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Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman's Awakening
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2017)A ferociously intimate memoir by a devout woman from a modest family in Saudi Arabia who became the unexpected leader of a courageous movement to support women’s right to drive.
Manal al-Sharif grew up in Mecca the second daughter of a taxi driver, born the year fundamentalism took hold. In her adolescence, she was a religious radical, melting her brother’s boy band cassettes in the oven because music was haram: forbidden by Islamic law. But what a difference an education can make. By her twenties she was a computer security engineer, one of few women working in a desert compound that resembled suburban America. That’s when the Saudi kingdom’s contradictions became too much to bear: she was labeled a slut for chatting with male colleagues, her teenage brother chaperoned her on a business trip, and while she kept a car in her garage, she was forbidden from driving down city streets behind the wheel.
Daring to Drive is the fiercely intimate memoir of an accidental activist, a powerfully vivid story of a young Muslim woman who stood up to a kingdom of men—and won. Writing on the cusp of history, Manal offers a rare glimpse into the lives of women in Saudi Arabia today. Her memoir is a remarkable celebration of resilience in the face of tyranny, the extraordinary power of education and female solidarity, and the difficulties, absurdities, and joys of making your voice heard.
Manal al-Sharif grew up in Mecca the second daughter of a taxi driver, born the year fundamentalism took hold. In her adolescence, she was a religious radical, melting her brother’s boy band cassettes in the oven because music was haram: forbidden by Islamic law. But what a difference an education can make. By her twenties she was a computer security engineer, one of few women working in a desert compound that resembled suburban America. That’s when the Saudi kingdom’s contradictions became too much to bear: she was labeled a slut for chatting with male colleagues, her teenage brother chaperoned her on a business trip, and while she kept a car in her garage, she was forbidden from driving down city streets behind the wheel.
Daring to Drive is the fiercely intimate memoir of an accidental activist, a powerfully vivid story of a young Muslim woman who stood up to a kingdom of men—and won. Writing on the cusp of history, Manal offers a rare glimpse into the lives of women in Saudi Arabia today. Her memoir is a remarkable celebration of resilience in the face of tyranny, the extraordinary power of education and female solidarity, and the difficulties, absurdities, and joys of making your voice heard.
289 pages, Hardcover
First published June 13, 2017
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July 12, 2017
Imagine not being allowed to drive . . .
This is a gripping true story told by Manal, a woman in Saudi Arabia who got arrested by the “religious police” for driving while female. There is no law that forbids women from driving, but the religious police are powerful. One evening they took her from her house, interrogated her for hours, and then threw her in jail, with feces underfoot and cockroaches in her bed. She wasn’t in jail a long time, but her story was all the more sad because she had a young son whose mom suddenly disappeared into the night.
What shines through is her courage and perseverance to better the conditions for women in her country. People have called her the Muslim version of Rosa Parks. I know I wouldn’t have had the nerve to go up against the authorities; I would have been terrified of the consequences.
The whole time I was reading, I became more and more fascinated to learn details of a culture I knew very little about. At the same time, of course, I was thoroughly appalled by the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. I could have been reading this for an anthropology course, and I was thirsty to learn everything I could. What was weird is that because the rules for women’s behavior are so strict, I felt like I was learning about a culture from long ago. But nope, this stuff is happening today. In fact, Manal’s story could only be told because of our modern world of social media: she originally got attention for her brave act because she and her friends videotaped her driving, and the video went viral.
She calls herself an “accidental activist” because she didn’t set out to stir things up so much; she had no idea that the whole world would be watching. It begs the question: Without social media, would anyone have heard her protests? For the most part I’m not a fan of social media, but here, it played a critical role in getting her important story out to the world.
Manal is a good storyteller—she keeps it personal and intimate while at the same time maintaining the objective distance of a good journalist. The writing is good, the facts a-plenty. And the facts of the matter—what her life was like—are pretty horrendous. I guess because she was used to it (it was the only thing she knew), she often has sort of a matter-of-fact attitude. She was used to the oppression, the unfair rules, because that’s how she, her family, and her friends lived.
The interesting thing is that Manal was very religious when she was young, adhering to one of the most radical Muslim groups. She enforced the rules, even to the point of destroying her brother’s cassette tapes and generally hassling her family when they didn’t observe the customs. The restrictions for women—having to cover their faces when going out, not being able to be around boys, for example, are many. There are also a lot of superstitions, which she chronicles well. The worst crime against women is genital mutilation, which doesn’t happen to every girl—but it happened to her when she was 8. Her description will stick in my mind forever.
So how did this devout Muslim who obeyed the religious laws and customs end up becoming this activist who helped women get more freedom in Saudi Arabia? The answer is education. Although Manal’s parents were brutal in many ways, both of them kept pushing her to get more and more education—her father spent most of his day driving Manal to and from college. As her world expanded in college, so did her consciousness. Her eyes, which used to be mostly hidden by a niqab, were now wide open. She ended up working in computer science at an American-like company that had its own little town and more relaxed rules. She was allowed to drive within that area but could not drive outside it. When she did one day decide to drive outside the area, that’s when her story started to be told.
I have two minor complaints. Early on, Manal devoted a little time to describing the religious history, which I found a tad boring. And at about the two-thirds mark, she goes into too many tiny details about her getting prepared to do her drive. We're talking super minor here. Neither of these things prevented me from giving this book 5 stars.
Manal no longer lives in Saudi Arabia, although she still has ties there. In fact, she has a son there whom she could not take with her. She has another son, and her two sons have never been able to meet each other. She spends a lot of time in the public eye, telling her story and supporting women in Saudi Arabia.
This is an eye-opener of a book—and this is one amazing woman. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
P.S. As of July 11, 2017, this book is still available as a Read Now from NetGalley.
This is a gripping true story told by Manal, a woman in Saudi Arabia who got arrested by the “religious police” for driving while female. There is no law that forbids women from driving, but the religious police are powerful. One evening they took her from her house, interrogated her for hours, and then threw her in jail, with feces underfoot and cockroaches in her bed. She wasn’t in jail a long time, but her story was all the more sad because she had a young son whose mom suddenly disappeared into the night.
What shines through is her courage and perseverance to better the conditions for women in her country. People have called her the Muslim version of Rosa Parks. I know I wouldn’t have had the nerve to go up against the authorities; I would have been terrified of the consequences.
The whole time I was reading, I became more and more fascinated to learn details of a culture I knew very little about. At the same time, of course, I was thoroughly appalled by the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. I could have been reading this for an anthropology course, and I was thirsty to learn everything I could. What was weird is that because the rules for women’s behavior are so strict, I felt like I was learning about a culture from long ago. But nope, this stuff is happening today. In fact, Manal’s story could only be told because of our modern world of social media: she originally got attention for her brave act because she and her friends videotaped her driving, and the video went viral.
She calls herself an “accidental activist” because she didn’t set out to stir things up so much; she had no idea that the whole world would be watching. It begs the question: Without social media, would anyone have heard her protests? For the most part I’m not a fan of social media, but here, it played a critical role in getting her important story out to the world.
Manal is a good storyteller—she keeps it personal and intimate while at the same time maintaining the objective distance of a good journalist. The writing is good, the facts a-plenty. And the facts of the matter—what her life was like—are pretty horrendous. I guess because she was used to it (it was the only thing she knew), she often has sort of a matter-of-fact attitude. She was used to the oppression, the unfair rules, because that’s how she, her family, and her friends lived.
The interesting thing is that Manal was very religious when she was young, adhering to one of the most radical Muslim groups. She enforced the rules, even to the point of destroying her brother’s cassette tapes and generally hassling her family when they didn’t observe the customs. The restrictions for women—having to cover their faces when going out, not being able to be around boys, for example, are many. There are also a lot of superstitions, which she chronicles well. The worst crime against women is genital mutilation, which doesn’t happen to every girl—but it happened to her when she was 8. Her description will stick in my mind forever.
So how did this devout Muslim who obeyed the religious laws and customs end up becoming this activist who helped women get more freedom in Saudi Arabia? The answer is education. Although Manal’s parents were brutal in many ways, both of them kept pushing her to get more and more education—her father spent most of his day driving Manal to and from college. As her world expanded in college, so did her consciousness. Her eyes, which used to be mostly hidden by a niqab, were now wide open. She ended up working in computer science at an American-like company that had its own little town and more relaxed rules. She was allowed to drive within that area but could not drive outside it. When she did one day decide to drive outside the area, that’s when her story started to be told.
I have two minor complaints. Early on, Manal devoted a little time to describing the religious history, which I found a tad boring. And at about the two-thirds mark, she goes into too many tiny details about her getting prepared to do her drive. We're talking super minor here. Neither of these things prevented me from giving this book 5 stars.
Manal no longer lives in Saudi Arabia, although she still has ties there. In fact, she has a son there whom she could not take with her. She has another son, and her two sons have never been able to meet each other. She spends a lot of time in the public eye, telling her story and supporting women in Saudi Arabia.
This is an eye-opener of a book—and this is one amazing woman. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
P.S. As of July 11, 2017, this book is still available as a Read Now from NetGalley.
September 26, 2017
News update 9/26/17 : Saudi Women Are Now Allowed to Drive!
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...
**********************************
I am not inclined to read memoirs as a rule, unless it is one by a remarkable individual whose story is impactful, whose journey is more than just trying to find oneself, whose story has something in it that I, not just as a woman, but as a human being should know. This is one such memoir of a truly remarkable woman who is smart and courageous and fights the fight not just for herself but for all women. Manal Al-Sharif, has written a personal account but it is not just one woman's story . It represents the story of so many other women in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the world living with restrictions on their lives - restrictions of law , of religious beliefs, of customs. This is not just about being jailed for driving , but is a telling of her life and of the injustices imposed on women. Women in this society where she was raised cannot control their own lives . True they couldn't drive but they were also subject to the idea of male guardianship - a husband or father or brother has control of you. In some cases as it was for Manal and her sister, they were subjected to the ultimate of degradations -female circumcision, what she says is really genital mutilation.
She emphasizes the importance of education in her life. While the introduction of schools for girls had restrictions and beatings and were dirty, Manal says she is "grateful for school " because it was there that she learned how to read. A good part of the book does focus on her arrest and her work with organizations and social media to inform and try to change these restrictions, but I was given an education on the culture and customs of Saudi Arabia, of which I knew little about as she writes of her earlier life. As she is subjected to imprisonment in awful conditions because she drove a car, she is told she broke no law but was told , "You broke orf " (tradition or custom)
This is a bold and powerful story, fascinating, gut wrenching and hopeful. Her book is subtitled "A Saudi Woman's Awakening" but it is also an awakening for the reader - to the Saudi culture, to the injustice towards women and to a personal acknowledgement of just how lucky I am to be in this country in spite of my concern over some of the things I see happening today. I highly recommend this to my women Goodreads friends and of course my male friends should read it too.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...
**********************************
I am not inclined to read memoirs as a rule, unless it is one by a remarkable individual whose story is impactful, whose journey is more than just trying to find oneself, whose story has something in it that I, not just as a woman, but as a human being should know. This is one such memoir of a truly remarkable woman who is smart and courageous and fights the fight not just for herself but for all women. Manal Al-Sharif, has written a personal account but it is not just one woman's story . It represents the story of so many other women in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the world living with restrictions on their lives - restrictions of law , of religious beliefs, of customs. This is not just about being jailed for driving , but is a telling of her life and of the injustices imposed on women. Women in this society where she was raised cannot control their own lives . True they couldn't drive but they were also subject to the idea of male guardianship - a husband or father or brother has control of you. In some cases as it was for Manal and her sister, they were subjected to the ultimate of degradations -female circumcision, what she says is really genital mutilation.
She emphasizes the importance of education in her life. While the introduction of schools for girls had restrictions and beatings and were dirty, Manal says she is "grateful for school " because it was there that she learned how to read. A good part of the book does focus on her arrest and her work with organizations and social media to inform and try to change these restrictions, but I was given an education on the culture and customs of Saudi Arabia, of which I knew little about as she writes of her earlier life. As she is subjected to imprisonment in awful conditions because she drove a car, she is told she broke no law but was told , "You broke orf " (tradition or custom)
This is a bold and powerful story, fascinating, gut wrenching and hopeful. Her book is subtitled "A Saudi Woman's Awakening" but it is also an awakening for the reader - to the Saudi culture, to the injustice towards women and to a personal acknowledgement of just how lucky I am to be in this country in spite of my concern over some of the things I see happening today. I highly recommend this to my women Goodreads friends and of course my male friends should read it too.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley.
June 3, 2017
A comprehensive and honest rendering of a woman's life in Saudi Arabia. For any curious about if what you hear and see on the television is true, this book will astonish, fill in many blanks about living in a country ruled by Sharia law. A country where the religious police are given even more power than the law. The author takes us through her childhood, living in Mecca, her parents, a sister she was often at odds with and her beloved brother. Where a woman is allowed to do so little on her own, where a male family member or guardian must intercede and give approval for the smallest thing, even medical care.
Will show how the younger generation is being radicalized, and the basis for the commitment in Sharia law by this younger group. Some of this I knew but never in such detail. It is almost unbelievable some of the things that are both allowed, and I know most readers will find some of these events shocking. The bravery and the honesty, of this young woman who no longer lives in this county though still maintains close ties there, is awe inspiring. Things are changing, but so very slowly and due to woman such as these who put their lives and happiness on the line for others. A very profound telling, written in a very personal way, I came away with so much admiration for this woman and her strength. A book that makes me realize that no matter how unhappy I am with what is going on in the political arena and onslaughts on woman's rights, I am still lucky to live in the country I do. It also showed me the importance of defending what we do have and standing up for what we believe.
Will show how the younger generation is being radicalized, and the basis for the commitment in Sharia law by this younger group. Some of this I knew but never in such detail. It is almost unbelievable some of the things that are both allowed, and I know most readers will find some of these events shocking. The bravery and the honesty, of this young woman who no longer lives in this county though still maintains close ties there, is awe inspiring. Things are changing, but so very slowly and due to woman such as these who put their lives and happiness on the line for others. A very profound telling, written in a very personal way, I came away with so much admiration for this woman and her strength. A book that makes me realize that no matter how unhappy I am with what is going on in the political arena and onslaughts on woman's rights, I am still lucky to live in the country I do. It also showed me the importance of defending what we do have and standing up for what we believe.
November 9, 2017
In 2011, Manal al-Sharif was imprisoned for nine days for "driving while female" after a video of her driving went viral on Youtube. While not against any statutory laws she was defying the strict religious customs that prevent women from having any independence.
In this wonderful account of her life Manal describes her upbringing in the holy city of Mecca and the religious teaching at school that taught hate of anything different and resulted in her adopting extremist radical views during her teenage years to the point where she destroyed her brothers tapes of western music (forbidden) and stopped drawing (drawing living things was also forbidden). She describes how restrictive life is for women as they can only be in the company of men they are related to (fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, grandfathers) so that women have died or given birth alone at home for want of a male relative to take them to hospital.
Manal's enlightenment came when she graduated University (a co-ed campus but one where girls sat in a separate room to boys and listened to their lectures) and got a job as a computer security consultant for the national oil company Saudi Aramco. Originally set up by the US, the company was sold to Saudi Arabia with the stipulation that women be allowed to continue to work there. Inside the company compound (where only non-Saudi women were allowed to live), Manal experienced a freer way of life at work. One where she could talk to men, take off her niqab, and where she was allowed to drive.
This book was a real eye-opener for me as Saudi Arabia seems to be one of the more modern Arab states but from Manal's account it feels like their treatment of women is still in the dark ages. Manal's spirit and her quest for better treatment for Saudi women comes through in her simply written and inspiring account. Manal is only able to write and publish this book because she no longer able to live in Saudi as a result of her courage in taking on the religious police and daring to drive.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for a copy of the book to read and review
In this wonderful account of her life Manal describes her upbringing in the holy city of Mecca and the religious teaching at school that taught hate of anything different and resulted in her adopting extremist radical views during her teenage years to the point where she destroyed her brothers tapes of western music (forbidden) and stopped drawing (drawing living things was also forbidden). She describes how restrictive life is for women as they can only be in the company of men they are related to (fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, grandfathers) so that women have died or given birth alone at home for want of a male relative to take them to hospital.
Manal's enlightenment came when she graduated University (a co-ed campus but one where girls sat in a separate room to boys and listened to their lectures) and got a job as a computer security consultant for the national oil company Saudi Aramco. Originally set up by the US, the company was sold to Saudi Arabia with the stipulation that women be allowed to continue to work there. Inside the company compound (where only non-Saudi women were allowed to live), Manal experienced a freer way of life at work. One where she could talk to men, take off her niqab, and where she was allowed to drive.
This book was a real eye-opener for me as Saudi Arabia seems to be one of the more modern Arab states but from Manal's account it feels like their treatment of women is still in the dark ages. Manal's spirit and her quest for better treatment for Saudi women comes through in her simply written and inspiring account. Manal is only able to write and publish this book because she no longer able to live in Saudi as a result of her courage in taking on the religious police and daring to drive.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for a copy of the book to read and review
June 17, 2017
I can't begin to imagine what it feels like to live in a society in which there are so many restrictions on women's rights and freedoms. Daring to Drive is Manal al-Sharif's memoir of her life in Saudi Arabia. Her claim to fame is that she was arrested for driving, and that she has led a campaign to give women the right to drive in Saudi Arabia. Manal's writing is straightforward and powerful. She recounts her childhood, her university years, her first marriage and her work as the only woman in a tech group in a state owned company. Throughout she makes very clear the practical, physical and emotional impact of the restrictions on women's freedom in Saudi Arabia. Not being allowed to drive is just one example, but it means that women have little freedom of movement, limiting their access to education, work and even basic health services, while placing them at the mercy of male drivers. From my perspective, what Manal describes feels incredibly claustrophobic, reading like some kind of dystopian fiction. Manal's book is important because it is told from the perspective of a woman who grew up in Saudi Arabia. This is not the judgemental view of an outsider, but rather the perspective of someone who has lived the nuances of her society. In many ways, her parents are despicable but they are the products of their world and Manal sees the good and the bad in them, ultimately loving them for their strengths. She does not denounce her religion, but she denounces the manner in which it has been interpreted. Manal no longer lives in Saudi Arabia, but I would hope that she will share future memoirs about her life as she clearly still has a lot to say and contribute to issues of women's rights in the Middle East. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
September 26, 2017
4.5 stars
This book is an inspiring story of a Saudi Arabian woman who rebels against her government's rule against women driving cars . Even though this is this is the 21st century, women are still forbidden to drive cars in Saudi Arabia by custom, not by law. Manal is arrested and imprisoned for daring to drive a car and post a recording of herself doing so online. But this book is also a story of her life growing up in Saudi Arabia. She was born in 1979 and she describes the extreme conservative ideology taught in Saudi schools.
Some quotes:
On her time in prison: "We have a phrase in Arabic:'He swept the floor with my dignity.'
Privacy: "My uncle who was wealthier than my father, had nine kids, and they all slept together. We couldn't believe that there were places in the world where kids had their own rooms like we saw in the movies."
My wife and I each have a car and have had one apiece since 1977. I can't understand a society that undervalues and restricts women like Saudi Arabia. If you read and enjoyed "I am Malala" you will like this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book.
Update, Sept 26, 2017, Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive. See https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...
This book is an inspiring story of a Saudi Arabian woman who rebels against her government's rule against women driving cars . Even though this is this is the 21st century, women are still forbidden to drive cars in Saudi Arabia by custom, not by law. Manal is arrested and imprisoned for daring to drive a car and post a recording of herself doing so online. But this book is also a story of her life growing up in Saudi Arabia. She was born in 1979 and she describes the extreme conservative ideology taught in Saudi schools.
Some quotes:
On her time in prison: "We have a phrase in Arabic:'He swept the floor with my dignity.'
Privacy: "My uncle who was wealthier than my father, had nine kids, and they all slept together. We couldn't believe that there were places in the world where kids had their own rooms like we saw in the movies."
My wife and I each have a car and have had one apiece since 1977. I can't understand a society that undervalues and restricts women like Saudi Arabia. If you read and enjoyed "I am Malala" you will like this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book.
Update, Sept 26, 2017, Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive. See https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...
August 19, 2017
Daring to Drive: A gripping account of one woman's home-grown courage that will speak to the fighter in all of us by Manal Al-Sharif is a book I requested from NetGalley and the book publishers and the review is voluntary.
This book had my emotions everywhere. It is sad, heartbreaking, full of encouragement, hope, made me angry, happy, and many emotions in between. There are a lot of stories about many women in Saudi Arabia, from their early life on. I am a nurse and I had a friend that was a nurse in the ER there for three years and she told me horrendous stories involving the the abuse of the women, mostly from neglect, so this book really caught my eye. On World Music there was a song about this woman too.
Her bravery and her courage is to be commended esp. in a society that treats women with such contempt. A wonderful book. All women should read this!
This book had my emotions everywhere. It is sad, heartbreaking, full of encouragement, hope, made me angry, happy, and many emotions in between. There are a lot of stories about many women in Saudi Arabia, from their early life on. I am a nurse and I had a friend that was a nurse in the ER there for three years and she told me horrendous stories involving the the abuse of the women, mostly from neglect, so this book really caught my eye. On World Music there was a song about this woman too.
Her bravery and her courage is to be commended esp. in a society that treats women with such contempt. A wonderful book. All women should read this!
August 4, 2018
The recent announcement that Saudi women are finally! allowed to drive prompted me to read this memoir sooner rather than later.
Manal Al- Sharif has become (in)famous for getting arrested for driving while female. For most of us around the world, this is beyond ridiculous.
Well, show me a religion that doesn't discriminate, oppress women in some ways. Then add to that a tribal society, with extreme, fanatical religious beliefs and customs and you've got Saudi Arabia.
Besides Al-Sharif's troubles for driving, I've learnt so much more about the Saudi society. I'm afraid, I can't think of one positive thing. I was seething reading about the million and one injustices and hardships bestowed upon Saudi women. I was both calmed and annoyed with Al-Sharif's somewhat detached, elegant and delicate writing. I'm not sure if it's the translation or that's just how she wrote or it could just be a cultural thing, after all, Saudi women have been taught for many generations to keep quiet, to hide in plain sight. They're not even referred by their own names, but by their male guardian's! (Insert very unladylike words).
Al-Sharif's strength and courage are to be admired and praised. As it's, unfortunately, the case for the people who push the societal boundaries, she paid a huge price, including losing custody of her son from her first marriage. As I was saying, I was seething while reading, which is nothing compared to what Al-Sharif and the Saudi women have to suffer through. As it's often the case, education more often than not means liberation. Financial independence means freedom. You don't have to be very smart to realise why in so many less developed countries women are discouraged from getting an education. Although Al-Sharif came from a very poor family, with both her mum and father being almost illiterate, she, her older sister and younger brother got a tertiary education. With that came knowledge, learning of different views, and not in the least, the ability to get a job.
Al-Sharif's travelling for work to some Western countries, including living and working in the USA for one year, opened up her mind even more. The Internet, for all its drawbacks, is without a doubt one of the most important factors that contributed to many people's liberation through information and, most importantly, by providing the means for communication. Facebook and Twitter allowed Al-Sharif to organise other women and then communicate with the world about her plight. Without the world knowing about her, she would have probably perished.
I'll conclude by saying that Daring to Drive was well worth getting me fired up against religion and/or men - Neanderthal men, that is.
Best wishes to Manal Al-Sharif and to the Saudi women and other women subjugated by men and/or religion.
I've received this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Manal Al- Sharif has become (in)famous for getting arrested for driving while female. For most of us around the world, this is beyond ridiculous.
Well, show me a religion that doesn't discriminate, oppress women in some ways. Then add to that a tribal society, with extreme, fanatical religious beliefs and customs and you've got Saudi Arabia.
Besides Al-Sharif's troubles for driving, I've learnt so much more about the Saudi society. I'm afraid, I can't think of one positive thing. I was seething reading about the million and one injustices and hardships bestowed upon Saudi women. I was both calmed and annoyed with Al-Sharif's somewhat detached, elegant and delicate writing. I'm not sure if it's the translation or that's just how she wrote or it could just be a cultural thing, after all, Saudi women have been taught for many generations to keep quiet, to hide in plain sight. They're not even referred by their own names, but by their male guardian's! (Insert very unladylike words).
Al-Sharif's strength and courage are to be admired and praised. As it's, unfortunately, the case for the people who push the societal boundaries, she paid a huge price, including losing custody of her son from her first marriage. As I was saying, I was seething while reading, which is nothing compared to what Al-Sharif and the Saudi women have to suffer through. As it's often the case, education more often than not means liberation. Financial independence means freedom. You don't have to be very smart to realise why in so many less developed countries women are discouraged from getting an education. Although Al-Sharif came from a very poor family, with both her mum and father being almost illiterate, she, her older sister and younger brother got a tertiary education. With that came knowledge, learning of different views, and not in the least, the ability to get a job.
Al-Sharif's travelling for work to some Western countries, including living and working in the USA for one year, opened up her mind even more. The Internet, for all its drawbacks, is without a doubt one of the most important factors that contributed to many people's liberation through information and, most importantly, by providing the means for communication. Facebook and Twitter allowed Al-Sharif to organise other women and then communicate with the world about her plight. Without the world knowing about her, she would have probably perished.
I'll conclude by saying that Daring to Drive was well worth getting me fired up against religion and/or men - Neanderthal men, that is.
Best wishes to Manal Al-Sharif and to the Saudi women and other women subjugated by men and/or religion.
I've received this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2021
I simply cannot imagine for the life of me, what it must be like to be told that as a woman, you are not allowed to drive. It's something that we just see as a given right here, and something that is done automatically each day, without even considering that in other countries, these rights do not exist.
This book has certainly opened my eyes, to the hardships and battles that women across the globe face on a daily basis, sometimes even just to be recognised as human beings.
What is so remarkable about Manal Al-Sharif, is not only did she fight for what she believed was right, regardless of any consequences, but she did this for the sake of all women. This memoir reflects the lives of other women in Saudi Arabia, that are living with these terrible restrictions on their lives. Manal Al-Sharif, stood up for those women, as she believed that women should have the right to get behind the wheel, just as much as men have the right. I am certainly on Manal Al-Sharif's side here. Driving is a basic right and it should be a basic right for both sexes.
This book is also a very personal telling of her life. When I learned of the genital mutilation that she had suffered at a terribly young age, I was reduced to tears. I cannot begin to imagine how incredibly horrendous that was to endure, and then attempt to live with the aftermath, especially at such a tender age.
I like that Manal Al-Sharif talks of education a great deal in this book. Even though she was beaten and there were a high amount of restrictions to girls in education, she ensures that the reader knows that she is entirely grateful for this education, as that is where she learned to read.
This is such a powerful story, told by a courageous, inspirational and strong woman. This memoir will stay with me a long time.
This book has certainly opened my eyes, to the hardships and battles that women across the globe face on a daily basis, sometimes even just to be recognised as human beings.
What is so remarkable about Manal Al-Sharif, is not only did she fight for what she believed was right, regardless of any consequences, but she did this for the sake of all women. This memoir reflects the lives of other women in Saudi Arabia, that are living with these terrible restrictions on their lives. Manal Al-Sharif, stood up for those women, as she believed that women should have the right to get behind the wheel, just as much as men have the right. I am certainly on Manal Al-Sharif's side here. Driving is a basic right and it should be a basic right for both sexes.
This book is also a very personal telling of her life. When I learned of the genital mutilation that she had suffered at a terribly young age, I was reduced to tears. I cannot begin to imagine how incredibly horrendous that was to endure, and then attempt to live with the aftermath, especially at such a tender age.
I like that Manal Al-Sharif talks of education a great deal in this book. Even though she was beaten and there were a high amount of restrictions to girls in education, she ensures that the reader knows that she is entirely grateful for this education, as that is where she learned to read.
This is such a powerful story, told by a courageous, inspirational and strong woman. This memoir will stay with me a long time.
October 19, 2021
با تمام وجود ماجراهایی که تعریف میکرد رو درک میکردم.
از اونجا که خاطرات مدارسشو میگفت که نمیتونست مثلا لاک بزنن، هر روز صبح چک میشدن سر صف که نکنه ظاهرشون برخلاف چیزی باشه که مدرسه میخواد یا اینکه هیچ فعالیتی بجز درس خوندن نمیشد انجام داد تو مدرسه یعنی چیزی به اسم موسیقی و رقص تو مدارس وجود نداشتن.
اینکه زنها بدون مرد هیچ معنایی تو جامعه ندارن، اینکه هیچ حقی نداری و هرچی مرد گفت باید بگی چشم چون قانون،عرف,شرع و سنت پشت اونه نه تو به عنوان زن!
اینکه اگه بهتر از مردها باشی باعث خشمشون میشی و همیشه سعی دارن بهت توهین کنن و دست کم بگیرنت چون صرفا زنی!!
اینکه زنی اگه بخواد جدا بشه بچشو به مرد میدن!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
و خیلی مسایل دیگه.
درسته تو عربستان رانندگی آزاد شده ولی تو ایران هنوز زنها نمیتونن موتور سواری کنن یا حتی به باشگاه برن درحالیکه زنهای عربستانی میتونن.
مقیاس مشکللات زن ایرانی و ارزشی که جامعه بهش میده دیگه قابل قیاس با هیچ کشوری نیس مگه طالبان افغانستان فقط.
از اونجا که خاطرات مدارسشو میگفت که نمیتونست مثلا لاک بزنن، هر روز صبح چک میشدن سر صف که نکنه ظاهرشون برخلاف چیزی باشه که مدرسه میخواد یا اینکه هیچ فعالیتی بجز درس خوندن نمیشد انجام داد تو مدرسه یعنی چیزی به اسم موسیقی و رقص تو مدارس وجود نداشتن.
اینکه زنها بدون مرد هیچ معنایی تو جامعه ندارن، اینکه هیچ حقی نداری و هرچی مرد گفت باید بگی چشم چون قانون،عرف,شرع و سنت پشت اونه نه تو به عنوان زن!
اینکه اگه بهتر از مردها باشی باعث خشمشون میشی و همیشه سعی دارن بهت توهین کنن و دست کم بگیرنت چون صرفا زنی!!
اینکه زنی اگه بخواد جدا بشه بچشو به مرد میدن!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
و خیلی مسایل دیگه.
درسته تو عربستان رانندگی آزاد شده ولی تو ایران هنوز زنها نمیتونن موتور سواری کنن یا حتی به باشگاه برن درحالیکه زنهای عربستانی میتونن.
مقیاس مشکللات زن ایرانی و ارزشی که جامعه بهش میده دیگه قابل قیاس با هیچ کشوری نیس مگه طالبان افغانستان فقط.
September 13, 2019
Манал Ал-Шариф е в състояние съвсем точно да обясни какво може да се случи на едно момиче в Саудитска Арабия за времето от отварянето на автомобилна врата до завъртането на ключа. Време, точно колкото бръснар да извърши на черно обрязването на малко момиче.
Това конкретно малко момиче е родено в светия град Мека, но не бързайте да си представяте веднага Голямата Джамия и Кааба, а гетото, натъпкано с бедност, агресивно суеверно невежество и конфликти. Момичето е потомка на едно от най-старите и уважавани пустинни племена в Саудитска Арабия - Ал-Шариф - носено като фамилно име. Завършило е университет и е работило като специалист по компютърна сигурност в Арамко. Племенна традиция и нови технологии.
В страна, в която жените умират в пожар, защото на пожарникарите е забранено да влизат да ги спасяват, тъй като ще бъдат непокрити за мъжки очи, Манал има доста скромно желание. Да шофира. В същата тази държава една жена не може да докаже, че е майка на детето си, тъй като няма документи за това. Ако изобщо и позволят да учи като дете, си изяжда редовно порцията бой с пръчката в мизерната спарена класна стая, ако реши да задава въпроси по урока, а мозъкът и е промиван с религиозни забрани. Не може да си открие банкова сметка или да пренощува в хотел. Не може да се оплаче от домашно насилие, защото такова понятие в страната не съществува. Тези забрани често дори не са на база на специфични законови разпоредби, а на неписана религиозна традиция, хадиси и фетви.
Манал не се противопоставя на религията - тя е в кръвта и. Обича страната си, макар да не се залъгва за лудостта в нея. Просто спазва арабската поговорка, че когато знаеш, че си прав, трябва да си решителен. И завърта публично ключа на собствената си кола напук на неписаните забрани, заедно с куп други млади саудитки, обнадеждени от Арабската Пролет. Излежава и своите 9 дни затвор, защото “шофира, а е жена.” Тази цена съвсем не е толкова висока, сравнена с цената, плащана ежедневно за “честта” да си родена жена в Саудитска Арабия.
Мемоарът е грабващ като фактология, макар не винаги да блести със забележителни литературни качества. Личната връзка на Манал с читателя на моменти не сработва напълно. Но прочитът си заслужава, и предизвиква уважение!
През 2018 година шофирането в Саудитска Арабия най-накрая е разрешено. Но такива си остават и религиозната полиция, както и пребиването с камшици.
Това конкретно малко момиче е родено в светия град Мека, но не бързайте да си представяте веднага Голямата Джамия и Кааба, а гетото, натъпкано с бедност, агресивно суеверно невежество и конфликти. Момичето е потомка на едно от най-старите и уважавани пустинни племена в Саудитска Арабия - Ал-Шариф - носено като фамилно име. Завършило е университет и е работило като специалист по компютърна сигурност в Арамко. Племенна традиция и нови технологии.
В страна, в която жените умират в пожар, защото на пожарникарите е забранено да влизат да ги спасяват, тъй като ще бъдат непокрити за мъжки очи, Манал има доста скромно желание. Да шофира. В същата тази държава една жена не може да докаже, че е майка на детето си, тъй като няма документи за това. Ако изобщо и позволят да учи като дете, си изяжда редовно порцията бой с пръчката в мизерната спарена класна стая, ако реши да задава въпроси по урока, а мозъкът и е промиван с религиозни забрани. Не може да си открие банкова сметка или да пренощува в хотел. Не може да се оплаче от домашно насилие, защото такова понятие в страната не съществува. Тези забрани често дори не са на база на специфични законови разпоредби, а на неписана религиозна традиция, хадиси и фетви.
Манал не се противопоставя на религията - тя е в кръвта и. Обича страната си, макар да не се залъгва за лудостта в нея. Просто спазва арабската поговорка, че когато знаеш, че си прав, трябва да си решителен. И завърта публично ключа на собствената си кола напук на неписаните забрани, заедно с куп други млади саудитки, обнадеждени от Арабската Пролет. Излежава и своите 9 дни затвор, защото “шофира, а е жена.” Тази цена съвсем не е толкова висока, сравнена с цената, плащана ежедневно за “честта” да си родена жена в Саудитска Арабия.
Мемоарът е грабващ като фактология, макар не винаги да блести със забележителни литературни качества. Личната връзка на Манал с читателя на моменти не сработва напълно. Но прочитът си заслужава, и предизвиква уважение!
През 2018 година шофирането в Саудитска Арабия най-накрая е разрешено. Но такива си остават и религиозната полиция, както и пребиването с камшици.
November 16, 2018
There are no words to describe this book, it is simply put mind-blowing. Manal details her life from the moment she was born. She describes her poor upbringing and her struggle to break free from the restrictions that Saudi society enforce on women who dare to take control of their own lives. She talks about the doctrines that she absorbed from her environment when she was a young girl that made her believe she was unable to make her own decisions.
Most conservative religious societies have rules to ensure that people don't stray from the right path. However, the dilemma Manal faced was that her Saudi Society was twisting religion and using it as an excuse to treat woman like minors who have no authority over their lives.
As Manal grew up she became more curious and started reading articles on the internet which showed her different point of views. This made her realize that most of those so-called extreme religious views were actually Saudi traditions and had nothing to do with Islam. Case in point, there is nothing in Islam that bans women from driving, however since Saudi Society is very conservative they view women who drive as women with loose morals.
Manal faced a lot of difficulties that woman from traditional societies face. She moved from her family home to another city to attend university and lived in an apartment with her friend. Manal then became the first woman in her company to join the Information Security department. She also traveled to America for a year and this encouraged her to get an official driving license. However, even though Manal was an educated woman with a job, she still needed her guardian’s signature to open a bank account, rent a home, and travel abroad. The guardian is her nearest male relative and it can be her father, brother, or in the future her adult son.
This was preposterous to Manal, who having experienced freedom in America felt constricted by the Saudi laws. Manal had a car which she bought with her own money but since she was a woman she couldn’t drive it. This incited Manal to start the Woman2drive movement which was inspired by the Arab spring. The campaign was supported by many Saudi women who also wanted their basic human right of mobility.
In the book Manal states how she drove her car in the city of Khobar, and even though there wasn’t any official law that banned women from driving Manal was sent to jail. There was no hearing and no meeting with a judge. The secret police showed up at Manal’s door in the middle of the night and forced her to go to Jail, where she spent nine days living in the most harrowing situation imaginable.
The jail was dirty and cockroaches roamed everywhere. The cleaning facilities were lacking and a woman who finished her sentence couldn’t get out of jail without her guardian’s signature. This book gives us a truthful and an honest insight of the lives of many Saudi women whose existence is controlled by men. Manal’s personal story is inspiring because in spite of the challenges she faced at every step of the way she never gave up.
Even though women working with men was seen as taboo in the kingdom, Manal persevered in her job and proved her competence. Manal is a courageous woman whose quote “The rain begins with a single drop” was an indicative of the positive news to come. Three months after Manal published her book, the King decreed a royal order that finally allowed women to drive.
I applaud Manal for being fearless and strong and following her heart regardless of other people’s opinions. Her story is one that deserves to be read and I’m really glad that she decided to share it with the world. I recommend reading this awesome book if you want to understand the struggles Manal faced during her journey and how she overcame these challenges successfully.
September 14, 2019
Книгата изпъква повече с факти от кухнята, отколкото с писателски умения, а и някои характеристики на Саудитска Арабия в нея вече не са актуални - като въвеждането на данъци и разрешаването на жените да шофират. Но е важна, заради борбата за женски права и човешко достойнство и то на жена, изповядвала краен ислямизъм. Еволюцията идва, познайте, с образование и собствени доходи (малко като В. Улф - "малко пари и собствена стая"). Средновековните практики на подчинение и на заличаване на жената като личносто обаче, са си все още там и ще трябват много такива като Манал, за да се промени нещо.
April 27, 2022
Manal Al-Sharif is a feminist hero—she knows it and doesn’t let you forget it in her book! Really enjoyed her story. Wish there were an updated version after the legalization of women’s right to drive in 2018 because I would love to hear her thoughts on that. Full review to come!
June 15, 2023
Действително една смела лична трансформация, която има силата да задвижи вятър на промяна.
Историята идва от страна "затворена стая с решетка на прозорчето", с "един крал и 1 милион кралици". Книгата е документално сведение, носител на послание за предизвикване на остарели (или новоизмислени) "традиции", които целят да придърпат обществото назад, а не напред. Може би, Арабската Пролет доказа, че смартфоните, свързани в мрежа, са по-силни от религиозната полиция, свързана с моралните стожери и говорители.
Историята идва от страна "затворена стая с решетка на прозорчето", с "един крал и 1 милион кралици". Книгата е документално сведение, носител на послание за предизвикване на остарели (или новоизмислени) "традиции", които целят да придърпат обществото назад, а не напред. Може би, Арабската Пролет доказа, че смартфоните, свързани в мрежа, са по-силни от религиозната полиция, свързана с моралните стожери и говорители.
May 21, 2019
"Да се осмелиш да шофираш" е книга за превръщането в личност, в държава, в която изначално си обезличен.
Манал ни разказва за детството, радикализирането си, престоят в затвора, защото е хваната да шофира "въпреки че е жена". За насилието в дома, училището, обществото, изцяло базирано на агресия, пренебрежение, отхвърляне и варварско издевателстване върху женския пол.
Повече тук: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0U1B...
Манал ни разказва за детството, радикализирането си, престоят в затвора, защото е хваната да шофира "въпреки че е жена". За насилието в дома, училището, обществото, изцяло базирано на агресия, пренебрежение, отхвърляне и варварско издевателстване върху женския пол.
Повече тук: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0U1B...
June 29, 2019
Отдавна не съм писал за книги. Даже бях решил да престана. Но има книги, които току ме придърпват отново към старото хоби, макар и да съм ограничен с времето.
Има много причини книгата на Манал Ал-Шариф да бъде прочетена и да я препоръчам на много хора. Първата е, защото наистина страшно уважавам личности, които са надраснали своята среда, които успяват да разчупят черупката в която са поставени и с много усилия, с риск дори за живота им, се осмеляват да се преборят и да се извисят над инертността на останалите.
Заглавието, "Да се осмелиш да шофираш", ми се струва прекалено ограничено за мащабите на книгата. По-точно може би щеше да е "Да се осмелиш да живееш", предвид това през което е преминала авторката.
Едно нещо, което винаги ме е дразнело, е пренебрежението, с което медиите представят политическата атмосфера в Саудитска Арабия. Страна, която прави така критикуваните Иран и Северна Корея да изглеждат като повече от нормални.
Манал е родена в Мека, безкрайно консервативен, покрит с религиозни табута град. Майка й е от либийски произход, но е израснала в Египет. Описанието на нейното детство е едно от най-трудните начинания. В него Манал с горчивина и съжаление си спомня как си е опропастила детските й години и как ограничената и консервативна среда са били я направили изключително затворена, радикализирана до фанатизъм девойка. Религиозните текстове и наложените правила за държание са й били промили тотално мозъка, нещо, което авторката съвсем честно признава, в повечето случаи с голяма болка и отправено послание. С това тя иска да покаже защо толкова много жени в кралството подкрепят тази забуленост и сякаш сами си ограничават правата. Просто така са им го втълпили и това е станало част от идентичността им, въпреки всички неудобства.
Още от ранна възраст момичетата са разделят от всякакъв контакт с момчета, учат в различни училища и им се налага да се забраждат. Това поражда доста голяма социално напрежение, което се отразява и на семейните отношения и Манал описва доста случки със сестра й и брат й.
Представянето на образователната система в Саудитска Арабия е също много съществен момент от автобиографията. Не само там седи този проблем, а именно - карането да се наизустява всичко, без право на проява на логика или своеволия, всичко трябва да се назубри и повтаря точно така, както е казано. Това наистина "програмира" още от малка възраст хората да се подчиняват. Манал наистина е хванала същността на всички проблеми, разнищила ги е в дълбочина. При това съвсем пълно е видяла всички слабости. Дори тези, които лицемерно се прикриват от самото саудитско общество. Като например обрязванията на момичетата, които пред останалия свят Саудитската държава твърди, че са забранени. Но тази ужасяваща примитивна практика далеч не е спряна, а се прилага и така се осакатяват стотици хиляди момичета, оставяйки им белег за цял живот. Самата Манал също е била обрязана по доста болезнен начин и описанието на болката, която е изпитала наистина е трудна за четене.
Манал не се ограничава само с личните си преживявания. Точно това прави книгата многослойна. Доста адекватно е представена салафитско-уахабитската идеология, историята й, както разрастването и разпространението й. Добре си дава сметка, че те са в основата на ислямския тероризъм по света. Тя доста точно посочва различните фатви, които влиятелни религиозни проповедници издават и по този начин контролират поведението на хората. Наред с изключителните неудобства за жените, дискриминацията спрямо тях, униженията, които те са длъжни да преглъщат и приемат.
Пред нас се разкрива някои наистина потресаващи, почти сюреалистични за нас, израсналите в по-отворени общества, реалност. За много хора по света Саудитска Арабия е страна на богати шейхове. В реалност има страшно много бедни хора, които едва свързват двата края. Авторката не е пропуснала да спомене и огромната дискриминация спрямо шиитите в страната, както и с многобройните чужденци, много от които са буквално като роби.
Манал все пак успява да си уреди работа в комплекса на "Арамко" - нефтената компания на С.Арабия. Основана от Стандарт Ойл, начело с Джон Рокфелер, днес тя се води като изцяло държавна компания. Интересното е, че в рамките на комплекса жените имат право да карат автомобил и там действат закони, съвсем различни от тези за останалата С.Арабия. Там американците са най-скъпоплатени наемници и се третират с преференции. Нещо, което подбужда задаването на много въпроси.
Манал разказва и за ужасните си преживявания със съпруга й, зависимостта й от мъжете, тъй като не може да направи нищо, нито в администрацията, нито дори да запише нейното дете на училище, без съгласието на нейния мъжки "покровител" (съпруг, брат, баща или дори син, стига да е навършил 12 години). Описва ужасяващите действия и практики на "Мутауа"- религиозната полиция, както и правата, които са й дали да се гаврят с хората. Едва през 2016 г. са й спрели правата да арестува хора. Разказва за удивителния свят, който се разкрива пред очите й, когато успява да замине извън кралството на Сауд. За момента, в който отива на театър, слуша музика, за правото да чете навън на някоя пейка...
Днес медиите се надпреварват да възхваляват Саудитска Арабия, най-вече, защото е послушен и най-голям арабски съюзник на Запад, както и най-голям доставчик на най-ценния ресурс. В медиите дори възхваляват отмяната на забраната на жените да шофират, с тази малка особеност, че пак трябва да получат "съгласие" от нейния мъжки покровител. Лицемерието не свършва с примитивните религиозни табута, които съществуват в региона. А то е част от лицемерието на великите сили.
Въпреки това Манал изразява надежда, че все някога С.Арабия ще се промени.
Има много причини книгата на Манал Ал-Шариф да бъде прочетена и да я препоръчам на много хора. Първата е, защото наистина страшно уважавам личности, които са надраснали своята среда, които успяват да разчупят черупката в която са поставени и с много усилия, с риск дори за живота им, се осмеляват да се преборят и да се извисят над инертността на останалите.
Заглавието, "Да се осмелиш да шофираш", ми се струва прекалено ограничено за мащабите на книгата. По-точно може би щеше да е "Да се осмелиш да живееш", предвид това през което е преминала авторката.
Едно нещо, което винаги ме е дразнело, е пренебрежението, с което медиите представят политическата атмосфера в Саудитска Арабия. Страна, която прави така критикуваните Иран и Северна Корея да изглеждат като повече от нормални.
Манал е родена в Мека, безкрайно консервативен, покрит с религиозни табута град. Майка й е от либийски произход, но е израснала в Египет. Описанието на нейното детство е едно от най-трудните начинания. В него Манал с горчивина и съжаление си спомня как си е опропастила детските й години и как ограничената и консервативна среда са били я направили изключително затворена, радикализирана до фанатизъм девойка. Религиозните текстове и наложените правила за държание са й били промили тотално мозъка, нещо, което авторката съвсем честно признава, в повечето случаи с голяма болка и отправено послание. С това тя иска да покаже защо толкова много жени в кралството подкрепят тази забуленост и сякаш сами си ограничават правата. Просто така са им го втълпили и това е станало част от идентичността им, въпреки всички неудобства.
Още от ранна възраст момичетата са разделят от всякакъв контакт с момчета, учат в различни училища и им се налага да се забраждат. Това поражда доста голяма социално напрежение, което се отразява и на семейните отношения и Манал описва доста случки със сестра й и брат й.
Представянето на образователната система в Саудитска Арабия е също много съществен момент от автобиографията. Не само там седи този проблем, а именно - карането да се наизустява всичко, без право на проява на логика или своеволия, всичко трябва да се назубри и повтаря точно така, както е казано. Това наистина "програмира" още от малка възраст хората да се подчиняват. Манал наистина е хванала същността на всички проблеми, разнищила ги е в дълбочина. При това съвсем пълно е видяла всички слабости. Дори тези, които лицемерно се прикриват от самото саудитско общество. Като например обрязванията на момичетата, които пред останалия свят Саудитската държава твърди, че са забранени. Но тази ужасяваща примитивна практика далеч не е спряна, а се прилага и така се осакатяват стотици хиляди момичета, оставяйки им белег за цял живот. Самата Манал също е била обрязана по доста болезнен начин и описанието на болката, която е изпитала наистина е трудна за четене.
Манал не се ограничава само с личните си преживявания. Точно това прави книгата многослойна. Доста адекватно е представена салафитско-уахабитската идеология, историята й, както разрастването и разпространението й. Добре си дава сметка, че те са в основата на ислямския тероризъм по света. Тя доста точно посочва различните фатви, които влиятелни религиозни проповедници издават и по този начин контролират поведението на хората. Наред с изключителните неудобства за жените, дискриминацията спрямо тях, униженията, които те са длъжни да преглъщат и приемат.
Пред нас се разкрива някои наистина потресаващи, почти сюреалистични за нас, израсналите в по-отворени общества, реалност. За много хора по света Саудитска Арабия е страна на богати шейхове. В реалност има страшно много бедни хора, които едва свързват двата края. Авторката не е пропуснала да спомене и огромната дискриминация спрямо шиитите в страната, както и с многобройните чужденци, много от които са буквално като роби.
Манал все пак успява да си уреди работа в комплекса на "Арамко" - нефтената компания на С.Арабия. Основана от Стандарт Ойл, начело с Джон Рокфелер, днес тя се води като изцяло държавна компания. Интересното е, че в рамките на комплекса жените имат право да карат автомобил и там действат закони, съвсем различни от тези за останалата С.Арабия. Там американците са най-скъпоплатени наемници и се третират с преференции. Нещо, което подбужда задаването на много въпроси.
Манал разказва и за ужасните си преживявания със съпруга й, зависимостта й от мъжете, тъй като не може да направи нищо, нито в администрацията, нито дори да запише нейното дете на училище, без съгласието на нейния мъжки "покровител" (съпруг, брат, баща или дори син, стига да е навършил 12 години). Описва ужасяващите действия и практики на "Мутауа"- религиозната полиция, както и правата, които са й дали да се гаврят с хората. Едва през 2016 г. са й спрели правата да арестува хора. Разказва за удивителния свят, който се разкрива пред очите й, когато успява да замине извън кралството на Сауд. За момента, в който отива на театър, слуша музика, за правото да чете навън на някоя пейка...
Днес медиите се надпреварват да възхваляват Саудитска Арабия, най-вече, защото е послушен и най-голям арабски съюзник на Запад, както и най-голям доставчик на най-ценния ресурс. В медиите дори възхваляват отмяната на забраната на жените да шофират, с тази малка особеност, че пак трябва да получат "съгласие" от нейния мъжки покровител. Лицемерието не свършва с примитивните религиозни табута, които съществуват в региона. А то е част от лицемерието на великите сили.
Въпреки това Манал изразява надежда, че все някога С.Арабия ще се промени.
August 1, 2017
This is a very interesting and a well told story
At the beginning, I hesitated to read this book, but once I started, I couldn't stop. I remember the Women2Drive campaign and the big attention it created at the time. I also remember reading things here and there about Manal Al-Sharif but other than the stuff I read, I did not know anything about her. I must say, I was shocked with the honesty and the complete openness in her story describing things considered very private matters and rarely shared in our conservative society.
It is interesting that the author was born in 1979 which is considered to be an extremely unstable year in the entire Middle East ( Jyhaman attack on the holy Mosque , the uprising and the unrest of the Shia in the eastern part of Saudi, The Iranian revolution, etc.). It seems that this year hold a cosmological effect on people to have a deep desire to change their reality. Manal destiny was to be born in the middle of all of that and to have that burning desire to change. This is illustrated when a friend of Manal wrote about her intention to drive and said to her: “trouble-maker", She replied: “No, history-maker”
The book is enlightening and very informative especially when it comes to the condition of women in Saudi. I was struck with the immense helplessness feelings that Saudi women experience in our society. Not to say that I did not know, but I was ignorant about how deep their helplessness is shaping their entire life. I knew there are limitations to women in Saudi (one of them is not being able to drive) but I never I asked myself how a girl living in Saudi feel about all of the limitations that chained her. The author describes these feelings very vividly. When I imagined all of these restrictions imposed on me, I felt like a "prisoner" and my life was almost worthless. In short, this book summarizes the abuse, the struggle, the social restrictions, and the humanitarian situation of women in Saudi Arabia.
While the story is depressing in some part, I thought that the author had very rich and fruitful life experience. Even being jailed for driving was not so bad after all. She says about it: " My arrest was in some ways an education: I was learning about domestic slavery". Even the troubles she had at home during her childhood had some merit to it. It taught her what affects the psychology of a child and what motivate it. Perhaps, it stimulated her desire to fight for her rights in a society dictates what and what shouldn't she do. Her story teaches us to see an opportunity in every situation.
I strongly urge Saudi men to read this book as it will give them a different angle than their acute angle in which they see the world. Maybe, this book will twist their mind to respect women and give them a little bit of freedom.
I end my review with a quote from the book: "There can be no modern Saudi kingdom as long as women are still ruled by men"
Excellent book and highly recommended
At the beginning, I hesitated to read this book, but once I started, I couldn't stop. I remember the Women2Drive campaign and the big attention it created at the time. I also remember reading things here and there about Manal Al-Sharif but other than the stuff I read, I did not know anything about her. I must say, I was shocked with the honesty and the complete openness in her story describing things considered very private matters and rarely shared in our conservative society.
It is interesting that the author was born in 1979 which is considered to be an extremely unstable year in the entire Middle East ( Jyhaman attack on the holy Mosque , the uprising and the unrest of the Shia in the eastern part of Saudi, The Iranian revolution, etc.). It seems that this year hold a cosmological effect on people to have a deep desire to change their reality. Manal destiny was to be born in the middle of all of that and to have that burning desire to change. This is illustrated when a friend of Manal wrote about her intention to drive and said to her: “trouble-maker", She replied: “No, history-maker”
The book is enlightening and very informative especially when it comes to the condition of women in Saudi. I was struck with the immense helplessness feelings that Saudi women experience in our society. Not to say that I did not know, but I was ignorant about how deep their helplessness is shaping their entire life. I knew there are limitations to women in Saudi (one of them is not being able to drive) but I never I asked myself how a girl living in Saudi feel about all of the limitations that chained her. The author describes these feelings very vividly. When I imagined all of these restrictions imposed on me, I felt like a "prisoner" and my life was almost worthless. In short, this book summarizes the abuse, the struggle, the social restrictions, and the humanitarian situation of women in Saudi Arabia.
While the story is depressing in some part, I thought that the author had very rich and fruitful life experience. Even being jailed for driving was not so bad after all. She says about it: " My arrest was in some ways an education: I was learning about domestic slavery". Even the troubles she had at home during her childhood had some merit to it. It taught her what affects the psychology of a child and what motivate it. Perhaps, it stimulated her desire to fight for her rights in a society dictates what and what shouldn't she do. Her story teaches us to see an opportunity in every situation.
I strongly urge Saudi men to read this book as it will give them a different angle than their acute angle in which they see the world. Maybe, this book will twist their mind to respect women and give them a little bit of freedom.
I end my review with a quote from the book: "There can be no modern Saudi kingdom as long as women are still ruled by men"
Excellent book and highly recommended
April 22, 2017
Daring to Drive is a blunt, honest, and captivating memoir that describes Manal al-Sharif's story. al-Sharif tells of her childhood growing up in Mecca where she was educated according to strict religious doctrines and her journey to being imprisoned for driving while female. While not a legal violation in Saudi Arabia, women driving goes against Saudi tradition and is subject to the religious police interfering. al-Sharif was imprisoned in a jail with terrible conditions while the outside news world told egregious lies slandering her. This book is an incredible look into Saudi society and especially the lives of Saudi women.
This memoir is incredibly well-written and evocative. Perhaps it's strongest aspect is how upfront and honest al-Sharif is about various aspects of her life, including her own foray into religious extremism and her damaged familial relationships. She provides a full picture of growing up as a girl in Saudi Arabia, telling a compelling and infuriating story of what it means to be a woman in this country. An inspiring read, I recommend this to all mature readers (there are some descriptions of violence and brutality).
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review!
This memoir is incredibly well-written and evocative. Perhaps it's strongest aspect is how upfront and honest al-Sharif is about various aspects of her life, including her own foray into religious extremism and her damaged familial relationships. She provides a full picture of growing up as a girl in Saudi Arabia, telling a compelling and infuriating story of what it means to be a woman in this country. An inspiring read, I recommend this to all mature readers (there are some descriptions of violence and brutality).
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review!
January 20, 2024
6💥 Тази шестзвездна книга ме отвя.
💔💔💔
Толкова много теми и преживявания. Толкова сериозно развитие и израстване в разбиранията на авторката.Толкова сила и жертви. Толкова голяма всеотдайност и стоицизъм. Толкова много примери за житейски драми.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
И все пак целта е постигната - през 2018 г. жените в Саудитска Арабия получават официално право да шофират!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Всеки дъжд започва с една капка."
💔💔💔
Толкова много теми и преживявания. Толкова сериозно развитие и израстване в разбиранията на авторката.Толкова сила и жертви. Толкова голяма всеотдайност и стоицизъм. Толкова много примери за житейски драми.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
И все пак целта е постигната - през 2018 г. жените в Саудитска Арабия получават официално право да шофират!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Всеки дъжд започва с една капка."
September 11, 2018
While there were bits and pieces of Daring to Drive that were interesting, and Al-Sharif is certainly to be commended for her courage and passion to bring about positive changes for women in Saudi Arabia, overall this book just didn't grab my attention. (And I feel so bad for saying so!)
One reason is that the first half of the book, other than the initial few pages about her arrest, was really slow. She details growing up in Saudi Arabia, and while those are glimpses of her life there, I didn't feel like I learned anything new. She also spent a lot of pages talking about the radical brand of Islamic religion popular there, and how she felt affinity for that in her youth. Not only was it frustrating to read, but my eyes glazed over from all the religious information.
This book also suffers a lot from telling instead of showing, like "Here's something that happened to me, and then here's something else that happened to me". At times, it feels like the author is trying to include every single incidence of her life instead of choosing those that help her narrative. Or that she's trying to pad enough words in to make a book. When you put so much stuff in, a lot of it isn't really relevant and can be cut out to help with the pacing. And there isn't enough attention devoted to the core bits.
Perhaps this is a case of it's me and not the book. So many others have really loved this book, and while I didn't get much out of it, it still shines a light on a worthy topic.
One reason is that the first half of the book, other than the initial few pages about her arrest, was really slow. She details growing up in Saudi Arabia, and while those are glimpses of her life there, I didn't feel like I learned anything new. She also spent a lot of pages talking about the radical brand of Islamic religion popular there, and how she felt affinity for that in her youth. Not only was it frustrating to read, but my eyes glazed over from all the religious information.
This book also suffers a lot from telling instead of showing, like "Here's something that happened to me, and then here's something else that happened to me". At times, it feels like the author is trying to include every single incidence of her life instead of choosing those that help her narrative. Or that she's trying to pad enough words in to make a book. When you put so much stuff in, a lot of it isn't really relevant and can be cut out to help with the pacing. And there isn't enough attention devoted to the core bits.
Perhaps this is a case of it's me and not the book. So many others have really loved this book, and while I didn't get much out of it, it still shines a light on a worthy topic.
Read
October 24, 2017Manal al-Sharif was a self-described religious radical during her adolescence. Then, as she received a college education and embarked on a ten-year career at Aramco, the Saudi oil company, her perspective began to shift. When she was harassed for chatting with a male colleague at work and forced to have her brother accompany her on a foreign business trip to act as her chaperone, something snapped. Manal realized that the cultural rules binding Saudi women were suffocating her. She became active in the fight to change one such rule–the driving ban, which is not a law per se, but a strong taboo that few have dared to challenge. In this memoir, Manal tells her remarkable story, from her childhood in Mecca–where she suffered poverty, abuse, and female genital mutilation–to her current role as an activist, a role that has cost her dearly. I could not put this book down. It’s inspiring and infuriating in equal measure. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
— Kate Scott
from The Best Books We Read In June 2017: https://bookriot.com/2017/07/03/riot-...
— Kate Scott
from The Best Books We Read In June 2017: https://bookriot.com/2017/07/03/riot-...
November 12, 2023
"Дъждът започва с една капка."
Респект към смелостта и волята на тази жена.Умът ми не го побира как живеят тези жени там. И шофирането май им е най-малкия проблем.Да нямаш право на личен документ, защото не можеш да си покажеш лицето! Някой мъж да трябва да потвърди ,че това си ти?! И още куп други глупости, облечени в религиозни обичаи, които те принизяват ... не знам докъде.
Сещам се ,че дори покойната кралица Елизабет, по нейния деликатен начин, "намекна" за случая с Манал, като настоя да вози лично гостуващия й принц Абдула от Саудитска Арабия при неговото посещение в Шотландия...
Дано скоро живота им се подобри, макар че сигурно още поколения трябва да преживеят ужасите, на които са подложени. А ние само можем да благодарим, че не сме се родили там.
Респект към смелостта и волята на тази жена.Умът ми не го побира как живеят тези жени там. И шофирането май им е най-малкия проблем.Да нямаш право на личен документ, защото не можеш да си покажеш лицето! Някой мъж да трябва да потвърди ,че това си ти?! И още куп други глупости, облечени в религиозни обичаи, които те принизяват ... не знам докъде.
Сещам се ,че дори покойната кралица Елизабет, по нейния деликатен начин, "намекна" за случая с Манал, като настоя да вози лично гостуващия й принц Абдула от Саудитска Арабия при неговото посещение в Шотландия...
Дано скоро живота им се подобри, макар че сигурно още поколения трябва да преживеят ужасите, на които са подложени. А ние само можем да благодарим, че не сме се родили там.
January 25, 2023
4,5 от 5 звезди.
April 10, 2023
4,75/5 звезди
Историята, която Манал Ал-Шариф разказва в „Да се осмелиш да шофираш“ вдига завесата над начина на живот на една саудитска жена по много откровен начин, като не спестява на читателя неприятните преживявания в името на права, които в по-голямата си част не се оспорват в западния свят.
Наясно съм, че културата в различните части на света няма как да е еднаква, но да чета за погазването на правата на жените, на човешки права, ме накара откровено да се вбесявам. Подобна реалност е непонятна за мен, страна в която една жена има настойник от мъжки пол, независимо на колко години е. Съществува част от света, където жените са контролирани на база на религиозни текстове отпреди хиляди години – този факт ме озадачава, защото докато четях не можех да повярвам, че говорим за събития от последните двайсет години. На моменти описвания пейзаж сякаш беше изваден от историческа книга, толкова назадничаво е мисленето.
Обичам книги, които ме карат да се чувствам некомфортно и ме предизвикват да мисля над тях и преживяването ми с тази книга беше такова, защото до момента знанията ми за третирането на жените в различните краища на света е ограничено и ми иска да променя това.
Определено препоръчвам тази книга.
Историята, която Манал Ал-Шариф разказва в „Да се осмелиш да шофираш“ вдига завесата над начина на живот на една саудитска жена по много откровен начин, като не спестява на читателя неприятните преживявания в името на права, които в по-голямата си част не се оспорват в западния свят.
Наясно съм, че културата в различните части на света няма как да е еднаква, но да чета за погазването на правата на жените, на човешки права, ме накара откровено да се вбесявам. Подобна реалност е непонятна за мен, страна в която една жена има настойник от мъжки пол, независимо на колко години е. Съществува част от света, където жените са контролирани на база на религиозни текстове отпреди хиляди години – този факт ме озадачава, защото докато четях не можех да повярвам, че говорим за събития от последните двайсет години. На моменти описвания пейзаж сякаш беше изваден от историческа книга, толкова назадничаво е мисленето.
Обичам книги, които ме карат да се чувствам некомфортно и ме предизвикват да мисля над тях и преживяването ми с тази книга беше такова, защото до момента знанията ми за третирането на жените в различните краища на света е ограничено и ми иска да променя това.
Определено препоръчвам тази книга.
May 28, 2018
[4.4 stars] Until I read "City of Veils," a detective novel set in Saudi Arabia, I hadn't given much thought to the hobbled day to day existence of Saudi women. Daring to Drive is even more eye-opening. As a past religious fundamentalist who grew up poor, Al-Sharif, like all Saudi women (except perhaps royalty) encounters continuous discrimination. She is honest about her insular prejudices and how they changed. I appreciated that this wasn't a ghost-written book. Al-Sharif is an excellent story-teller and a clear-eyed writer.
January 30, 2022
'“So you’re the infamous Manal al-Sharif,” he said, eyeing me from behind his desk. “Aren’t you ashamed of what you did?”
“Is driving a car something shameful?” I answered back.”'
~Manal Al-Sharif
In 2009 while living in Saudi my mom was in a life-threatening situation and needed to be rushed to the emergency room. The closest hospital didn't have an ambulance and I had to call my father to rush home to get us so we could then turn around and rush my mom to the hospital, all because I could not drive. I could have tried to risk driving my mom to the hospital, but that could have ended in my imprisonment or punishment by lashing with no certainty my mom would have made it to the hospital.
Prior to the lift of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia in 2018 life as a woman was challenging when it came to commuting anywhere. The ban on women driving also impacted men in Saudi Arabia being forced to drive all of their female relatives around constantly. Because of this rule we had to have chauffeurs drive us for even the most menial errands like running to the store to buy some period products or grab some fast food. The ban for women to drive was in place to control our movement and as a result it forced us to get in cars with strange men that further created a power dynamic that led to many instances of predation and tragedy across the country. No matter a woman's socioeconomic status, age, profession, education, she would always be powerless when it came to being able to get from point A to point B. Due to this ban I was put in dangerous situations with predatory men when I rode alone with a driver as a teenager just trying to get art supplies for a project and also getting caught by the authorities when the chauffeur driving me to school was using the car as a drug trafficking vehicle (a terrifying scenario I had no idea I was unwillingly a part of). I remember when the driving protests in Al-Khobar and Dammam began in 2011 and the tense atmosphere all around while the Arab Spring was also igniting in Arab countries like a domino effect. It was amazing seeing men sitting in passenger seats encouraging their wives to drive, but also equally terrifying when misogynists went online threatening to physically attack and beat any woman they saw behind the wheel of a car.
The women that protested and fought for our right to drive are forever my heroes. Manal Al-Sharif's autobiography is inspiring and made me feel seen as I related to so much of her life as a mixed Saudi Arabian woman. Because of women like Manal Al-Sharif we can tell the next generation that we were last generation of women that had to experience the last country on the planet having a ban against women driving. As beautiful and powerful as this radical change was it's important to note that many of the women that protested for the right to drive are still languishing behind bars, silenced, or are in exile despite the lift of the ban. These women must not be forgotten.
“Is driving a car something shameful?” I answered back.”'
~Manal Al-Sharif
In 2009 while living in Saudi my mom was in a life-threatening situation and needed to be rushed to the emergency room. The closest hospital didn't have an ambulance and I had to call my father to rush home to get us so we could then turn around and rush my mom to the hospital, all because I could not drive. I could have tried to risk driving my mom to the hospital, but that could have ended in my imprisonment or punishment by lashing with no certainty my mom would have made it to the hospital.
Prior to the lift of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia in 2018 life as a woman was challenging when it came to commuting anywhere. The ban on women driving also impacted men in Saudi Arabia being forced to drive all of their female relatives around constantly. Because of this rule we had to have chauffeurs drive us for even the most menial errands like running to the store to buy some period products or grab some fast food. The ban for women to drive was in place to control our movement and as a result it forced us to get in cars with strange men that further created a power dynamic that led to many instances of predation and tragedy across the country. No matter a woman's socioeconomic status, age, profession, education, she would always be powerless when it came to being able to get from point A to point B. Due to this ban I was put in dangerous situations with predatory men when I rode alone with a driver as a teenager just trying to get art supplies for a project and also getting caught by the authorities when the chauffeur driving me to school was using the car as a drug trafficking vehicle (a terrifying scenario I had no idea I was unwillingly a part of). I remember when the driving protests in Al-Khobar and Dammam began in 2011 and the tense atmosphere all around while the Arab Spring was also igniting in Arab countries like a domino effect. It was amazing seeing men sitting in passenger seats encouraging their wives to drive, but also equally terrifying when misogynists went online threatening to physically attack and beat any woman they saw behind the wheel of a car.
The women that protested and fought for our right to drive are forever my heroes. Manal Al-Sharif's autobiography is inspiring and made me feel seen as I related to so much of her life as a mixed Saudi Arabian woman. Because of women like Manal Al-Sharif we can tell the next generation that we were last generation of women that had to experience the last country on the planet having a ban against women driving. As beautiful and powerful as this radical change was it's important to note that many of the women that protested for the right to drive are still languishing behind bars, silenced, or are in exile despite the lift of the ban. These women must not be forgotten.
September 4, 2017
The writer, a female, was arrested and jailed for daring to drive publicly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The offense listed on her charge sheet: "Driving while female". If you think that's a joke, it's not. The book covers her formative years right up to "the drive" and its aftermath.
I like that the book gave a very detailed account of the prejudices and difficulties she faced growing up in a religiously conservative family and society. It provided the necessary backdrop to understand why a woman just driving a car there was such a big thing and why, in the end, she felt it just had to be done, despite all the threats and warnings she had received.
She was not the first woman to drive in the KSA. 42 others had tried years earlier, when she was still a child and all had been arrested and suffered the terrible consequences, to varying degrees, for the rest of their lives. However, in an age of technology and social media, her story got the most media and international attention, so much so that she has been dubbed the Rosa Parks of the KSA.
I applaud her courage in fighting for her rights and the rights of every woman in her native country. Whilst it would be tempting to condemn all Saudi men as misguided misogynists, we need to remember also that many of the same men supported and helped her in her fight. To these men, I applaud their courage too. Centuries of customs, traditions and thinking do not just change overnight. One can only hope that the change continues apace in a peaceful manner.
I like that the book gave a very detailed account of the prejudices and difficulties she faced growing up in a religiously conservative family and society. It provided the necessary backdrop to understand why a woman just driving a car there was such a big thing and why, in the end, she felt it just had to be done, despite all the threats and warnings she had received.
She was not the first woman to drive in the KSA. 42 others had tried years earlier, when she was still a child and all had been arrested and suffered the terrible consequences, to varying degrees, for the rest of their lives. However, in an age of technology and social media, her story got the most media and international attention, so much so that she has been dubbed the Rosa Parks of the KSA.
I applaud her courage in fighting for her rights and the rights of every woman in her native country. Whilst it would be tempting to condemn all Saudi men as misguided misogynists, we need to remember also that many of the same men supported and helped her in her fight. To these men, I applaud their courage too. Centuries of customs, traditions and thinking do not just change overnight. One can only hope that the change continues apace in a peaceful manner.
June 9, 2018
I imagine that, like me, most women in the West take their right to drive for granted. I don't know that I ever really thought about it before, what it would be like to not be allowed to drive. What it would be like to be denied the right to get behind the wheel of a car and take myself to the doctor, to a friend's, to work, to a store. Not be allowed to do that, simply for being female. Yet, there are places in the world where women are routinely denied this right; it's more than just an inconvenience; it also sometimes puts these women and their children at risk for their lives. They are forced to rely on their male guardians or hired drivers when they can get them, and if none is available, they are forced to remain where they are even if they are sick and badly in need of a doctor.
In 2011, Manal Al-Sharif set out to change those laws in her home country of Saudi Arabia and "Daring to Drive" is her story. It is very well-written, most interesting, and shows what a courageous and strong woman she is, to stand up and fight oppression and sexism, and demand the right to be allowed to drive. She was arrested and detained in a horrible prison for daring to get behind the wheel of a car and drive it on the streets of her city, and yet she continued to fight. This is her story, the woman who dared to drive. And what a remarkable story it is!
In 2011, Manal Al-Sharif set out to change those laws in her home country of Saudi Arabia and "Daring to Drive" is her story. It is very well-written, most interesting, and shows what a courageous and strong woman she is, to stand up and fight oppression and sexism, and demand the right to be allowed to drive. She was arrested and detained in a horrible prison for daring to get behind the wheel of a car and drive it on the streets of her city, and yet she continued to fight. This is her story, the woman who dared to drive. And what a remarkable story it is!
July 17, 2017
I had the enormous privilege to meet Manal a couple of weeks ago, at the bookstore I manage. Thank goodness the world has strong, determined women like Manal! To be so young & to have gone through so much, standing up for a horrendous patriarchal world (as a whole, & in particular, Saudi Arabia), but still to be lovely, positive, & generous - a true hero. An inspiration for us all.
I know the Western world still has a long way to go in terms of the way women still get treated at the hands of men; but the outrageous stories in this book, some simply occurring due to the fact that women are not given the opportunity to get a car license - family members dying as there was only a woman home for example - really serve to put in perspective how far some countries really have to go.
A must read, although of course, sadly the people who most need to read it, will be the ones who would rather burn it.
I know the Western world still has a long way to go in terms of the way women still get treated at the hands of men; but the outrageous stories in this book, some simply occurring due to the fact that women are not given the opportunity to get a car license - family members dying as there was only a woman home for example - really serve to put in perspective how far some countries really have to go.
A must read, although of course, sadly the people who most need to read it, will be the ones who would rather burn it.
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