Dubai, Sep 28: Two days after King Abdullah gave the fairer sex right to vote, a Saudi woman has been sentenced to be lashed 10 times for defying the kingdom's ban on female drivers.
A court in Jeddah sentenced the woman, Shayma Jastaniah, yesterday after finding her guilty of driving on Jeddah streets, the first such legal punishment handed down for a violation of a long-time unannounced ban in the ultra conservative Muslim nation.
Two other women are scheduled to appear in court later this year on similar charges, Saudi-based ‘Arab News' reported. This was the first-ever crackdown on woman drivers as normally police stop them to caution them and then make them sign a pledge that would not to do so again, before letting them go.
The paper said the sentence came more of a shock as recently women in droves had begun to take to the roads in a campaign to break the taboo.
The shocking sentence comes soon after the Saudi King, in a bold move, decreed that women would be given voting rights in municipal elections to be held in 2015.
The woman driver Shayma, who holds an international driving licence, expressed her dismay and shock at the sentence.
“I am still in shock and I cannot think straight because of what I had to go through. I will appeal the sentence,” she told ‘Arab News'.
She told Arab News that she drove only once and it was before Manal Al-Sharif, the high-profile campaigner for women driving, was caught. Shayma holds an international driving license.
Shayma's lawyer Adnan Al-Saleh told Arab News that his client was waiting for a fair and just decision on women driving.
He said women driving is not considered in any way a criminal charge in Saudi law or Islamic teachings.
“This is not an issue related to morals or custom nor is it a crime that requires punishment.
“The courts now consider any woman driving a car without a Saudi driving license to be committing a crime punishable by lashes. It means that any woman caught driving in the future will suffer the same punishment, and maybe even prison,” he said.
“In this situation, the woman driver has the right to appeal the case and submit her objections because this is an initial sentence. The case will then be transferred to the court of appeals.”
He said King Abdullah gave the green light to women to participate in the Shoura Council and vote and run for the municipal elections, yet the Saudi courts were punishing women for driving.
“How can she be allowed to lead a nation when she is not allowed to drive?” added Al-Saleh.
He said Shayma received two punishments. The first was a fine because she drove without a Saudi driving license. The second was lashes.
“Why was she given two punishments? On what basis, after she paid the fine, can you then whip her? Is it because she is a woman? What if she was a man? Why can't men be transferred to court and get lashed? What is the problem with woman driving?” he questioned. “She did not smuggle drugs, and she did not cause an accident.”
Zaki Safar, founder of the “Saudi Men For Women Driving” campaign, said ultra-conservative elements in society were not happy with the king's new directive giving women more political power.
He added that they have no qualms about being vociferous when voicing these sentiments.
Safar said it is otherwise difficult to explain the decision to try fellow woman driver Najla Hariri as well as the conviction of Shayma.
Hariri, who also flouted the ban on women driving, is to stand trial after the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution in Jeddah decided to prosecute her.
She drove her car more than once to support the “Women2Drive” and “My Right2Dignity” campaigns and was detained for driving on Aug. 24. She was referred to a Jeddah court. The first hearing will be held next month.
Hariri said, “I received a call informing me that I'm expected to appear in the Jeddah court after a month for the charge of driving. It's ironic that this happened one day after the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques decided to allow women to become members of the Shoura Council as well as vote and run for the municipal council.”
Hariri said that what happened to Shayma is humiliating and she wishes that the Jeddah courts will review the case and drop the charges.
In another case, Madiha Ajroush was stopped by Riyadh's traffic police on Tuesday for driving her car.
She told Arab News that she was caught driving once in Riyadh in 1990 and was released after she signed a document promising not to drive again.
“I drove my car on Tuesday to express my happiness following King Abdullah Sunday's speech. It was my own way to celebrate women's achievements,” she said. Ajroush said that going out and driving her car was more important than having to sign the piece of paper or being arrested.
