I know some of this is true, dunno about the rest, here is the source: dex1.tsd.unifi.it

Examples of Gender Inequality Before the Law
The inequality of females in the Arab culture has more than one aspect, and can extend quite far. Examples may vary from one country to the other, yet they all reflect the same attitude, and represent a common theme.

One such example that can be cited here is the persistence of Saudi government on prohibiting women from the right to drive cars. Many a voice has been raised calling to remove this ban, to no avail. The strict cultural code in society cannot allow women to drive. This right is seen as an infringement of traditions.

A more serious discriminatory practice is seen in the rigid attitude against granting citizenship rights to children of a native woman who is married to a non-native husband. Arab countries hold a strict position in this respect. The one country that has succeeded in achieving a liberal attitude towards women is the only state that allows the mother to give the citizenship to her children---namely, Tunisia. A Tunisian woman can pass the citizenship right to her children, in the case when she is married to a non-Tunisian. Egypt has been struggling hard in this direction, but there is a strong opposition against this right, not only from the judicial circles, but more so, at the top governmental level. Arguments, for the most part, center around questions of loyalty/patriotism. In a patrilineal/patriarchal culture, it is the father's citizenship that counts, and determines the children's loyalty to the country. The struggle still goes on in Egypt, and women's organizations are lobbying strongly in this respect.

Egypt is actually struggling on more than one front, with respect to the inequality of females. The above-mentioned denial to females for the position of judge, as well as the also above-mentioned issue of citizenship occupy a major position in feminist priorities. One other problem emerges as a clear violation of human rights where women are concerned. This is the negative practice which is blamed on Islam, and receives wide media coverage outside the Islamic world----namely, female circumcision, otherwise known as excision of the clitoris. The non-Moslem world considers the religion barbaric, cruel, inhuman, because it includes this ritual, and requires females to undergo this act of violence. The truth is that Islam is innocent of this accusation. The ritual is a cultural practice that has its roots in Africa, and goes back to Pharoanic times in Egypt. Female circumcision is part and parcel of the strong cultural values repertoire pertaining to the behavior of women, and which center around female chastity---in fact, the Arabic word for it means "purification', referring to the female's sexual purity. The idea behind the practice is to reduce the female's sexual appetite by excising her clitoris. Because the girl's virginity is highly valued by tradition, circumcision is meant to protect her against any possible violation of the code of behavior associated with her chastity. A girl is, therefore, circumcized before she reaches the age of puberty---to be precise, before she menstruates. The idea is to make sure that the operation takes place before the time she reaches the "dangerous age", when her sexual urge can get her into trouble. By performing the operation, the family guarantees that her virginity remains intact until marriage.

One solid proof against the blame of Islam for this practice is the simple fact that it is practiced by both Moslems and Christians in Egypt. It is also absent in most other Arab countries. As such, the cultural and not religious background of the practice is clearly confirmed. Furthermore, female circumcision is also widespread in other parts of Africa. In the Sudan, in particular, its practice is so extreme that the excision extends beyond the clitoris, and the woman may be disfigured as a result. It is common knowledge that many cases of childbirth get to be highly complicated because the circumcision operation that the woman had undergone had gone too far.

The rate of female circumcision had been dropping significantly in Egypt, as the liberal feminist movement had advanced. The efforts of the women's organizations, culminating in the fifties and sixties of the twentieth century, succeeded, as the attitude towards female circumcision was significantly changing. The practice continued in the rural areas, however, being more spread in the southern parts of Egypt. The latter represent the most conservative, traditional segment of society, where cultural values and norms are strongly upheld. With the reactionary tide taking over, however, as the seventies and eighties came, the practice became more and more widespread. The more recent years, in particular, have witnessed a surprisingly growing upsurge of the ritual. What is even more surprising is that it has come to be explained on Islamic bases. Consequently, in the midst of an increasing Islamic tide, this explanation has found listening ears from a wide public.

Efforts on the part of the health authorities to explain the many health complications associated with the practice, as well as its negative impact on the women's psychological condition, have not proved successful, in the face of a strong Islamic wave not only advocating the practice, but more so, emphasizing it .One minister of health tried to pass a law banning female circumcision, but he failed, because of the strong opposition from the community. A later attempt was made to restrict the practice and to avoid ----actually reduce--- the many problems associated with its malpractice. This step was taken through a ministerial decree to limit its practice to medical centers only-namely, hospitals, clinics, and/or health centers-with the requirement that it be performed by doctors only. The underlying reason here is that the actual practitioners of female circumcision have historically been the traditional health providers---e.g., traditional midwives, health barbers, herbalists. In most cases, the operation would proceed with no guarantee for sanitary/hygienic conditions, but rather, in an environment full of a multitude of health hazards that eventually lead to all sorts of complications, least of which is hemorrhage, let alone the long term negative effects that afflict the victim. The rationale behind restricting the performance of the operation to professional health providers was meant to guarantee against these complications. The practical side of the decree lay in the fact that even in the case of legally banning the ritual, it is practiced anyway. By requiring that its performance be limited to trained, qualified practitioners it aims at reducing the ensuing health hazards under unqualified practitioners, if avoiding these hazards totally does not seem feasible.

It is interesting to note that the attempted intervention by the government to control the increasing incidence of female circumcision was confronted by a strong wave of opposition by whoever claimed to have a say in Islam. Lawsuits against the government were filed in court, with the objective of confirming the religious base for the practice. The search for this base is attempted in the sayings of the prophet. The cases have not been resolved.

A final approach to female circumcision was made by The Ministry of Health in the last few years in the form of a ministerial decree banning the practice. It, however, does not have the power of law, and is not binding.

At the community level, there is still the widely propagated belief that female circumcision is an Islamic ritual, which leads to the strong conviction of a large segment of the population of its sanctity. Field studies support this situation. (ElSafty). What is surprising is that women who themselves were circumcised are keen to have their daughters circumcised, believing that it is Islamicly wrong if they are not.

Some women may go as far as believing that their future sons-in-law would require that their brides go through the operation, if they discover on their wedding nights---the first sexual encounter between the couple---that they are not circumcised.(See El Safty, "The Sociological Profile" in "Enhancing the Socio-Economic Status of the Egyptian Woman":1996)

It is interesting to note that excision of the clitoris is not a common practice in Gulf society.

The incidence of female circumcision in any one society raises the important question of violence against women. It is not an issue of inequality. It is more an obvious, drastic violation of human rights. International conventions are continuously calling for the eradication of violence against women. It seems, however, that the cultural tide is stronger, and that neither law nor global consensus can stand against it.