Nigerian Women Defy Motorbike Ban
Nigeria-from the BBC- According to Islamic law, and I thought this rule pretty forward looking for Islamic law, women and men cannot travel together on public transport. A common form of public transport around Lagos and other cities are two wheel motorbikes. The state recently decided to enforce this ban, trying to get ahead of the change by putting a number of three-wheeled rickshaw bikes and women's only busses on the streets.
Women, complaining that the changes aren't enough, have been defying the ban and protesting. The defiance of the women, with the aid of taxi drivers, involves pretending that they are related.
To enforce the ban, thousands of religious marshalls have been patrolling the streets, stopping apparent violators. The response to the defiance has been mixed. Fights have reportedly broken out between marshalls and taxi drivers. Taxi drivers who have violated the ban have in some cases been slashed.
Starting next weeks, offending taxi drivers will be fined between $40 and $80 by roving magistrate courts.
BBC article...
posted by Tony Wilkie @ 3:21 PM
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