here in KSA, even when women are sitting in their family cars driven by their drivers, young men keep chasing their cars, sticking out their mobile numbers,etc. (not always but many times)
so imagine the fitnah when she's driving all alone. she can meet anybody she likes. nobody to see where she is going to. dont u think it will increase fitnah?
as sister above said, only few percantage follow Islam properly, dont u think women obsesses with western values, tank-tops, jeans will go on dating if given freedom to drive?
assalamu alaykum
Well, rather than banning women from driving, perhaps the answer is actually making some sort of change to the Society, where such men roam??
I believe that if there are men who go around chasing women in cars, there is a problem!
I know in much of the Middle East the way some men behave, and in Saudi Arabia too, even in Makkah and Madinah, the behaviour of some of the locals is really deplorable and shocking. A lot goes on there, that most people are unaware of, and the problem is, that it is often ignored or hid under the carpet.
The way the youth hang outside McDonalds in Hayy al Umarah, in Madinah, and they look for girls and try to send them Msgs, or get their numbers! or just whistle and holler.. The thing is, they look so funny, because they try to dress Western, but end up wearing jeans which are designed for women. I remember, when I was there, how some of the teenager guys wore designs that were obviously for girls. Very cool.
I am in Jordan, next to Saudi Arabia, there are many sisters who drive cars, many of them who wear the niqab. The atmosphere here, is totally different to the neighbouring countries. It is not perfect, no place is, and there are many problems with Jordan and with Palestine, but the problems that exist in Saudi Arabia to do with women, and fitnah do not exist here to the same extent.
And of course, coming from the UK, it is quite normal for women to drive, whether Muslim or not Muslim..
There is no problem whatsoever from women driving cars. People should not be mixed up and make this as to having something to do with Islam.
There is a bigger fitnah that women have drivers, and a lot of women end up having affairs with the drivers! and the men who have affairs with female maids in Saudia. Many illegitimate children there.
No matter how many tight laws and regulations you may make, people will break them and not care. THere is only an extent to how much you can force people to do things. The change must come from the family, the culture. People should be raisd to respect women and to behave in Islamic way. That is how it is here in Jordan.
In Saudi some of the guys, they just behave really really like jerks, due to the way they have no tarbiyyah at home, and are just forced into being in a way. So, they do silly stunts with their cars, (like the tonnes of youtube videos of dangerous things they do with their cars).. or just gaze after women, and follow them. Stalking is an acceptable activity for some teenagers in shopping malls. Just imagine the most creepiest of people ! You will see them in Riyadh and Jeddah! I can not even begin to explain this strange phenomena. Even the way they dress, in the Gulf countries, some men also wear high heeled sandals underneath their dishdasha. I have seen so many strange things......
This is problem with much of the Gulf countries, a mixture of ignorance, slow break down in society and morality and a lot of money.
Anyway, I think it is a good rule for Saudi Arabia, they should extend it to men driving, then it would be a lot safer. When I lived in Saudia I remember, having to avoid all the Saudi men that were changing the rear view mirror so they can fix their Shamagh and Iqaal, their mirror is permanently fixed upon their own head so they can make sure they look good, and they are doped up and high on Kahwah
assalamu alaykum