Last June, Saudi Arabian women launched a campaign to push for their right to drive, gettingbehind the wheels of their cars to protest the Kingdom’s ban on women driving. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised their efforts, saying, “I’m moved by it and I support them.” The AP reports today however that a court sentenced a Saudi woman to be lashed 10 times with a whip for defying the ban, noting that it’s “the first time a legal punishment has been handed down for a violation of the longtime ban in the ultraconservative Muslim nation.” The AP adds that Saudi authorities usually stop women drivers and let them go if they pledge not to drive again, but “dozens of women have continued to take to the roads since June in a campaign to break the taboo.” The sentence comes just days after King Abdullah announced that women will have the right to vote and run in forthcoming local elections there.
No comments:
Post a Comment