Big Deal!

It is hard to get excited about Saudi Arabia’s decision finally to allow women to drive. I will leave that to Ivanka Trump, the New York Times, and many media outlets throughout the world.

After all, until now, Saudi Arabia has been the only country on the planet denying women the right to drive. So, before we celebrate, it is worth noting that even after they start driving in June, Saudi women will still not be able to marry, to divorce, to travel, to open a bank account, to get a job, or to have elective surgery without permission of their legal male guardians. They still will not be able to mix freely with males, to appear in public without their full-length black abayas, to retain custody of their children after a divorce, to enjoy rights of inheritance or to apply for a passport.

Frankly, I don’t know where they will be driving to. Given all the other restrictions that remain, they probably will have to bring along a male guardian.

So, rather than share in all the excitement, it is time to tell the Saudis to get over it and start acting like most of the rest of the world.