Saudi writer, journalist and human rights activist Wajeha al-Huwaider posts
a video on YouTube of herself driving, in defiance of the Islamic Kingdom's
ban on women driving cars.

UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, SAUDI ARABIA (RECENT) (AMVID) - WAJEHA AL-HUWAIDER, SAUDI AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST,
SAYING WHILE DRIVING CAR:
    "Today is of course International Women's Day. First I would like
to congratulate all the women who have achieved their rights and I hope that
all the women who are still fighting for their rights will achieve them soon.
Of course I am now driving this car in a rural area. In rural areas of the
Kingdom, women are allowed to drive cars, unfortunately. However in the
cities, in the places where they actually need to drive cars, it is still
prohibited. So on the occasion of International Women's Day, I hope his
excellency the Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz will allow us
to drive cars soon. We, the women who signed the petition we sent him today,
all hold driving licenses and can drive cars in our cities. Many of us are
also willing to help the government train women to apply for driving licenses.
The problem of women being banned from driving, as many officials have
reiterated, is not a political issue, or a religious issue, but rather a
social issue. And we know that there are many women in our society who are
capable of driving cars, and there are many families that allow their women to
drive. So if the door is opened for these women to drive, I am sure that it
will be the better, safer and more effective way to change perceptions that we
are not ready to be allowed to drive yet. That is all. I hope that next year,
on the next International Women's Day, this ban will have been
lifted."