The inhabitants of the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia are not renowned for their sense of humour. In a country where public executions by beheading are commonplace, and even relatively minor transgressions such as drinking alcohol can be punished by the lash, the kingdom’s all-powerful religious police do not engender an atmosphere of levity.
So the fact that a video poking fun at Saudi Arabia’s long-standing ban on women drivers has gone viral, with nearly seven million hits registered since it was uploaded a few days ago, suggests that profound changes are taking place in the world’s most conservative country.
Called No Woman, No Drive, the pastiche of Bob Marley’s reggae classic was released by a group of Saudi comedians to support a protest by women drivers. Whether or not they succeed, the fact that women have publicly dared to challenge the authority of the all-powerful mutawa, the religious police, by posting videos of themselves driving to the local store provides a rare glimpse of the mounting resentment that many Saudis feel towards the domestic policies of perhaps the world’s last absolute monarchy.
The disinclination of the younger generation of Saudis (many of whom have been educated at some of the best universities in the West) to tolerate the royal family’s autocratic style of government certainly helps to explain the dramatic changes taking place in Riyadh’s dealings with the outside world.
Faced with growing internal tension – from Islamist radicals as well as liberal reformers – the ruling family is determined to defend its interests by whatever means necessary. This is reflected by a new assertiveness on the world stage – seen most vividly in the surprise decision to reject a seat on the UN Security Council earlier this month. The Saudis turned down this prestigious opportunity – greatly offending their US allies – in protest at the Obama administration’s failure to take military action against Bashar al‑Assad and its recent overtures to Iran, a sworn enemy of the House of Saud. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Thursday, October 31, 2013
