Monday, December 12, 2005

It's Enough to Drive You to Marry

 
Remember Karen Hughes’ speech to the Saudi women, when the latter harumped to Ms. Hughes that the Saudi law preventing them from driving cars was no problem? No problem for them, anyway, living as they are in professional, pampered lives in Riadyh.

But what about the rest of the women in Saudi Arabia? The ones who have to make a living for real? Well, here’s a tale of ingenuity:

According to al-Reuters, four teachers in a rural school in the south-west province of Al-Baha have gotten together with their driver — literally “gotten together,” as in all four of them marrying him and settling down in the village where they teach.

Now why would they do this, you ask? Because it’s a damn long commute and marrying the person who drives you solves the problem of driving while female, a crime punishable by beatings in the Kingdom of Saud. On the other hand, it's perfectly permissible in the Alice-in Wonderland form of Wahhabi sharia law for a man to marry four women. Evidently marrying this chauffeur seemed less tiresome than having him drive them home everyday.

The lucky groom will be paid a share of each teacher’s salary, which no doubt obviates the need to find other work.

This is a story made for the movies. Please, someone, call Roger Simon and see if he can get someone onto the screen play. The high farce inherent in this situation should be captured on film. Especially the part where the husband/driver tries to get along with four women with PMS. Good luck to him; he's going to need it.

Of course, some spoilsport will no doubt issue a fatwa against the writer, actors, director, etc., but what the hey... they can all convert to Hinduism and look forward to reincarnation -- one would hope in a more honorable role than the cinematic life.

Queen Rania Out For a RideMeanwhile, back in the real world, here's a picture of the Queen of Jordan. Kind of makes all those protesting women at Karen Hughes' speech in Riadyh look silly. And that's putting it kindly.

 


Hat Tip: American Ex-Pat

1 comments:

Linda Fox said...

The title of the movie could be "Driving the Mrs. Crazy"