During a TV show, Saudi historian Saleh Al-Saadoon said that women should not be allowed to drive on the grounds that they might get raped if their car broke down on the roadside. "[Western women] don't care if they are raped on the roadside, but we do", he said on the January 11, 2015 show on the Saudi Rotana Khalijiyya TV.
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Daily Mail, UK
written by Alexandra Klausner
Tuesday February 10, 2015
A Saudi Arabian historian tried to justify his nation's ban on female drivers by saying that they might get raped if their cars break down. He added his opinion that in countries like America sexual crimes 'are no big deal' to women.
In a recent interview on Saudi Rotana Khalijiyya TV, historian Saleh al-Saadoon said that if a Saudi Arabian's woman's car were to break down she could get raped.
He then went on to say that in countries where women are allowed to drive that women 'don't care' if they are raped the way they do in Saudi Arabia, according to the transcript translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
'They don't care if they are raped on the roadside, but we do,' al-Saadoon said.
'Hold on. Who told you they don’t care about getting raped on the roadside?' asked the horrified female host 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,' he added.
Two other guests on the show also appeared to be in absolute horror but al-saadoon just replied 'listen to me and get used to what society thinks.'
Al-saadoon then said that women in his country who do not drive are treated like 'queens' and mentioned that with a gesture of their hand that their fathers, uncles, sons, and nephews must chauffeur them around
The female host then asked al-saadoon if he thought there was no danger of women being raped by their male chauffeurs.
He agreed that it was a legitimate threat and made a suggestion that elicited shock from the female host.
'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,' he added.
'Female foreign chauffeurs?' she said before covering her hand over her mouth. 'Seriously?'
If women drive in Saudi Arabia they face punishment including being lashed with a whip.
Two women's rights campaigners who tried to drive into Saudi Arabia are set to face a special 'terrorism' court.
Loujain Hathloul, 25, was arrested after she tried to drive into the country from neighbouring United Arab Emirates, flouting the ban on women motorists.
Maysaa Alamoudi, 33, a UAE-based Saudi journalist, arrived at the border to support Hathloul and was also detained.
Activists claim that it is the first time female motorists have been referred to the criminal court in the capital of Riyadh, which was established to try terrorism cases.
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