Source:TOI
NEW DELHI: A prominent Saudi prince and business mogul has called for an end to the ban on women driving in his country, saying the archaic rule is an infringement of women’s rights.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal doesn’t hold a formal position in the government, but he enjoys a high profile as the 41st richest man in the world. He has holdings in major international corporations, including Twitter and Citigroup. An unusually outspoken member of the Saudi royal family, the prince disparaged the driving ban imposed by Hai’a, the country’s religious police.
“They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion,” Prince Alwaleed wrote in an open letter published on his personal website. Throwing his weight behind the women’s rights movement, Prince Alwaleed said, “Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity.”
Sahar Hassan Nasief, a women’s rights activist in the city of Jeddah, told AFP that the appeal from such an influential figure could help to bring about change.
Categories: Asia, Saudi Arabia
A step in the right direction. Obviously a progressive person. More like that needed.