Manal Al Sharif driving in Saudi Arabia (with English subtitles)

For more on this case, follow @jessradio on Twitter.

Original translation by @FreeBenghazi, with help from Eman Al Nafjan
(@Saudiwoman) and Errafat Thabet (@samwaddah). Video production by Maisie Cohen. Co-ordinated by Jess Hill (@jessradio).

On Thursday May 19, Manal al-Sharif, a 32-year-old IT consultant, got in her car and drove through the streets of Khobar in Saudi Arabia. Sharif had a passenger with her -- Wajeha al-Huwaider, a women's rights activist. Al-Huwaider filmed al-Sharif driving, and the two women talked about the limitations they face as women in the Gulf kingdom.

Manal al-Sharif uploaded the video on YouTube, and before it was taken down four days later, it attracted over 600,000 views.

The following day, al-Sharif drove again, this time with her family. The car was stopped by traffic police, and arrested al-Sharif and her brother. They were released later that evening.

Around 2am the following morning, religious police arrived at al-Sharif's house, and arrested her again. Saudi authorities say she will be detained until June 5. Amnesty International has declared al-Sharif a 'prisoner of conscience', and is calling for her immediate release. (http://www.amnesty.org.au/news/commen...)

• Category

  News & Politics

[Sarah Winters]

LikerOfThings - shut the fuck up and know your role you bum bitch motherfucker! A woman's lot in life is not at home taking care of children. A woman can do anything she wants with her life, pursue her education, a career and she most definitely deserves equality and her independence! Thank God the Almighty that I live in America where I am free and I am equal. Stone you to death bitch!

[TazzyZee14]

I can't even begin to imagine why a woman should be STONED to death just for operating a vehicle. A device used as an alternative to walking. Or can women in Saudi not walk either? Nothing in the Qur'an says a woman is not allowed to leave the home. That would be a depressing ass life. I'm sure any man would go crazy stuck in his home. It's no different for women. They're not slaves meant to serve men. You're not fucking royalty. It's disgusting that you treat women like trash.

[fasogeeek]

Well done!! I don't understand why you have to go through all of that when you can get your own car and drive it. InshaAllah it will happen soon, there is nothing that prohibits it in Islam, Aisha the prophet's wife used to lead a whole army, so what is driving compared to that? Stand up for yourselves women, Islam doesn't allow this!

[LikerOfThings]

Women need to be protected, we cant just let them go all over the place and get in all kind of trouble. Women who drive/talk to men outside their family (that includes policemen + emergency services etc) deserve the harshest of punishments to deter other women from putting themselves in such danger. Yes, we men have penises and urges, women need to be protected from them.

[Sami Alotaibi]

Oh my god . You are making me feel like I grew up in country where very man are stupid ...

if your believe that every women caught driving should be stoned ( if you really mean it ) then you are really stupid my friend .

every thing should be done according to the teaching of islam, and there is nothing in islam says what you are saying

I don't think there is problem with women driving except the time ...

there is many things more important we should deal with it first ...

[Sami Alotaibi]

well, you aren't suppose to say the word B@!CH to a male because it is for women, actually you aren't suppose to say it at all .

But if this what you've learned so far in USA, if that what you've understood from freedom and being equal with men . then I have to say to you darling that you haven't learned anything sadly, and you should be stoned to death for you stupidity, because you are using air and drinking water and eating food that someone actually know what is freedom is can benefit ...

[Sami Alotaibi]

you are absolutily correct, I am a muslim too and from saudi arabia and just like you said it is not about islam but people how found this very stupid try to make it the islam fault ( forgeting that there was know cars 1400 years ago )

I can tell you it is just a culture thats all and many people how didn't like the idea in my country tried to make it an islamic thing so everyone agree that it is wrong . I hope you understood me because my English is weak .

[elane pretty]

Is driving haraam for women ?where I found this in the Holy Quran or in the Sunnah, I am a Muslim and I know Islam very well and I know that Islam refer to the women her dignity ,he did not makeher prisoner home to be the slave in it

[edycalifornia559]

May good fortune be with this brave woman :-)

[Ntsbhdb]

Frankly, if your god is real and you are the representative of an example of population he wants to have on Earth I take my chances with Satan. Can´t get worse. Bytheway I read the Bible, I came from orthodox catholic family and my cousin is priest and because I knew Christianity I gave up on it. Than again I doubt you will comprehend this.