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Robert Spencer in FrontPage: At Last, Women Can Drive in Saudi Arabia, But Don’t Get Too Excited

Jun 27, 2018 12:30 pm By Robert Spencer

Has moderate Islam prevailed? Not really. My latest in FrontPage:

As of Sunday, women can finally get into the driver’s seat of automobiles in Saudi Arabia, as the most visible aspect of the much-heralded reforms initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) finally took effect. So now moderate Islam has prevailed in the Kingdom of the Two Holy Places, once the international center and symbol of strict adherence to Sharia, and a bright future is ahead, right? No.

“We are simply reverting to what we followed – a moderate Islam open to the world and all religions,” MBS explained last October, but since then there have been numerous indications that either he wasn’t being honest, or doesn’t have as much control over the country as Western analysts think he has.

Saudi women may be able to drive, but they still can’t leave home and get behind the wheel without permission from a male guardian. This is Islamic law, based on a statement attributed to Muhammad, and so even MBS doesn’t have the power or will to challenge it: “The husband may forbid his wife to leave the home…because of the hadith related by Bayhaqi that the Prophet…said, ‘It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to allow someone into her husband’s house if he is opposed, or to go out of it if he is averse” (Reliance of the Traveller m10.4).

Saudi women are also still subject to being beaten for their perceived disobedience, with no recourse, as per the supreme authority in Islam, the Qur’an itself: “Men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because Allah has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them.” (Qur’an 4:34) Muhammad’s child bride, Aisha, says in a hadith that Muhammad “struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: ‘Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?’” (Sahih Muslim 2127)

Saudi women can be divorced at a word. They receive a smaller share of the inheritance (cf. Qur’an 4:11). Their testimony is worth half that of a man (cf. Qur’an 2:282). They must cover their heads when they do venture out or be subject to arrest. All that is based on Islamic law. And it all remains in force in Saudi Arabia.

What’s more, even as they are being praised around the world for “modernizing” and finally allowing women to drive, Saudi authorities have arrested at least eleven women’s rights activists since mid-May. And in late April, according to AFP, “Saudi sports authorities shut down a female fitness centre in Riyadh” because of “a contentious promotional video that appeared to show a woman in figure-hugging workout attire.” Saudi sports authority top dog Turki al-Sheikh, who is one of MBS’s advisers, declared: “We are not going to tolerate this,” and ordered that the fitness centre’s license be revoked. Saud al-Qahtani, a Saudi government media adviser, explained that the Saudis were pursuing “moderation without moral breakdown.”

MBS has shown himself to be less than honest. In an April interview, he made numerous false statements, including: “Islam is a religion of peace. This is the translation of Islam.”

No, the translation of “Islam” is “submission.” He added: “For 1,400 years, Muslims have been trying to spread the word of God. In the Middle East, in North Africa, in Europe, they weren’t allowed to spread the word. That’s why they fought to spread the word.”

This is a novel excuse for the jihad conquests, but clearly Mohammed bin Salman is working from the stipulation in Islamic law that Muslims should live peacefully with non-Muslims unless the non-Muslims put any obstacles in the way of the spread of Islam. In that event, the Muslims have the responsibility to wage jihad in order to clear away the obstacles.

His claim, however, is utter nonsense. In my forthcoming book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, which you can preorder here, I trace the history of jihad worldwide from its beginnings to the present day — this is the only book to have done this. I show that in the places MBS mentions — the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, as well as in India and elsewhere — the jihad was an unprovoked attack on non-Muslims who had not placed any obstacles in the spread of Islam, or had anything to do with it at all.

MBS also said: “But you also see that, in a lot of countries in Asia—Indonesia, Malaysia, India—Muslims were free to spread the word. They were told, ‘Go ahead, say whatever you want to say, the people have free will to believe whatever they want to believe in.’ Islam, in this context, was not about conquering, it was about peacefully spreading the word.”

This is outrageously false particularly regarding India. As I show in The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, the jihad in India was especially bloody, because the Hindus were not “People of the Book,” and hence had only the choice to convert or die, while the “People of the Book” were given the third choice of living in submission to Islamic law. The Hindus were granted honorary “People of the Book” status rather early on, simply because there were too many of them to kill, but the jihadis nonetheless treated them and their houses of worship with stunning and sustained brutality.

Mohammed bin Salman was apparently counting on people in the U.S. not knowing that history. But his false statements, and the continuing human rights catastrophe that is his Kingdom, belie his much-touted intentions to pursue reform.

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Filed Under: Featured, Islamic reform, Saudi Arabia, Sharia, women's rights in Islam Tagged With: Mohammed bin Salman


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Comments

  1. CogitoErgoSum says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 12:47 pm

    Since a Muslim woman’s testimony in court is worth only half that of a man, I would suggest they always travel in threes (to break a tie) in case of a collision with a male or a dispute with a male police officer over a traffic ticket. If she is alone, all the man would have to say is that it was her fault and case closed. Probably would be best if they always had a man in the car with them … but he would have to be a close relative. They will probably find all this out on their own as time passes.

    • Ashley says

      Jun 27, 2018 at 1:10 pm

      You mean like this, Cogito?

      http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2018/06/27/prominent-saudi-womens-rights-activist-detained-as-driving-ban-lifted/

      • CogitoErgoSum says

        Jun 27, 2018 at 1:45 pm

        Yep. But the charges do not have to be as serious as espionage. Running a red light or careless and imprudent driving will suffice to make the women afraid of driving alone and make their husbands or fathers less likely to give them the car keys.

        • Ashley says

          Jun 27, 2018 at 2:12 pm

          I think she was targeted for her efforts in promoting gender equality, Cogito.

          She was looking forward to celebrating this (hollow) victory for Saudi women steering the wheel only to be detained. A shroud of mystery now lingers over her detainment and folks are scared to comment about the matter.

          That doesn’t sound particularly “liberating” or “progressive” to me.

          But I agree with you…Saudi women behind the steering wheel are fair game.

          Ick!

        • gravenimage says

          Jun 27, 2018 at 8:56 pm

          Those who know Saudi Arabia have said that if a woman driver has an accident that she will be gang raped by Muslim men on the road. *Ugh*.

        • Brian hoff says

          Jun 28, 2018 at 6:00 pm

          Gave image India is the rape capital of the world and gangrape capital of the world. Than most of the rapeist are hindu. Mosr of the crime done in america are done by america citizen born in america.

        • KJW says

          Jun 28, 2018 at 7:26 pm

          Brian Hoff, Saudi women need at least three witnesses to charge for rape. One man and two women witnesses would be OK because the two women each have half a testimony and the man 100%. How many people actually witness another person’s rape? So, much of time the rapes go unreported.

          We in the US have a different justice system, and even with its faults, it’s the best in the world. My testimony isn’t half the worth of a man’s!

        • gravenimage says

          Jun 28, 2018 at 8:05 pm

          “Brian hoff”–really, “DefenderofIslam”–wrote:

          Gave image India is the rape capital of the world and gangrape capital of the world.
          ………………………………..

          India is the most populous nation in the world save China. India also has a significant Muslim population.

          More:

          Than most of the rapeist are hindu.
          ………………………………..

          This may be true–after all, Muslims make up less than 15% of the population there, compared to almost 80% of the population which is Hindu. Are we *really* supposed to applaud Muslims for being somewhat less than 5 times times more likely to offend than Hindus?

          As it is, Muslim rape is rife in India.

          More:

          Mosr of the crime done in america are done by america citizen born in america.
          ………………………………..

          And this is even more absurd. There are an estimated 12.5 million foreign born residents in the US, compared to the population in toto of over 325 million. They’d have to commit crimes at a rate 26 times of those here born here in order to have a higher crime rate. That this is not the case is not necessarily cause for rejoicing–the numbers are still pretty awful.

          And if he is referring to Muslims, this is even more absurd. Muslims, both foreign-born and born here, make up less than 1% of the population in the US. Does he think it is reassuring to us that Muslims are committing crimes at a rate somewhat lower than *100 times* that of Infidels? *Good God*.

        • gravenimage says

          Jun 28, 2018 at 8:10 pm

          By the way, *very few* women in Dar-al-Islam report rape, because if the victim cannot produce 4 adult male witnesses, then she is in danger of being convicted of “Zina”–admission of having had sexual relations outside of wedlock.

          Women who have reported rape in the Muslim world have been imprisoned, flogged, and even stoned to death.

          Rape is not even codified as a criminal act in Saudi Arabia.

          *This* is what “Brian hoff” wants to see here in the United States. *Ugh*.

        • gravenimage says

          Jun 28, 2018 at 8:13 pm

          Here’s what happens in Saudi Arabia:

          Human Rights Watch has investigated the situation, and their report concludes that the rape victim is punished when they speak out against the crime. In one case, the victim’s sentence was doubled for speaking out; the court also harassed the victim’s lawyer, going so far as to confiscate his professional license.

    • J D S says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 10:47 am

      But…have they revised the Koran…jailed all the imams who preach the Koran etc. ….replaced them with those who preach peace and love……given women the same rights as men… started helping build
      and rebuild Houses of worship for those other religions in the land….. and changed the many other awful things that Islam teaches???

  2. Ashley says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 12:59 pm

    It seems that allowing Saudi women to drive is just an empty gesture of tokenism.

    I wonder if Saudi men are going to give their “liberated” wives and daughters driving lessons? A car? Keys to the car?

    • Wellington says

      Jun 27, 2018 at 1:32 pm

      I agree, Ashley. Just a few extra scraps given to obedient slaves.

      If you have Islam in your midst you can’t possibly have full equality between men and women. One knows this or should know it. You know it. I know it. Sadly, many still don’t know it, including a hell of a lot of dhimmis in the West.

      • Ashley says

        Jun 27, 2018 at 2:16 pm

        “One knows this or should know it. You know it. I know it.”
        __________________________

        I think this is the finest compliment bestowed upon me, sir.

        Thank you.

      • gravenimage says

        Jun 28, 2018 at 5:30 pm

        +1

  3. Gjallarhornet says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    Saudi Arabia have only given a token change to impress the west, nothing has changed. They have given up on one small detail they don’t care much about anyway. Hint – there is nothing in the koran on driving motorcars. But they know the Westerners care about the issue. A lot. So: “There you go infidels – we are nice people now”.

    It would be like if England were to say to France during the Napoleonic Wars that Britain was France’s best friend … because French cuisine were no longer outlawed in London. Big deal!

  4. Voytek Gagalka says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 1:44 pm

    “Women allowed driving cars in SA”? Only… they do NOT control the keys to the car to drive “freely.” Thus in effect, they can only DREAM to drive cars… freely and without any restrictions.

  5. Buraq says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    Will they be allowed to reveal their faces for the pic on the driver’s license?

    • mummymovie says

      Jun 27, 2018 at 3:59 pm

      An excellent question, Buraq.

      Speaking of faces, I noticed the NY Times front page “photojournalist” image featuring a woman on a Harley Davidson, ready to take off on her freedom ride: I wonder how long it will be before she has someone coming after her with an acid attack…

      What a bunch of baloney! This is just more of Mohammed bin Salman’s PR blitz smokescreen.

      • Carol the 1st says

        Jun 28, 2018 at 7:39 pm

        And he uses it as an opportunity to spread what he knows are lies.

  6. Walter Sieruk says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    The is right “Don’t get too excited” For an example of not becoming to unrealistically hopeful about genuine female rights being enacted in and Islamic nation is that when I was visiting the United Kingdom in the city of London I came across a Christian bookstore . It had in fair and objective booklet about the harsh oppression of girls and women in Islamic countries. This booklet had information in it Muslim who were member of different lobby groups that were engaged in making social reforms in Islamic governments regarding the improvement of the rights of females in Islam nations.
    Those involved in those woman right groups were ,no ,doubt, sincere in working for reform.
    The point is that my visit to England i was in the 1980’s. Likewise that booklet was written and printed in the 1980’s .Time and recent history had revealed that no actual genuine progress was made for human rights of girls and women in Muslim countries.
    This is because those nation are Islamic and Islam is a religion of hash hand oppressive misogyny and no amount of political action will cause female to gain the human right that they should have and deserve

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 27, 2018 at 9:00 pm

      Glad to see some understood the savagery of Islam in the 1980s.

  7. Linda says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    I think the problem lies in that the exact same words mean one thing to Westerners and a completely different thing to Mohammedans. I was watching a video with an Arab talking about the coming freedom of women to drive. He said that it wouldn’t be the way the West thinks it will be, but it would be the Saudi way. These are two VERY different civilizations and it is unlikely that they will ever agree. This is even before you figure in factors like Taqiyya and so on.

  8. Save Europe says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    Wow! We are in 2018 and the Saudis are being ‘this’ Liberal?!?! Well, my word, they deserve so so so much applause!

  9. DHazard says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    I’d love it if the guy was forbidding his wife/wives from driving. Then, one day, he has a heart attack and in his last unintelligible pleading she calmly tells him she can’t drive him to the hospital because he has forbidden it. And even if she did call for medical assistance, they wouldn’t be able to enter because he has forbidden unrelated males from entering the house without prior approval. Kind of the way Stalin died, slowly on the floor of his office with everyone too afraid to come in and disturb him.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 27, 2018 at 9:08 pm

      Actually, this kind of thing must happen all the time.

    • Chris Malan says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 7:05 am

      Don’t worry. His ten-year-old son or nephew can drive him. I worked in Saudi Arabia.

  10. Roland says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    It’s a mirage.

  11. gravenimage says

    Jun 27, 2018 at 8:34 pm

    Robert Spencer in FrontPage: At Last, Women Can Drive in Saudi Arabia, But Don’t Get Too Excited
    …………………….

    True.

  12. Matthieu Baudin says

    Jun 28, 2018 at 4:31 am

    “… I show that in the places MBS mentions — the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, as well as in India and elsewhere — the jihad was an unprovoked attack on non-Muslims who had not placed any obstacles in the spread of Islam, or had anything to do with it at all…”

    Raiders and unholy plunderers – no better than the Mongols or for that matter the Vikings.

    • Linda says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 9:12 am

      I think MbS was educated entirely in Saudi Arabia, so maybe this is the line he learned in school and never questioned it. They’re always going to have some excuse. They’re not going to just come out and say, “Islam is like Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, only worse.”

    • Carol the 1st says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 8:04 pm

      And there seems to be an assumption that they should be entitled to spread their diabolical creed in someone else’s territory. Oh, I forgot, – Allah doesn’t acknowledge borders.

  13. Chris Malan says

    Jun 28, 2018 at 7:20 am

    There is no reason a woman would want to drive in Saudi Arabia. There is no reason anyone would want to drive in Saudi Arabia. I worked there, had a Jeep and drove there. It’s terrifying. Words cannot describe how badly and recklessly they drive. That goes for the hordes of Filipino foreign labourers there as well.

    I have quite an extensive vocabulary but describing how badly they drive is beyond me. Boy, have I seen some things…

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 8:30 pm

      If you were stuck in the house under the brutal thumb of your “Mehram” all day, then even driving in Saudi traffic might look fairly enticing.

  14. George Joseph says

    Jun 28, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    Prince Salman says: “For 1,400 years, Muslims have been trying to spread the word of God. In the Middle East, in North Africa, in Europe, they weren’t allowed to spread the word. That’s why they fought to spread the word.”

    Ask this moron if the right to spread one’s religion exists for only Islam. By his own logic, why shouldn’t Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews declare war on Saudi Arabia and the other 56 Islamic nations because they refuse to allow preaching of other religions. He said that not allowing the preaching of Islam calls for war. So, the same right must exist for others

    Does he have even a few cells of brain? Does he not realise that he is incriminating the entire Muslim world with such a moronic statement. But then, expecting intelligence from a Muslim is like looking out for vegetarian tigers. If they had the brains, they would not be Muslim.

    • Linda says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 4:48 pm

      Nothing about Islam is logical and there is no one who can make it sound sensible. It’s like putting lipstick on a pig.

    • Carol the 1st says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 8:08 pm

      But surely only very, very smart people can pose as being so very, very entitled?

  15. Flavius Claudius Iulianus says

    Jun 28, 2018 at 5:05 pm

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-bill-62-face-covering-july1-1.4724863

    • Linda says

      Jun 28, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      Great! All the bank robbers can head to Quebec then.

  16. Marco says

    Jun 28, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    Is there an official permission slip the woman’s owner must fill out or is a simple written and signed note by the owner ok?

  17. underbed cat says

    Jun 29, 2018 at 9:18 am

    Good marketing for the acceptance of Islam to allow woman to drive, even if she needs the permission of her husband, just like every other deception it is to protect the movement of Islam.The images of stoning woman will have to go inside, it caused some to notice and they are out to impress the west and the west can be taken by deception well, they call it racism to speak about problems so no one speaks…islamic doctrine is very clever.

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