Saudi women's driving kicks off without arrests

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia –  Saudi activists said more than 60 women claimed to have answered their call on Saturday to get behind the wheel in a rare show of defiance against a ban on female driving in the ultraconservative kingdom.

Saudi professor and campaigner Aziza Youssef said the group has received 13 videos and another 50 phone messages from women showing or claiming they had driven. She said they have no way to verify the messages.

If the numbers are accurate, this year's campaign is the most successful effort yet by Saudi women demanding the right to drive.  Youssef said they have not received any reports of arrests or women being ticketed by police.

Great thought by an Indian actress on a talk show hosted by the very knowledgeable and teasing Anupama Chopra, on Star TV: Indian girls should be brought up like boys, not prepared to be wives and daughter-in-laws, but prepared rather to face the challenges of the world, be given scope to explore their potential and to go after their dreams. What a day it would be when this becomes the norm in partriarchic societies like India and Islamic countries.