Majda al-Bahr, 38, wife, and mother of five, is Jerusalem’s only female taxi driver. And that is not the only item on her list of “coolness,” her last name means “The Sea.” If I had such a cool last name, you people wouldn’t hear the end of it.
As Jerusalem’s only female Muslim taxi driver, Mrs Bahr, wearing a white headscarf, cuts a distinctive figure in the city’s taxi-driving community.
Mrs Bahr is an unlikely heroine breaking down the gender and religious barriers in the holy city.
Born and educated in Kuwait, Mrs Bahr, whose parents are both Palestinian, has worked as a taxi driver in the city for five years.
Previously, she worked as a cleaner in hotels and retirement homes.
Now, the mother-of-five shares the taxi with her husband and works six days a week. She normally takes Saturday off – the Jewish Sabbath – when there is very little business.
“It’s very expensive in Jerusalem,” she says, explaining why she first became a taxi driver, “and we needed more money.”
Mrs Bahr constantly juggles the challenges of motherhood with her job.
Working the morning shift, she sometimes cuts it short to make lunch for her children.
In her conservative Muslim community, Mrs Bahr says that it is her female Muslim friends that have been her biggest champions.
“My friends think it is daring and brave to be a taxi driver,” she says.
Mrs Bahr is even trying to persuade another Muslim female friend to get behind the wheel.
She also says that her male Muslim and Jewish colleagues at the local taxi office are completely supportive.
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Why do you have to see conflict in everything is it not a good thing that she is getting on with her jewish colleagues
Posted by Anonymous | August 11, 2007, 10:24 amIt is a good thing, that’s what the post is about, however, it is only fair to criticize the apparent prejudice and ignorance.
You know, if you see a black kid in college, and tell him “you’re so nice for a black fella” you’re not exactly complementing him
Posted by Anonymous | August 11, 2007, 10:33 amHi there..
thnx for the post , I linked to it in my blog , hope u dont mind that
Posted by Citizen N~ | August 11, 2007, 11:59 amMy pleasure.
Posted by Fayyad | August 11, 2007, 12:17 pmI remember reading this when it was first published. We could talk about how stupid this tone is, and how the amazement of Israelis and other Westerners is when it comes to Arab taxi drivers. But all I have to say after reading this is: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a female taxi driver in the US, myself. Has anybody here?
By the way, the new layout is pretty sweet.
Posted by yaman | August 11, 2007, 11:13 pmI’ve been in taxis with female drivers a few time, theu where all in Madison. Not many.
But there is always that lady from Taxi cab Confessions on HBO.
Posted by Fayyad | August 12, 2007, 12:03 amAnyone know how I can get in touch with Majda Al Bahr?
Paulina
Posted by Miss P | July 3, 2008, 5:55 am