“In May 2011, I drove a car in the city of Khobar, Saudi Arabia, to pro...” — Manal al-Sharif Quote

In May 2011, I drove a car in the city of Khobar, Saudi Arabia, to protest the kingdom's ban on women driving.

I always say that countries that keep women in the backseat will always end up on the wrong side of history.

I'm a normal woman, a normal person, and I just want to drive.

The Saudi ideal of a woman is a religious mother who rarely ventures out: She shouldn't work with men, she should be completely covered, and she shouldn't go out alone to run errands.

We should not label people who speak up, because it should not be the exception - it should be the norm. When you see something wrong, you speak up.

I always found it ironic when a Saudi official bashes Islamists, given that Saudi Arabia is the mother of all political Islam - and even describes itself as an Islamic state in its 'Higher Law.'

The Saudi government's denial of basic rights to women is not only wrong, it hurts Saudi Arabia's economic development, modernization and prosperity.

I strongly believe that we would be amiss to cut ourselves off from Saudi Arabia without expending every effort to avert disaster.

I'm worried for a war to break out between Saudi Arabia and Iran, even though I rule it out.

Saudi Arabia isn't just a conservative country with different values we shouldn't judge. It is a modern Gilead.