Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban On Women Driving
WASHINGTON Saudi Arabia is lifting its ban on women driving, officials said Tuesday, prompting applause from progressive Saudis, especially women who have battled the policy for years, and international commentators.
cheap canada goose uk The royal decree from King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud was announced almost simultaneously in Saudi Arabia, via state television, and in the capital of its most important partner, the United States, by the king’s son and ambassador, Prince Khalid bin Salman a reflection of the Saudis’ desire to improve their image abroad. cheap canada goose uk
canada goose uk black friday Astatement from the state run press canada goose outlet houston agency spread the news online,saying women can begin applying for licenses just like men. They will be officially allowed to drive starting next June. canada goose uk black friday
“I’m just trying to hold back the tears,” Sara Althari, a 26 canada goose outlet legit year old Saudi completing a doctorate at Oxford University, told HuffPost. “It’s been a long time coming.
canada goose clearance sale Although the policy change came from a king who seems open to liberalizing Saudi society in some ways, Middle East watchers emphasized that the efforts of Saudi women were responsible for turning buy canada goose uk the issue into a priority that decision makers had to deal with. and other liberal societies that the kingdom counts as essential friends. canada goose clearance sale
“I’ve said this to the canada goose outlet online uk Saudis many times: You really want to improve your image? There’s one simple thing to do: Let official canada goose outlet women drive cars,” former CIA analyst canada goose outlet location Bruce Riedeltold HuffPostlast year. “I understand that’s easier said than done.”
Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman, the 32 year old heir who is expected to take over from his elderly father in a matter of months, has invested heavily in trying to change perceptions of Saudi Arabia abroad, as well as pushing to modernize society at home. This reform is seen as one he has been lobbying for behind the scenes for months.
buy canada goose jacket cheap But it’s still a controversial step, given the power that hardline clerics and https://www.mycanadagoosejacket.org ultra conservative interpretations of Islam have long held in a kingdom shaped by the relationship between the royal family and key religious leaders. buy canada goose jacket cheap
It’s unlikely that scholars opposed to gender equality or their followers will stage public protests against the king’s decision, not least because the kingdom recently arrested some 20 prominent critics of the government, said Andrew Bowen, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. But there is a risk of growing polarization between Saudis in urban areas who support progress and those in less developed provinces, as well as fresh enthusiasm for armed militancy against the Saudi government from groups like the Islamic State.
The eventual popularity of Crown Prince Muhammed’s reform agenda also depends on the success of his economic proposals to improve young Saudis’ job prospects and make the country less reliant on oil revenue, Bowen said. Some Middle East experts have cast doubt on the feasibility of the prince’s plans, which recently had to be rejiggered.
uk canada goose outlet Saudi Arabia also appears to be backsliding in other areas, leading some analysts to suggest the step forward for women was in part a public cheap canada goose relations ploy. uk canada goose outlet
Yup. There only so much room on the newscast for Saudi stories, and women driving is going to suck it up. Prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,writing in The Washington Post, revealed that he had gone into self exile.
“In the starkest terms, Saudi Arabia is trying to moderate the extreme viewpoints of both liberal reformers and conservative clerics. And the arrests span that spectrum,” Khashoggi canada goose outlet sale wrote. “Regardless of who is being targeted, this is not what Saudi Arabia needs right now. We are going through a major economic transformation that is supported by the people, a transformation that will free us from total dependence on oil and restore a culture of work and production. This is a very painful process.
canadian goose jacket Still,Tuesday’s announcement seemed to suggest an upward trajectory and canada goose outlet black friday many Saudis are keen to celebrate. canadian goose jacket
Canada Goose Parka “Headlines from Western media outlets are trying to downplay the magnitude of the moment by focusing on technicalities and logistics.. Cut us some slack and join the party at least for once,” Althari said. Canada Goose Parka
canada goose uk shop Slow, steady progress in Saudi Arabia has made a canada goose outlet in toronto difference for her family, she noted. In 2013, then King Abdullah appointed her mother, cancer research scientist Khawla Al Kuraya, as one of the first women to sit on his advisory Shura Council. canada goose uk shop
uk canada goose “Over 50 percent of university graduates are women in the kingdom, and there are tens of thousands of university students sponsored abroad, many of whom are women. If we come back and use our degrees, be part of the workforce and energize each other, we will eventually see the outcomes that we hope to achieve,” Althari said. “It is an opportune time to go back as a Saudi woman.” uk canada goose.