A R A B I C A ارابيكا

DRIVING DEBAUCHERY
*The campaign against women driving in Saudi Arabia continues to grow, as a "Saudi religious figure named Mohammed al-Manjad said he considers a woman driving a car sexually immoral because if she gets behind the wheel of a car, she is surely practicing other forms of licentiousness." The word used to describe women who drive is "فاسقة" which is defined in Al-Mawrd dictionary as: "debauched, wanton, licentious, lecherous, immoral, libertine, lascivious." He stressed that women like this and those supporting them are "hateful, malicious and hypocritical." Although the Prophet Mohammed did not mention driving specifically in the seventh-century Quran, "he did state that it is hypocritical for a women to drive a camel or a donkey, and that same sentiment therefore applies to women driving a car."

*Saudi news website Sabq.org reports that Manal al-Sharif was released from jail after nine days, following reports that she signed a pledge while imprisoned to drop her "I will drive my car" campaign that has caused the government international embarrassment.

AIR STRIKES AND AL QAEDA
*The Arab-language media appears less than impressed by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh airstrikes on the small southern city of Zinjibar, which was reportedly taken over by an estimated 300 Al Qaeda militants. For months, Saleh has been claiming that his resignation would create a vacuum in which Al Qaeda could take over the country. Moheet.com opines that Saleh "is exhausting all means available to him to stay in his position, especially the option of civil war and the scarecrow Al Qaeda."

THE OTHER TAHRIR SQUARE
*Coverage instead focused on the reported 20 people shot dead by security forces while protesting in the city of Taiz. "Republican Guard units and gunmen loyal to the president stormed Tahrir Square in Taiz," BBC News reported. "Security forces, accompanied by gunmen from the ruling party's supporters, burned all the tents erected in the square and used bulldozers to remove the tents after the looting and burning of all its contents," the network reported.

May 30, 2011

photo credit: illustir