Is it possible to limit the powers of the religious police (a Committee of overzealous fanatics) in a country where the government and the religious authority are intertwined?
Off course not, who are we kidding?
Check this out dreamers out there (myself included):
Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had taken measures to limit the power of controversial religious police who hardline clerics say make society more moral but many accuse of interfering in people's lives.
Had taken measures? when? what? how?
Was I sleeping during this major development?
Interior Minister Prince Nayef decreed that public prosecutors would deal with all cases concerning "harassment," stopping the ultraconservative kingdom's unique morality squad from detaining suspects for hours, the state media said.
"The role of the 'authority for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice' ends with apprehending suspected individuals and handing them to the police, who then present them to prosecutors with a report of the incident involved," it said.
Oh, that measure!
But the problem with this so-called measure is this (scenario and emphasis is used for dramatization):
1- An unofficial* muttawa observes a religious crime/heresy in a mall (example: a young male with long hair, a woman’s face out in the open, a couple having a coffee in a coffee shop, you know the usual crimes)
2- The unofficial muttawa alerts the official muttawa immediately
3- The official** muttawa stages a surprise attack (commando style) and apprehends the offender/heretic
4- The offender/heretic is detained (length of detention not specified)
5- Police (most probably) in favor of official muttawa, shows the offender/heretic a good time in prison
6- An unofficial muttawa/judge presides over the case and issues his sentence (no lawyer is needed or required).
7- Sentence applied on offender/heretic (good luck and my prayers goes to you)
8- Official + Unofficial muttawa are both pleased.
Measure well taken.
* Unofficial: does not hold a badge from the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice
** Official: holds a badge from the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice
Well now, this is interesting! As I must admit that in all my time in KSA and enduring those creatures, I never ever realized there was a difference between an "official" and "unofficial" muttawa!
Posted by: timewarp | May 24, 2006 at 08:04 PM
Unofficial muttawas are the real soldiers of God, my dear. Their mission is to hunt down offenders on the streets and report them to the official muttawa (this is how the Committee gets its tips). They are also tech savvy and utilize the internet and other communication technologies to perform their holy duty. I once found a site (now shut down) called hesba.net where they developed a form that you can fill to report any suspicious activities or practices by citizens, business owners, journalists etc.
These people go by the motto: There is a muttawa inside all of us.
Posted by: Aya | May 24, 2006 at 08:23 PM
So who were the ones who accosted you on the street - you know, the ones with the short thobes? The official or unofficial ones? Or are the unofficial ones just citizen spies?
I come from a long line of hard core southern baptists, so I understand that motto! As I say, timewarp, you are getting up on that soap box a little too much lately - time to own your inner evangelist! :-)
Posted by: timewarp | May 24, 2006 at 08:37 PM
This is why I have been saying the much touted "reforms" of late in KSA are just window dressing. You look at something like this, but the various councils set up for this and that are similar.
They look good, until you see the names of the people involved. They are all either members of the royal family, prince or princess so and so, or people that are linked hip to hip with the establishment.
The Saudi establishment can never really reign in the extremists. They are essential to their rule, even in this day where the people that are even more extreme than the religious police(if that is possible) are a real threat to the system.
The Saudi government actively cracks down on moderate opposition making its growth impossible. This is convinient because when pressed for reform from inside and from the West they can rightly say "what alternative is there?"
The alternative is to allow a moderate, more secular opposition. They will never do so because the demands from the West would grow, and I believe such a moderate opposition would get great support in Saudi.
Now they can rightly say that the only other choice is the bin Laden, extremist Salafee types. But WHY is that should be the question asked! It is because the authorities have crushed the moderates with one hand and groomed the extremists with the other.
Posted by: Abu Sinan | May 24, 2006 at 09:58 PM
Great to see another sane blog from a Saudi. There is hope then.
Posted by: Beachhutman | May 25, 2006 at 05:13 PM
they day they kick them out should be our new national day
Posted by: YazeeZ | May 25, 2006 at 05:15 PM
Aya,
Congratulations on being linked!
You have a very fine blog dispensing, wisdom with a steady hand and gracious heart!
Posted by: mirandawrites | May 25, 2006 at 05:17 PM
Aya,
Congratulations on being linked!
You have a very fine blog dispensing, wisdom with a steady hand and gracious heart!
Posted by: mirandawrites | May 25, 2006 at 05:17 PM
A double post! Oh well, it was worth saying twice...
Posted by: mirandawrites | May 25, 2006 at 05:18 PM
Timewarp,
Unofficial muttawa are definitely citizen spies encouraged by the official hayaa (committee). They are the support system of the official institution.
Abu Sinan,
I agree with what you say.
Beachhutman,
There are many many courageous Saudi women, change is inevitable.
Yazeez,
The problem is that the government and the religious institution are inseparable. Would the government kick itself out? (btw, nice blog you have)
Marindawrites,
Thank you, I will keep the double post just as it is ;)
Posted by: Aya | May 26, 2006 at 05:32 PM