Saudi cleric suspended for calling women 'half-brained' as compared to men

A Saudi cleric who said women should not be allowed to drive because they have a "quarter" of the brainpower of men has been banned from preaching, media reported on Friday.

Saad al-Hijri was suspended from all religious activity in the southern province of Asir after his comment was widely pilloried on social media.

Hijri said women -- who normally are "half-brained" compared to men -- "end up with only a quarter" when they go shopping and therefore must be denied driving licences, according to an online video identifying him as a senior religious figure.

Saudi Arabia applies a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, which imposes a range of restrictions including a ban on women driving.

Unrelated men and women are normally segregated in Saudi Arabia, where offices and restaurants have separate sections for single men and families.

Hijri's comment sparked a storm on social media, with women's rights activists calling for his suspension, but he also had pockets of support from conservative followers.

Hijri later said that his comment was a "slip of the tongue", according to Sabq online newspaper.