Saudi women defy driving ban

Women put keys to ignitions Friday in Saudi Arabia to start a roaring challenge to the conservative Islamic kingdom's prohibition of female drivers.

"It's a disadvantage for us," said Sulafa Kurdi, who lived in the United States once and got her driver's license when she was 18.

"It's something that we want to do, and hopefully, it will happen," she said after driving to a Riyadh restaurant with her friends and cousin.

Fueled by "Women2Drive," a campaign demanding the right for women to drive and travel freely in Saudi Arabia, Kurdi and other Saudi women commanded streets and roads normally reserved for men.

Though there are no specific traffic laws that make it illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, religious edicts are often interpreted as a prohibition of female drivers. Such edicts also prevent women from opening bank accounts, obtaining passports or even going to school without the presence of a male guardian.

Authorities stopped Manal al Sharif, 32, for driving a car on May 21 and detained her the next day. She said she was forced to sign a form promising not to drive again and spent a week in jail.-cnn