A Saudi Arabian historian trying to justify the nation’s ban on female drivers sayswomen who drive in other countries such as the United States don’t care if they’re raped and that sexual violence “is no big deal to them.”
Saleh al-Saadoon claimed in a recent TV interview that women can be raped when a car breaks down, but unlike other countries, Saudi Arabia protects its women from that risk by not allowing them to drive in the first place, according to a translation posted online by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
“They don’t care if they are raped on the roadside, but we do,” al-Saadoon said on Saudi Rotana Khalijiyya TV.
“Hold on. Who told you they don’t care about getting raped on the roadside?” asked the host, a woman who is not named in the transcript.
“It’s no big deal for them beyond the damage to their morale,” al-Saadoon replied. “In our case, however, the problem is of a social and religious nature.”
Two other guests on the show — a man and a woman — appeared to be in shock over his comments. Al-Saadoon said they were out of touch.
“They should listen to me and get used to what society thinks,” al-Saadoon said.
Since the rape argument didn’t seem to be convincing anyone, al-Saadoon tried another approach, claiming that women are treated “like queens” in Saudi Arabia because they are driven around by the men of the family and male chauffeurs. That led the host to ask if he wasn’t afraid that women might be raped by their chauffeurs.
Al-Saadoon agreed.
“There is a solution, but the government officials and the clerics refuse to hear of it,” he said. “The solution is to bring in female foreign chauffeurs to drive our wives.”
That caused the female host to laugh and cover her face with her palm.
“Female foreign chauffeurs?” she said. “Seriously?”
Saudi women face serious penalties if they are caught driving, including lashing. Two women who defied the ban on driving last year, Loujain al-Hathloul and Maysa al-Amoudi, are being tried in a court that handles terror cases.
Here There and Everywhere 
So horrible. Despicable man. Queens? Omgosh. I will force you to never leave the house unless I tell you to and then you will have an escort that will watch every move you make, slave woman.
Even in Saudi Arabia, his statement is comical 🙂 It’s not like they don’t have cable TV and access to how the rest of the world lives. Things are changing, and this is just a desperate attempt to hold back the tides of change.
I once had a breakdown in Germany, at a dangerous spot on a highway. Within 5 minutes a guy in an enormous BMW stopped, hooked up my car and towed me to a dealership and garage, where they repaired my car and didn’t allow me to pay for it. That’s what happens when you are a woman and your car breaks down.
I had a friend, 9 months pregnant with triplets, whose car broke down in Kuwait. She had a slew of the kindest men stopping to ask how they could help, could they call someone, handing her cold water, staying to protect her until her husband arrived.
In Qatar, a car full of me and three other women were on a remote northern road in Qatar, en route to an old deserted village, when a man followed us on some of the worst roads I’ve ever driven, making sure we were safe, gallantly tipping his egal as we reached our destination and he drove off.
There are some real heroes out there, aren’t there, basic, decent gentlemen. Treating us with respect.
Love your story of your breakdown in Germany, Aafke, and the outcome. 🙂