God's cops told to be nicer
• Religious Intolerance
You just know John Ashcroft dreams of an American equivalent to Saudi Arabia's Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
For instance, a Saudi woman said she was beaten and jailed for days a few years ago for attending a dinner party — without her husband — that included the spouses of her female friends. An Arab woman was detained for not being properly covered, then asked why she had many men listed in her cell phone directory. And a Western woman was marched out of a coffee bar for smoking. ...
In practical terms, the policemen — known as committee members — roam malls, markets and cafes or lurk outside women's schools and universities, lingerie stores and bookstores to ensure public morals are upheld and Islamic law is upheld.
That means women must be covered in black, the sexes are not allowed to mix in public, shops must close five times a day for prayers and men must go to the mosque and worship. Violators are usually yelled at by the muttawa and sometimes dragged to jail.
Donna Abu-Nasr, AP: Saudis Seek Courtesy in Religious Police