Advice for the vice squad

NOT long ago even members of the royal family were cowed by Saudi Arabia's religious police, formally known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The mutaween, as they are called in Arabic, roamed the malls and streets, enforcing the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islamic law. Their zeal was matched only by their cruelty. Most notoriously, in 2002 15 schoolgirls died in Mecca after members of the mutaween allegedly prevented them from fleeing a burning building because they were not covered up.Today the mutaween are a weakened force, partly thanks to social media. Saudis have taken to filming their excesses and posting the footage online. Anyone with a smartphone can watch these courageous guardians of virtue harassing women for wearing nail polish. This has provoked a backlash. In April the government declared that the mutaween could no longer stop, pursue or arrest people and ought to be 'gentle and kind' in their conduct.Still, as the government enacts painful...Continue reading
Click here to read full news..