Lash Me, I Was Alone With My Driver

by miau_chang Thu 05 Feb 2009, 3:26 pm

Lash Me, I Was Alone With My Driver

Yes I admit it, you can take this as a full confession under
the law, I was alone with my driver. I knew I would be alone with him,
just he and I driving along the roads of Saudi Arabia. He alone with me
for a couple of hours, I should be lashed. Do note that being alone
with him was not of my own desire, but only due to a need to get out
and about since I can't drive here. But I confess and I should be
lashed according to legal interpretation.

I went out with out
the permission of Mr. Man my guardian. He had no clue I was out and
about alone in a car with my driver. I couldn't call him as he didn't
pay my cell phone bill so I blame it partly on him. But alas, I went
out to Saad and he didn't know, in fact he still doesn't know I must
confess it. I than went shopping, alone I sat in the car with my driver
on the way to Tamimis.

I confess I have been alone in stores
where only a man was present. I confess, sinful I am, I have been to
mini marts, dress shops, book stores, and even under garment shops that
may have sold kinky items at the time. And I must add to my confession,
I've talked to these men, bartered with them, even smiled on occasion
and I must not forget I've gotten angry and annoyed with a few. I know
that one sock guy was trying to over charge me, I angrily voiced my
objection to being given a higher price. But I digress, I was alone
with him at that time, in his store, not in full view due to the
display of socks.

I confess workers have been in my house to fix
things when no one else has been present. The 'technician' that is
required to change the man light bulbs in my house, that seem to blow
daily. I was alone when the cable guy came to install cable in Leynas
room, I walked up the steps with him to her bedroom to show him where I
wanted the connection. I have been alone with plumbers who I need to
constantly fix leaks that form puddles in my bathrooms. It would be
better if they fixed them properly without me having to keep calling
them back. But I confess on several occasions it has only been me and
the workers in the house, this also includes Shafiq, our cleaning man
who is here three times a week. While I do stay out of his way, he'll
be on one floor and I am on the other, I am still alone in the house
with him on some occasions.

I confess fully and willingly to all
of these things, lash me, lash me as it is the interpretation of Saudi
law. Lash me for being in a car with a driver who is starting to annoy
me because I am not allowed to drive here. A quick fix to this problem
is to allow women to drive. Although that wouldn't solve the taxi
issues, they are all men as well, but importing female taxi drivers
would be a solution. But of course they could not pick up male
passengers.

Allowing women to work in shops would be a solution
so I am not alone with a man as I buy socks. But I suppose one would
need to ban all men from going into the shops as they than would be
alone with a female clerk. A more sensible solution, as to not break
the law, is to have male only shops and female shops. Male only would
be run by males and the customers only male as well, the same would
hold true for women shops. Not really a feasible solution, but we don't
want society sinning.

I could stand outside as a guy unknown to
me enters my residence to fix the plumbing or install cable. I predict
that something would be stolen from my home and theft rates would
increase but as long as I'm not alone in the house with a worker. I
could go back to cleaning my own toilets but considering I would be
back to scrubbing my MILs toilet as well I'd rather be lashed. I could
wait on Mr. Man to be home when the guy comes to install the light
bulbs, but by that time we would be living by candle light.

Being
alone with a man, per the view of Saudi law, simply is unavoidable for
me and all women in this country. In fact I believe this stands true
for all Muslim in the world who at some point in their lives may be
'alone' with a male not related to them. As awkward as the situation is
for me at times, I do swear I have NEVER once entertained any deviant
thoughts in my mind, especially sexual. In fact on most occasions my
mind is questioning if most guys in this country have something against
deodorant.

It seems I'm just a sinful Muslim woman going about
my average boring days in Saudi Arabia. Adjusting to cultural norms
that are not of my own. Being driven along daily by an unrelated driver
who is bickering with me like a second husband. I'm alone with men by
necessity of this life, and if I am to be lashed for my sinful ways
than what other choice do I have. Either I can be forced to live life
that will not work for neither I nor Mr. Man (he needs this independent
chicka) or judges and Saudi law can be in tune to the realities of the
norm of this society.

Yes, dare I suggest, I am not alone in my
sinful ways. I am in the company of every other woman who ventures
outside the house. At one time or another a woman will be alone with a
man, either in a store or in car and at times in her own home. To
suggest that we should all be viewed as sinful per an interpretation of
Islamic law, in my view, ignores the intent of the law itself. For in
the end wouldn't the social system that not only prevents a sin free
option but in fact supports the sin with social restrictions be more at
fault than any average woman driving along with an unrelated male
driver alone?

Or are we just witnessing how slippery this slope really is?

"The
sentence of the two rape victims is based on the Saudi interpretation
of “khalwa”, the principle that an unrelated man and woman cannot be in
seclusion together. The interpretation of “khalwa” under Saudi law —
which judges say is the proper interpretation of the Sunnah — includes
unrelated men and women being together even in public. The judicial
interpretation of “khalwa” in Saudi Arabia also includes an unrelated
man and woman inside a vehicle." (Arab News)
There
is a lot more I could say about the Qatif case and I could easily let
my anger get the best of me. But I think in this small way I can point
out that there are large ramifications in this society due to this
particular case. And we all need to wake up to it.

Posted by
Nzingha

at
10:33 AM

http://nzinghas.blogspot.com/2007/11/lash-me-i-was-alone-with-my-driver.html

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Lash Me, I Was Alone With My Driver

Lash Me, I Was Alone With My Driver