Saudi woman killed defying driving ban: report
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RIYADH: A Saudi woman was killed in a car crash in the capital Thursday as she defied the kingdom’s long-standing ban on female driving, local media reported.
The woman, in her 20s, lost control of her vehicle and crashed into the wall of a youth club in Riyadh, according to the website of the local Al-Jazeera daily.
The car caught fire and she died, it said.
Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. However, they usually get behind the wheel in desert regions away from the capital.
Thursday’s deadly accident was not the first of its kind involving a woman driver. In January 2012, a female driver was injured and her companion killed when their car overturned in the northern Hael province.
Also read: Saudi women activists demand end to 'absolute' male control
And in November 2010, a woman driver was killed along with three of her female passengers in a similar accident.
Women in the kingdom who have the means hire drivers while others must depend on the goodwill of male relatives.
Women’s rights activists make frequent calls to challenge the ban and those who do so post online videos showing themselves behind the wheel.
In addition to not being allowed to drive, Saudi women must cover themselves from head to toe and need permission from a male guardian to travel, work and marry.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (65) Closed
May 08, 2014 07:43pm
Ahhhhh, saudi's please grow up
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May 08, 2014 08:08pm
This has nothing to do with Saudi issues; Just an error in driving, could happen any where.
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May 08, 2014 08:40pm
Woman punished for driving with death? What a pathetic country Saudi Arabia --dawn of 21st century still no light more darkness.
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May 08, 2014 08:52pm
This shows they need good driving instructors to teach them how to drive safely which in present scenario is not possible in KSA.
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May 08, 2014 09:21pm
It has nothing to do with the fact that a woman was driving, as the headline suggests. Nevertheless, Saudi ban on women driving is absurd and UNISLAMIC.
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May 08, 2014 09:36pm
I suspect foul play.....
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May 08, 2014 10:08pm
@NASAH (USA) dude, read properly, she had an accident and died
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May 08, 2014 10:14pm
Saudi woman was afraid of "Shurta"(constable) and she could not maintain control on steering and she dashed her car against a wall. Saudi law is responsible for her death.There should be permission for females to drive their own vehicles.
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May 08, 2014 10:18pm
what has a crash and a death / injury in a crash have to do with Islam or saudis?
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May 08, 2014 11:40pm
Now there will be three sides of this case. One, she died because women cannot drive, it is risky. Two, women should have no restrictions to drive so that they drive better, and fearlessly and safely. Third, a person died in a car accident (period). Close minded people would present the first argument, and open minded would emphasize the second one, and normal people would look at it the third way.
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May 08, 2014 11:44pm
We should respect law of the land, Be it Western or Eastern Land.
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May 09, 2014 12:26am
@NASAH (USA)
Did you even read the news...She lost control and crashed ...NOT PUNISHED!
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May 09, 2014 01:46am
Sharia Law Zindabad!!! Women can't drive. Women can't vote. Women can't go shopping alone. Women can't see a male doctor. Women can't go out without hijjab. Please tell me the what women can do under sharia law? Stay home and produce babies?
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May 09, 2014 01:57am
Imposing of driving ban on women should not be obeyed. People must revolt against such laws-be it any where.
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May 09, 2014 01:59am
The first step Saudis should take is to allow drivers education for women and refresher drivers education for men before opening it for women. Right now the situation is quite dangerous for all drivers.
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May 09, 2014 02:01am
Saudi girls have told me when I lived there for six years that the greatest danger to Women's driving is that male drivers will try to harass them by driving too close to them, forcing them off the road. So this and all previous accidents in which women died were caused intentionally by males who want to keep their women under lock and key and wish to make an example of those who try to drive. I have absolutely no doubt about this.
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May 09, 2014 05:44am
It is a tragic accident. However, license issuing authority should introduce stricter policies so that the drivers are well trained before they come on roads.
I think it has got nothing to do with the women/men thing.
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May 09, 2014 06:01am
A Pashto saying goes on, "You die of sweets, you're not dead."
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May 09, 2014 06:13am
I am not sure if I really understand the intention of sensationalism of the media. A woman died driving. It did not say she died while being harassed (although Saudis have done that in the past).
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May 09, 2014 07:48am
@M. Siddique what is this to do with Islam....?
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May 09, 2014 07:52am
If only she could see!
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May 09, 2014 08:32am
@Dr. Sehar Khan women can be an aalima,mujahidah,a home maker
the messenger of allah p.b.u.h raised the status of women to such an extent dt men have to find there jannah in the feet of mothers.
Islam doesn't blv in equal division of labour rather it believes in division of labour according to ones strength and capabilities.
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May 09, 2014 08:38am
@Khan - The report is not about Football or IPL.
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May 09, 2014 10:45am
@Dr. Sehar Khan Yes
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May 09, 2014 10:57am
Surely this is not Islam
Taking us back to stone age
Education is the only light that can bring prosperity to the Islamic world and get rid of these narrow minded religious advocates
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May 09, 2014 11:05am
The Agence France Presse reporter made two major mistakes in this news item, and Dawn re-printed the item without corrections. Firstly, the headline and connotation of the item seem to indicate that the Saudi lady was executed by the Saudi government for driving, whereas she died in an accident. Secondly, he states: "Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive". This is technically wrong, because the Saudi government does not expressly forbid women to drive, rather it does not give driving licences to women drivers. So legally, women in Saudi Arabia can and do drive, with international driving licences. However, though this kind of driving is technically legal, driving by women is frowned upon by conservative men. Women driving, albeit with international licences, could be harassed or arrested by the 'mutaween' (the Saudi religious police).
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May 09, 2014 11:28am
This kind of madness has no cure,but revolution of mind -set.
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May 09, 2014 12:09pm
Accidents should not be an excuse to deny the women of Saudi Arabia to drive cars or other vehicles. Women all over the world are as good drivers as men are. Saudi government is required to wrap sanity and maturity now.
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May 09, 2014 12:12pm
@Dr. Sehar Khan it is not Sharia law, but the Government of Saudi Arabia is to be blamed. Islamic law give liberty of movement and action to women of course within the parameter of decency.
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May 09, 2014 12:20pm
@ghazi nazir - so you think that women are less stronger than men.. or they lack the will to be as strong as any men ... chauvinistic attitude and comment .. the typical man ego will feel intimidated by women who want to crash open the sexism door... guess what sehar said turned you upside down in your grave mate ;)
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May 09, 2014 04:50pm
Lolz does the article wants to convey that Accidents don't happen to saudi males. Gimme a break
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May 09, 2014 06:05pm
the sooner the world stops buying their Oil, the better the prospects for their women.
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May 09, 2014 07:13pm
@Mian Shahid Mehmood It is all about the inferiority complex that Saudi men suffer from. They must have something exclusively for them since their women have proven themselves to be superior to them in every aspect of life. Let us say driving is men,s baby.
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May 09, 2014 07:57pm
seriously at this day and age still wanting to follow "stone age" laws? when will people realize forward progress mentally and collectively as a society? as the entire world advances forward in every aspect of life they are going backwards....useless stone age laws...
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May 09, 2014 08:56pm
There is little drivers' education in place in Saudi Arabia for anyone, and it is denied to females. Then there is a serious lack in traffic control and enforcement by the police. Those things need far more attention in that country. Women can be as safe a driver as a male, and in many countries, safer drivers. It is about education, laws and law enforcement, not the sex of the driver. Wake up, Saudi Arabia.
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May 09, 2014 10:18pm
@ghazi nazir ...Mujahidah? great idea, become suicide bombers, detonate explosives, kill innocent people, and get free pass to paradise. Ye kam khud kyon nahi karte, apne bachon se kyon nahi karwate dosron ko kyon mushwara dete ho bhai...Ghazi tu pehle hi ho aur Nazir bhi.
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May 10, 2014 01:07am
Substitute "died" for "was killed" to make a shorter and more accurate title. "Was killed" implies that someone actively caused her demise.
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May 10, 2014 01:23am
Read complete article. she died because of accident not death penalty for driving car.
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May 10, 2014 09:39am
The outcome of this story has nothing to do with Saudi Law. Its just sensationalism for online traffic.
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May 10, 2014 09:41am
It is high time that Saudi Arabia should have women taxi drivers.
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May 10, 2014 10:06am
@NASAH (USA) What about USA? Is it all about respecting women or using them as objects? I need to understand whether USA is pathetic or not as per your eloquent standards. Does living in the 21st century mean that you have to follow the American way otherwise you are still living in darkness? I am just asking because I want to learn from what you have to say. And lastly where in the article was it written that the woman was punished to death for driving.
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May 10, 2014 12:38pm
Ouch!!! :(:(:(
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May 10, 2014 05:26pm
@Altimo was it or it was sabotaged. All one has to do is lose the control arms or jam the brake calipers.
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May 10, 2014 05:28pm
@Amir
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May 10, 2014 05:28pm
and get rid of that black box
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May 10, 2014 05:40pm
It is a shame that Saudi Arabia has hijacked our religion becasue of location of shrines. Many of us are told from birth that Saudis have superior and purer blood. No wonder we let Osama Bin Laden hijiack our country's name and credibility.
Some day, Muslims will shake of their inferiority complex about Saudi blood.
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May 10, 2014 07:35pm
@NASAH (USA)
There are too many punishments being handed down. In North America, drivers are being punished with death, if they are driving intoxicated, careless driving, driving in vehicles that require major repairs, etc. And you know what? - No one is blaming the country where the death occurs. Car crashes are not the fault of the government!
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May 10, 2014 07:43pm
hmmm .... OK you bashers just grow up and stop blaming Saudi Government, they have nothing to do with these killings. May be Allah does not want women to defy the Islamic law?
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May 11, 2014 12:15am
A society in the stone age.
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May 11, 2014 09:24am
I appreciate of this report in positive way. I also in the favour of "women driving". They have equal rights according to ISLAM. I respect for this.
But first of all, you must chose positive and suitable words not like "Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia". If Saudia is Ultra-conservative country and rule in the world then i guess every other country in the world is most stupid country and LAW. And I strongly against of all type of human rights because ISLAM gives us best rights in the world. but we manipulate rights and laws through Human Rights NGOs (So Called).
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May 11, 2014 09:49am
These are the reasons and threats to other drivers Saudi women are not allowed to drive
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May 11, 2014 10:29am
"""""The car caught fire and she died, it said."""""------ ina lillahay wa ina ilahi rajiooon. Lesson for others, the ambition to drive could drive you beyond the point of NO RETURN, only 20 years old, so all who drive please DRIVE CAREFULLY---- anywhere in the world ---- it ticks and clicks and the result could be DEADLY.
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May 11, 2014 10:31am
@Samad Chaudhry be realistic, what has religion to do with anything if you do not drive CAREFULLY. PLEASE?
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May 11, 2014 10:32am
@No as if that cannot happen in the good old USA?
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May 11, 2014 10:33am
@Abdul Sattar Qamar--- guessing at its best and not eye witnessing ------ that is what media all about?
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May 11, 2014 10:37am
@Agha Ata normally there is only two sides to a coin--- you are making it three dimensional. When it comes to driving there is only one side ------ control of steering and careful driving if you want to reach your destination with aafiyat. PERIOD.
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May 11, 2014 10:41am
@independentthinker or for any religion at all.
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May 11, 2014 10:43am
@Talha --- the name says it all NA means NO and SAH means say or adviser neither in this case?
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May 11, 2014 10:44am
@guddi ----- CHANGE YOUR GLASSES so you see what is what???
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May 11, 2014 11:50am
@NASAH (USA)
cant you read? it says she crashed the car and died in a car accident. Nothing that says she was punished..what is wrong with you!!
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May 11, 2014 01:18pm
something sure scared her and out of fear - it resulte in her death - saudi govt. must wake up.
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May 11, 2014 09:27pm
@NASAH (USA) People like you are hilarious and pathetic at the same time. Next time don't just read the heading
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May 11, 2014 11:18pm
@Ali : Not if that law discriminates and denies its citizens equal rights.
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May 12, 2014 08:46am
A handful of female Saudi drivers are killed in road accidents- compare this with the number of Saudi males and the number of female Saudi passengers who are killed
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May 12, 2014 08:48am
@Saifur Rahman All laws should be obeyed. The revolt should come by way of an attempt to get the laws changed
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