Tables Turning On Saudi Arabia's Religious Police

npr.org/ ^ | February 21, 2009

[JoeProBono]

Saudi religious police patrol the malls, ensuring the only mingling of sexes is among immediate family members and that women are properly covered head to toe in black.

[JoeProBono]

In Saudi Arabia, religious police patrol the streets, looking for what they see as violations of Islamic law — the mingling of unrelated men and women, for example, or shops remaining open during prayer time. Formally known as the Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice, the religious police once enjoyed wide public support, but now are coming under harsh criticism — from Saudis themselves.

To see what Saudis are saying about the religious police, known around here as the Hey'a, all you have to do is load up a few videos on YouTube. In one video, a Hey'a member harasses a woman in a mall for leaving her face uncovered. The woman fights back.

Another one shows a group of women ululating at the Hey'a — and eventually running them out of a mall.

The videos are often narrated by angry citizens, saying things like "We'll show you by showing the world your bad deeds." The videos are just one part of the public outcry against the Hey'a these days. Newspapers routinely run critical news and opinion pieces. And it seems like every Saudi you talk to has a story.

"I was going out to Starbucks with one of my friends," tells a recent graduate who didn't want to give her name. "He's a doctor. And we were discussing something — it's a campaign that we wanted to do for the university. So it was very official."

Later that day she was confronted by the Hey'a for meeting with a member of the opposite sex.

"And then suddenly this guy — the Hey'a — he came and he knocked near the door," she says. "He said, 'How can you do this, this is not allowed,' and he started shouting." The officer took her to the Hey'a office.

At the office, she was interrogated about her meeting with the doctor and accused of lying.

They told her "He touched your breast. You showed him your body," the graduate says. "We were in public," she protested.

They asked if she was a virgin, then told her they were going to check.

"You know, I felt very humiliated," the student says. "I didn't do anything wrong, and now he's treating me like I'm a whore or something. I really felt very bad."

The woman was detained for several hours then forced to sign a document admitting her guilt. Her friend the doctor spent two days in jail.

Saudi religious police patrol the malls, ensuring the only mingling of sexes is among immediate family members and that women are properly covered head to toe

[nufsed]

good outfits for shoplifitng

[donmeaker]

I know ladies in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive. Are tney not allowed guns?

[JoeProBono]

[Ancient Drive]

rofl!

[nufsed]

In days of old a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, now heaven knows, anything goes.

I rememeber the Taliban executing a woman in the soccer stadium (funded by the UN) in Kabul because when she got out of a van, she exposed her ankle.

[Popman]

Chattel do not own guns

[Daffynition]

[2banana]

Saudi Arabia = The Taliban with money

[JoeProBono]

[nufsed]

For those who believe in moral equivalence.

[JoeProBono]

[kalee]

Not if you want to retain your hands.

[SeeSharp]

The tragedy is that Saudi Arabia was liberalizing until the Islamic revolution happened in Iran. The Iranian revolution was immediately followed by the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by the Muslim Brotherhood. After that the royal family made a devil’s bargain with the mullahs in order to keep the peace. So this too we can lay at the feet of President Jimmy.

[Daffynition]

[JoeProBono]

[lonestar67]

This is a real breakthrough for NPR to actually report this kind of thing.

The Leftist media has been deliberately suppressing evidence of Islamist statism in order to dissassemble public support for the War on Terror.

Now that their man is in the hot seat, they are releasing accurate info about our enemies.

Its ridiculous that this is what it takes but I am glad it is happening.

[Daffynition]

[Ancient Drive]

oh, I remember that one. the coward blew the poor woman’s brains out.

[blau993]

I don't disagree with your analysis, but this story plays to two grand themes that have always been NPR staples.

Theme One. Women are a noble, but oppressed minority. The male establishment is forever looking for new ways to hold them down.

Theme Two. All religion is bad. Maybe the Wahhabis in Saudiland are a little worse than average, but in the heart of every Presbyterian there is the same intent and potential.