Two days ago, King Abdulla said Saudi Arabian women have the right to vote and participate in local elections, which the BBC hailed as "potentially the most important advance for women's rights in decades," underscoring Abdulla's stature as a reformist. Today came news that a woman's been sentenced to 10 lashes for driving a car. It's not illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, but conservative religious leaders have banned it. Caryle Murphy, who just completed three years of reporting in that country, is now a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
KCRW
