Posted on 09/24/2007 9:28:14 AM PDT by mojito
Two Saudi women called agents of the feared religious police terrorists, and one sprayed the men with a tearing irritant after the agents stopped them because they did not conform to the kingdom's strict dress code, the religious police said Monday in a statement.
One of the women filmed the incident, which took place in the Eastern Province on Thursday, the statement quoted Muhammad bin Marshoud al-Marshoud, head of the Eastern Province branch of the Commission for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice as saying.
The commission employs the police unit that enforces the kingdom's strict Islamic lifestyle. The police patrol public places to ensure women are covered and not wearing make up, the sexes don't mingle, shops close five times a day for Muslim prayers and men go to the mosque and worship.
"Two members of the commission were attacked, cursed and sworn at by two women who were blatantly dolled up," al-Marshoud said, meaning the women were wearing makeup.
He said the agents stopped the women to give them advice and guidance after they noticed they were wearing makeup.
"One of the women took out a black container and sprayed a tearing substance at them while the other filmed what happened with her phone camera while making improper comments," al-Marshoud said.
He said commission members "took control of the situation with help from security patrols."
"During questioning, the women apologized for attacking the two commission members, signed a statement and were released," he added.
Monday's unusual statement by the commission, which rarely comments on its interaction with the public, comes weeks after a rare backlash on its members that was triggered by the death of two Saudi men in religious police custody.
For the first time, members of the force were put on trial for alleged abuses in the two cases. In the separate trials, religious police were charged with causing the deaths of the two men.
A Saudi court later dropped charges against three members of the religious police and a regular police officer in one of the cases, which involved the death a man shortly after his arrest in June by the religious police for being alone with a woman not of his family.
The second trial, which involves the case of a man who died shortly after his arrest for allegedly consuming alcohol, is still ongoing.
The two cases have sparked calls by human rights groups and newspapers for reforms in the force, which has long been seen as above criticism.
In a related development, commission members banned female shoppers from sitting in a makeshift outdoor restaurant to have their fast-breaking meal in a low-income neighborhood in the western port city of Jiddah because men were already seated at special tables set up for the holy fasting month of Ramadan, according to Al-Watan newspaper.
The paper quoted Muhammed Mehdawi as saying commission members forced his wife and children to eat their food while standing next to him. Other women stood by the stands that run the modest eatery.
Ali al-Luhayyan, head of the commission's Jiddah branch, said the agents' actions were meant as a deterrent, "especially since some of the women were dolled up, and also to prevent the mixing of the sexes that could happen at such events and which our religion rejects," the paper said.
Yeah, guidance with a great big stick. I remember seeing these Mutawah around when I was in Saudi. They patrolled in pairs, carrying billy clubs. You wanted no part of them, I assure you.
I spent many months in the Kingdom while I was in the Air Force. I have many stories regarding these little thugs. I managed to stay out of their way but I suspect they are even less tolerant now than when I was there.
Bingo!
Just waiting for the cell phone video to appear on YouTube!
They left the oilfield workers (like me) alone, but I concur.
Those two women are probably dead meat. I’m so glad to be born where I was and that is in the USA.
Those two women are probably dead meat. I’m so glad to be born where I was and that is in the USA.
Salute to those two fearless women.
I worked in the oil fields as a kid in the summer and worked with a guy who I’ve wondered about all these years. I asked an Uncle recently who knew him too what happened to him. According to my Uncle he went to work in the oilfields in Saudi and was put to death by the Saudis. My Uncle didn’t know why. He was one mean SOB so I suspect he got into a fix that he couldn’t talk his way out of.
At some point...they are going to find three or four of these “cops” laying out in the street with shotgun wounds, and the government will realize that things are spiraling out of control. I don’t think the “cops” realize how many citizens really dislike them....well over 50 percent I’m guessing.
Oh, they do know, but they employed these turds to do this to control them -— bit like Hitler’s brown shirts, really, but better thought out.
The Saudi royal family is all about pacifying the masses. One of the way they do this is with the religious police.
This way, the relgious fanatics have a job, a hierarchy, goals, and a means to channel their religious furor.
Plus, the government has a list of nuts that they can monitor and cherry-pick.
It’s like riding a giant scorpian. The only way to keep from getting stung is to stay riding — and even then, you’ll get nailed a bit.
We trade intolerance, a lot of hedonism, and a little terrorism to keep oil flowing and to prevent a LOT of terrorism.
It’s a precarious balance, and one that the Michael Savage “ports” (to refer to a similar kingdom) crowd does not understand.
In the words of Ann Coultor, “invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity.”
You can own a shotgun in the Kingdom?
May the real God bless these brave women.
It seems to me that the women in these societies need to conspire to change things. Men have to sleep sometime. The women prepare the food. If a large number so men should suddenly become “missing”, they might begin to change their way of thinking. Ladies don’t have to remain submissive. It might take a few martyrs, but I think they could change things. African women generally are not afraid of their men.
My husband used to work with a guy who traveled to SA frequently - his company had an office there. Because he and the others in the office weren’t Muslim, they were supposed to lock their doors during prayer time so as to avoid a religious police visit. One time they forgot and were beaten for not praying when the police came in unannounced.
Islam is so tolerant though.
Saudi women fighting back against the thugs from the Commission for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice?
BRB. Going outside a minute...
I have always wanted to see a flock of flying pigs...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.