must undergo extensive inspection every few years, down to the condition of the body and interior, that’s why you see almost NO junker jalopy cars in Japan.
Japan is a small (about the size of Montana) with a population about 5 times the state of Calif.-it’s quite densely populated. Residential lots are small and houses are small so finding space for offstreet parking is a challenge. If you care to google any of this feel free, especially if it’s a challenge in those countries that have proxy servers that censor content. You can bet it’ll censor this google ‘The World Inside’ a 1970′s science fiction novel by Robert Silvberg-the world that way is rather shocking-no need for personal vehicles, war, starvation and poverty (and birth control) are eliminated.

By: being Fair

being Fair — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:12:11 +0000

I gues saudi are learning from history and from reality. all of could tell what is happeing in all sociaties where both sex are mixed everywher!! don’t we hear now some countries like Japan havde introduced new rule for transportation (like buses, mitros)to identiry certain places for women and anoterh for men. and why is that.. just simpley ask any gilr or women…. let us all talk about the reality. women are diamond, we should all protect them.

By: thomasfortenberry.net » Blog Archive » Kept Women? No, Kept Children. Kept in the Dark Ages.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:08:02 +0000

[...] If that isn’t enought, try the religious police building sex-segregated sidewalks in Saudi Arabia. [...]

By: zani

zani — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:05:06 +0000

all i can say is that that country is crazy and the religious police r even more crazier

By: jl

jl — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:50:50 +0000

‘Unfortunately some of these are powerful enough to control others life.
AND unfortunately nearly all religions do this.’-per the previous comment.
If the founders of the great religions of the world came back today they would be apalled and what their religion has morphed into.
They would say ‘This is NOT what I preached’.

By: Haitham

Haitham — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:33:05 +0000

saso,

No one is saying that Islam as a religion is wrong, but ‘some’ people who claim that they are ruling and practicing by Islam are wrong. Unfortunately some of these are powerful enough to control others life.

By: saso

saso — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:14:39 +0000

ok well ,i think we should not say anything bad on mutaween . really islam is a very good religon and really it is the best and an accurate realigon . isalm has given the real rights to women and we should not complain, and it does not say that women can not participate in anything.she can but not every thing and this is in the favour of women.if we understand it right we really will enjoy it…remember that women are female not male .i mean we can not do anything like the males .THIS IS IN FEMALES FAVOUR . REALLY ISLAM IS NOT LIKE YOU THINK .IT IS BETTER ONLY IF YOU UNDERSTAND IT RIGHT……….

By: Don Meaker

Don Meaker — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:44:44 +0000

To get around the requirement for virtuous Saudi women to talk to Saudi men of dubious virtue, it is obvious that Saudi Arabia needs female mechanics, and tow truck drivers, just as it needs female gynocologists.

By: jl

jl — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:18:48 +0000

So….
Sidewalks next. How bout a whole city-and surrounding land, for women only and only the women allow in the ‘enlightened males’ who can supposedly ‘control themselves’. Hey that can prove once and for all women can do it better. Wouldn’t that outcome be interesting.

BTW they aren’t allowed to use golf carts or bicycles, how bout tricycles, segways, pack animals w/ or w/out carts/carriages/coaches, skateboards or roller skates-what’s the supposed ‘rules’ on these?

By: kimmy

kimmy — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:55:22 +0000

Thank you Robin.
I now realize that the extreme on both sides are wrong.
Life is nothing but a glimpse of reality. From both sides.

By: Global Voices ØµØ¯Ø§Ù‡Ø§ÛŒ Ø¬Ù‡Ø§Ù†ÛŒØµØ¯Ø§Ù‡Ø§ÛŒ Ø¬Ù‡Ø§Ù†ÛŒ » Blog Archive » Ø¹Ø±Ø¨Ø³ØªØ§Ù† Ø³Ø¹ÙˆØ¯ÛŒ:Ø¢ÛŒØ§ Ù¾ÛŒØ§Ø¯Ù‡ Ø±Ùˆ Ù‡Ø§ Ø²Ù†

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:57:02 +0000

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By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:23:10 +0000

Well here’s what happened on a sidewalk in Khobar on Tuesday when two Saudi females decided to “take matters into their own hands” http://www.asharqalawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=10309
Seems there is ALOT of built up frustration going on to come to this!!