RIYADH, May 24: The Saudi Shura has no plans to take up the issue of women’s driving, a spokesman said on Monday. Referring to media reports saying that the Shura would discuss the issue soon, the spokesman said: “The council has no intention of raising this topic for discussion despite what has been said in the press.”

Dr Muhammad al Zulfa, a Shura member who was hoping that the council would at least discuss the matter of women driving as part of redesigned traffic laws, expressed his disappointment over the decision.

“It seems that for some reason, the recommendation regarding women driving was not passed to the council. I really do not know why,” he said while talking to newsmen. “I do not know why the recommendation was not approved by the president. We are not asking for a discussion of something that is sinful in our religion or in our culture. I think a lot of people in our society want to find a solution to this problem.”

When asked about other sensitive issues which have been discussed in the Shura but have not been implemented — such as physical education in girls’ schools — Al Zulfa said: “There are many problems that come up whenever we want to discuss anything to do with women in our country. We do not even know how to discuss things on their behalf since they are not allowed to express themselves in our society.”