al-Hasani
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can't drive at 17?, in Canada a person can get his class 7 at fourteen (drive from 7am-11pm, with an adult), and can get a class 5 at 16 (drive alone from 7-11).
The legal driving age in KSA is 18 years. The rules are very liberal in USA and Canada from what I have heard and read. I don't think that many countries in the world have such liberal rules when it comes to the driving age.
Since this thread has a connection to the law that has banned women from driving then I would like to give my perspective on it:
Oh, my friend, I am personally against the ban of women driving too but I do understand that many sectors of the Saudi society favor the law. Approximately 50% of all Saudis are against it though and must of the youth which make up a large percentage of the population - people under 30 years make up 66% of the population if I remember correctly.
The thing is that the powerful conservative clerics are afraid of that leading to un-Islamic acts and many Saudis are also concerned about the security of their daughters and wife's.
Also the ban on women driving have a very big negative financial affect on the society due to hiring drivers etc. King Abdullah has pledged to lift the ban in the near future but it all depends on the conservative element since they have a very big religious influence.
Although I find it really pathetic, ridiculous and as a clear example of ignorance when people use that 1 law to describe all the laws of KSA. Forgetting the social and financial stability that we enjoy like nowhere else in the world, more or less and certainly compared to the region. Or the extremely low crime rate.
Once the ban will be lifted the anti-Muslims, anti-Arabs and in particularly anti-Saudis will find another excuse in their propaganda. Next will be why most Saudi women wear a headscarf why non-Muslims can't visit Makkah and Madinah, why KSA is a Muslim country and not atheists, why there are no strip clubs or nightclubs etc.
We are far from a perfect country, nothing is perfect apart from Allah (swt) and certainly no country since all countries are ruled by humans (surprise, surprise) but I would say that we, at least for Muslims, are a really good country to live in.
Just better for us to ignore all the ignorance, lunatic comments, hatred etc. and try to grow as a country and society even further than worrying about such individuals.
Just my two quick cents.