Kuwaiti scholar: women can vote, but are unsuited to run for political office

Kuwaiti scholar Dr Ajeel Al-Nashmi, who serves as the head of the Sharia Scholars League in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), believes that women are not fit to hold public office. Al-Nashmi doesn't object to women voting, just doing stuff they aren't suited for, like debating, staying awake for long hours at night, and interacting with men. Al-Nashimi justifies his position by appealing to Islam: “[D]uring the era of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and subsequent periods, history has not registered women appointments in government to manage affairs in any Islamic state.”  

If you're tempted to dismiss Al-Nashmi as a fringe hard-liner whose opinion doesn't matter, consider that Bloomberg Businessweek lists him as having connections with to 55 board members in 5 different organizations across 5 different industries. He has gained renown as a scholar and the author of several books dealing with Sharia and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Al-Nashmi received his doctorate degree in Jurisprudence from Al-Azhar University in 1977, then his Masters in 1995. As part of the GCC, he influences Muslims in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. 

When a devout Muslim, one who has dedicated much of his life to studying Islam, says that Islam regulates a woman's life in x manner, I think the least we can do is investigate his claims...especially when he is known and respected as an expert by millions of Muslim households.