The most ridiculous argument against women driving. Ever.

By MELISSA WELLHAM

Women of the world, hit the brakes. Put your car in ‘park’. And step out of the vehicle.

Bet you didn’t know this, but apparently driving can seriously affect your ovaries and pelvis.

In response to another upcoming campaign that is aimed at encouraging women in Saudi Arabia to challenge the ban on females driving – which is not actually a law made by parliament, but a custom enshrined in religious fatwas that were rigorously enforced by authorities – a man named Sheikh Saleh bin Saad al-Luhaydan has told a news website that if they knew what’s good for them women wouldn’t dare drive cars.

Sheikh Saleh al-Luhaydan, who is one of the 21 members of a group who write religious edicts and advise the government on relevant issues, explained that driving can negatively effect the female reproductive system.

Yes. He. Did.

Dr Saleh al-Luhaydan (that’s in sarcasm font – the dude ain’t a doctor) has revealed that driving can “have a reverse physiological impact.”

Could you explain this ‘reverse physiological impact’ further, Sheikh al-Luhaydan?

“If a woman drives a car, not out of pure necessity, that could have negative physiological impacts as physiological science and functional medicine studied this side [and found] that it automatically affects ovaries and rolls up the pelvis,” Sheikh al-Luhaydan continued. “This is why we find for women who continuously drive cars their children are born with clinical disorders of varying degrees.”

I’m not entirely sure how the Sheikh would explain the perfectly healthy babies being born in other countries around the world, where women can drive, but I have a feeling this particular argument isn’t entirely motivated by logic. Or science, for that matter.

The Sheikh’s comments were in response to an online campaign that is encouraging women to take to the road and drive on October 26th. Over 11,000 have signed the pledge on oct26driving.com.

As the website explains it: “Since there are no clear justifications for the state to ban adult, capable women from driving. We call for enabling women to have driving tests and for issuing licenses for those who pass.”

But Sheikh al-Luhaydan doesn’t accept the ‘no clear justifications’ part of their pledge, and instead has urged these women to think about “the mind before the heart and emotion and look at this issue with a realistic eye.”

He continued, “The result of this is bad and they should wait and consider the negativities.”

Sure, there’s no rational objection to women driving. Sure, there’s not actually a law against it.  But there is an understanding that only men can be given driver’s licenses, and women who do take to the motorways can be charged with political protest.

Those must be the negatives the Sheikh is talking about.

Can you think of a MORE ridiculous reason as to why women shouldn’t be allowed to drive? Digital points to the most creative answer.