Saudi Police Detain Two Women Caught Driving -- and One Husband's Reaction Is Hilariously Refreshing

Two of Saudi Arabia's highest-profile female mouthpieces for ending the country's ban on women driving were caught behind the wheel by police Friday in the country's capital, CNN reported.

Aziza Al-Yousef was driving the car, and Eman Al-Nafjan was the passenger, they told CNN, adding that after getting pulled over they spent a few hours at a police station in Riyadh until being released to their husbands' custody.

Image source: Skoll World Forum

Al-Nafjan — one of Saudi Arabia's most prominent bloggers who helped pull together the Women's Driving Campaign in October — said she and Al-Yousef took a spin to attract more attention to the cause.

"We were looking for the police," she said. "We drove by the police station on purpose."

Al-Nafjan, who tweets as "Saudiwoman," said she welcomed the detention, adding that she's tired of waiting for the Saudi government to let women drive.

Al-Yousef, the driver, told CNN she wasn't trying to get pulled over and was at first concerned she and Al-Nafjan might go to jail, noting traffic police, regular police, and even secret police who arrived on scene.

But Al-Yousef said the cops lightened up considerably by the time she and her partner in crime, Al-Nafjan, got to the police station.

When Al-Yousef's husband came for her, CNN reported that he was asked to sign a statement pledging Al-Yousef wouldn't drive again.

His response?

"How can I do that?" he joked. "I can't prevent her from driving. Only God can do that."

[sharequote align="center"]"I can't prevent her from driving. Only God can do that."[/sharequote]

But he signed, and she was let go.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly the last country on the planet that still disallows female drivers. But a push to overturn the ban as gained plenty of steam, which TheBlaze has covered extensively.

Saudi women launched a campaign to drive on October 26 in defiance of the conservative Islamic kingdom’s strict ban. Al Arabiya reportrf that more than 11,000 women signed on to oct26driving.com; but he campaign’s website was blocked inside Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters.

“Since there is no justification for the Saudi government to prohibit adult women citizens who are capable of driving cars from doing so, we urge the state to provide appropriate means for women seeking the issuance of permits and licenses to apply and obtain them,” the campaign says.

According to Reuters, the women’s driving ban is not detailed in a specific law; however, only men are granted licenses to drive. Women who drive are at risk of being fined, detained or put on trial for launching a political protest.

"We have tried all the legal channels," Al-Nafjan told CNN. "The government keeps promising us that all we have to do is be patient and quiet, and we'll eventually get the right to drive. Officials keep saying the women driving issue is one for Saudi society to decide. We wanted to prove that really isn't the case and that the only people who really stop us is the police."

CNN tried contacting Riyadh police for comment but said attempts to reach them were unsuccessful.

Here's a clip posted to YouTube in 2011 that allegedly includes Eman Al-Nafjan (i.e., "saudiwoman") in a vehicle with a female driver; it's unclear if Al-Nafjan is allegedly the driver or a passenger:

Featured image via YouTube raw video

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