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Yaay! Saudi Arabia lifts ban on female cyclists

Yaay! Saudi Arabia lifts ban on female cyclists

  • Posted by Maryam Namazie
  • On April 5, 2013
  • 16 Comments
  • cycling, saudi Arabia, women

Yaay!

There are reports that Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on female cyclists!

A Saudi daily cited an unnamed official as saying women can now ride bikes in parks and recreational areas but must wear a full-body abaya, be accompanied by a male relative, and stay within certain areas. They are allowed to bike for recreational purposes only, not as a primary mode of transportation.

So no, not really… Unless of course you want to go out like this:

12

(Via Tarek Fatah)

 

16 Comments

Ted Powell
In a story from 2007, Iranians had reportedly invented the burcycle: http://www.jesusandmo.net/2007/05/25/dawn/
Kurt Behnke
Maryam, you should have a look at the hilarious Egyptian website http://elkoshary.com/. It has a story, about 3 years old, of exactly the same title (not that I claim that the source of this post has copied from them - the vision is not soo original.) I would like to draw yours and the reader's attention also to their "online dating site for salafi men" - go to Features, and look a little bit down. As long as they are alive and well there is hope for Egypt ....
paulburnett
The illustration has one thing right - female cyclists wearing an abaya will definitely need a fully-enclosed chain guard, to prevent the abaya from getting tangled in it. But this is one small step.
ShowMetheData
This is the 21st century!!! It should be a motorized one-way-view opaque hamster-ball Naaaa, too much like driving - forbidden, of course It ain't the vehicle; it's the oppression
Trebuchet
Perhaps they can require them to use only kick-bikes, like the Amish.
vulcan29
It's only to increase the sales of tandem bicycles as the al Sauds have recently invested in a bicycle factory because their oil wells are running dry and they will need an alternative form of transport to motor vehicles.
mobius
Have they designed burka friendly bicycles? One small (very tiny) step for woman kind. Now if the progress can just continue.
alanflynn
A commendable move by KSA. Now can we move swiftly toward ending the proscription of Dykes on Bikes organising within the kingdom?
Mike Haubrich
Saudi Arabia is just getting too damn liberal. I wasn't planning on going there, anyway.
Omar
lol I'm sure this was an april fool. Saudi scum would NEVER let women ride bikes.
    Maryam Namazie
    LOl. Are you sure? It's from Aljazeera the stream and April 2.
    Philip Bone
    Not sure... not sure ??? Well if one thing is FOR SURE, it is that —given their fantastic sense of humour—, the mere thought of doing anything resembling a joke, a kidding or a banter is definitely out of their reach ! ! (...and besides, I don't think they even know about the existence of April's fools ! !) lol...
Yuri
Lol - imagine riding the bike dressed in this - in full heat of their heat !!! They must be bonkers - I am just glad I am not living there
noastronomer
Always assuming that the zealots* within the Saudi religious police don't just take upon themselves to implement their own personal ban on activities they deem un-Islamic. Like women riding bicycles. Mike. * In this case used relatively speaking.

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