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johnslat · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:55 pm Post subject: Not ALL Saudi women want to drive

�I Pray My Daughters Have A Life Like Mine�
Sep 24, 2012 1:00 AM EDT

These were the words of the devout, conservative matriarch with whom Karen Elliott House lived as she wrote her definitive new book on modern Saudi Arabia. Here, she describes the surprising lives of women in the kingdom.

"Lulu and her daughters represent the cloistered and benign Islamic conservatism that the Al Saud and its religious partners, the Council of Senior Ulema, profess to believe dominates the kingdom. Lulu wishes she were in such a majority but says fewer than 50 percent of women any longer share her views and lifestyle."

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/09/23/karen-elliott-house-on-the-lives-of-saudi-arabia-s-women.html

Pretty good article, I'd say.

Regards,
John

mashkif · Joined: 17 Aug 2010 Posts: 178

trapezius · Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:21 am Post subject:

I will read the article, but I thought it was common knowledge that not all women want the freedoms that many want.

The vast majority of religiously conservative women are actually against *any* women driving in this country (because women driving opens doors to prostitution and all that). Oh, and the super rich ones as well probably wouldn't want to drive, as they have their chauffeurs at their beck and call to whisk them anywhere they like in their Mercs and Rolls.

Remember when some women started a campaign to end the "guardianship" system for women? A group of women led by a PRINCESS started a counter-campaign called "My Guardian Knows Best" to maintain the status quo... where is the "feeling sick/disgusted" smiley?

The religious ones don't want any of the freedoms, and they also want to prevent others from having them. The rich ones don't need the freedoms, as they already enjoy them inside their palaces and outside the country every chance they get.

trapezius · Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 10:28 am Post subject:

Just finished reading it... went perfectly with my lunch!

Have to go to class now, so will post comments later, assuming it is not locked by then. I hope people will keep it somewhat subdued in here to prevent it from getting locked.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

We have had a few on our program (outside of Saudi) who really just wanted to go home, get married, and live the same lives as their mothers. The hard work of academia didn't really suit them....why bother if you haven't got to?

Though I'd say most of the women on our programme were in fact very intelligent and hard-working, and had acutal ambitions higher than a life with basically zero responsibility for anything.

johnslat · Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 2:01 pm Post subject:

Dear trap,

"I thought it was common knowledge that not all women want the freedoms that many want."

It's likely common knowledge among those who have experienced Saudi, but among those who haven't (especially among strong advocates of women's rights here in the West) it's not uncommon to find those who automatically assume that ALL Saudi women MUST be longing to break free of their "chains."

I've had people who've never been to the Kingdom tell me I was didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned that there were many Saudi women who actually were content with the status quo. Very Happy

Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I can echo Johnslat's comments. I dfo not know how many times I have listened to tirades about KSA from poorly-informed "enthusiats" (as Dr Johnson would have called them).