Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, former deputy chairman of the Shoura Council and former secretary-general of Muslim World League, has said that women driving is not un-Islamic and could be introduced in the Kingdom gradually, beginning with cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh. In an interview with Arab News, Naseef also said that Saudi Arabia's reform programs were going well and he described the municipal elections as a good beginning. "Next time, there will be elections to regional councils and the Shoura Council. We don't know when but they will come," he said.Dr. Naseef, who is also vice chairman of the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center, emphasized the important place of women in Islam. "Women enjoyed equal participation in every field in the early days of Islam. Later people drifted away from Islamic teachings and denied women their basic rights but that should not be blamed on Islam," he said. "Depriving women of their rights should not be allowed. At the same time, women should be aware of religious teachings and should not behave in an un-Islamic way. Some things are indeed un-Islamic and create problems. These problems are present in the West which did not realize their danger until it was too late. We don't want the same thing to happen here," he added. Dr. Naseef continued, "The participation of women in elections, their membership of the Shoura and other things such as driving will come gradually. People are afraid that if they allow women to drive, it will create confusion but a gradual introduction is possible in order to avoid problems. It may not be a problem in Jeddah or even in Riyadh. In other areas, it may cause unnecessary confusion and dissatisfaction. There is nothing in Islam that prevents women from driving."