http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/saudi-report-claims-women-wheel-sex-105038818.html A very interesting argument in favor of denying women basic civil rights.
Possibly, however my issue is that a "modern" government stills observes such silliness in the name of religion.
The Saudi monarchy is not an absolute monarchy in the sense that the European kings once were.. They have to get a consensus.. from the technocrats, the clerics, the merchant class, the family, etc. It their form of checks and balances. The Western press usually only reports what the clerics have to say.. and even then.. only the most conservative clerics. Three months ago another cleric came out and said that there is NOTHING in the Koran that prevents women from driving.. because women drove camel caravans at the time of Mohammed.
It means that's what THIS cleric wants to do.. Prince Salman is building 100 highway plazas that will be woman-friendly.. They will soon be driving.. Too many Saudis want the change.
QFT, anyone who "buys a car" without at least "test driving" a few different ones first is asking for a poor driving experience
Some of the more liberal clerics actually have went as far as saying that man should be able to work, own property and many other things that they can't now.