Inspired by the Bob Marley song, 'No Woman No Cry', three singers challenge the Saudi driving ban for women
On 26 October, musician Alaa Wardi, stand-up comedian Fahad Albutairi, and comedian Hisham Fageeh posted a five-minute song on YouTube titled "No Woman No Drive."
Inspired by Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," the three Saudis came up with their piece in response to the ongoing battle between authorities of the Gulf kingdom and women over driving permits.
The song has exceeded 1,200,000 views on YouTube.
Saudi Arabia is bracing for possible protests Saturday, after female activists declared an "open driving campaign" against the deeply conservative kingdom's ban on women behind the wheel, AFP reported.
Activists had originally planned a "drive-in" Saturday, but cancelled it after threats of legal action, instead declaring an open-ended campaign in the only country that forbids women from driving.
Several women said they had received telephone calls from the Interior Ministry, which warned of measures against activists who chose to participate and asked them to promise not to drive on Saturday.
The ministry spokesman, General Mansur Al-Turki told the agency that laws "will be applied against violators and those who demonstrate in support of this cause."
Women in the ultra-conservative state are exposed to a series of restrictions on public and private rights, including driving bans, full covering of their bodies, and the accompanying of a male guardian in order to travel.
Local authorities arrested 47 women who challenged state laws and drove their cars to express their rejection of the driving ban in 1990.
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