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August 6, 2007

Saudi Arabia: Islamists Jail Man For Helping Sick Woman

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is a body in Saudi Arabia, sometimes referred to as the "Religious Policemen", muttawa or mutawi. Arab News, itself a Saudi publication, today reports that a Nigerian convert to Islam has been placed in jail for helping a 63-year old sick woman.

Ibrahim Mohammed Lawal is studying Islamic Law at Badiya Islamic Center in Riyadh. He found out that his neighbor, a 63-year old woman, was in need of medical attention, so he offered to help. He drove her to several hospitals in his car, where the woman was refused treatment. Only after the head of the college where he studied was the woman admitted, to the Badiya Hospital.

The muttawa decided that Mr Lawal had fallen foul of "khalwat" laws - which prevent a man being in close proximity to a woman to whom he is neither married nor a blood relative. He went to the woman's apartment later, to find out if the woman was feeling better. Three other women, relatives of the sick woman were in the apartment. While Mr Lawal enquired about the woman's health, officers of the muttawa arrived. Lawal and the three women were arrested. He was placed in Malaz prison on a 50 day sentence, and the muttawa confiscated all the money he had on him at the time - $733.

Arab News attempted to contact the spokesman for the muttawa - Ahmed Al-Jardan - but he did not answer phone calls or email inquiries.

This sort of behavior is common for the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. On June 12, 2006 we wrote of the case of a disabled 70-year old woman, who had entered a shop while unaccompanied by a man. In the shop was the male shopkeeper. As a result, the woman was thrown in jail.

In November last year, a woman who had suffered a horrific gang rape at knifepoint was sentenced to 90 lashes, because she had been alone in a car with a man (khalwat) before the incident took place.

Saudi Arabia has not even the beginnings of a moral framework of justice. In March this year, a young woman who had run away from home was placed in a foster home for girls and was additionally sentenced to sixty lashes.

On May 24, 2006 we wrote that Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef announced that the mutawi would no longer have powers to detain suspects for hours, in their notorious "harassment" cases. His decree stated: "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." The order seems to be ignored.

In July last year, the muttawa forced 69 women who worked in stores in Jeddah to lose their jobs. The veiled women were working as sales assistants, selling perfume.

On March 11, 2002 a fire broke out at a girl's dormitory at Mecca. When the girls rushed out of the burning building, they were not wearing Muslim headscarves. As a result, muttawa beat then back into the burning building. They also prevented firemen from attending the scene. As a result, 15 girls died.

The president of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith (pictured). He said that since September 7, 1980, a royal decree has ensured that the muttawa follow strict guidelines on their behavior.

He said: "The commission plays a large role in capturing people who practice sorcery or delusions since these are vices which affect the faith of Muslims and cause harm to both nationals and expatriates. The commission has assigned centers in every city and town to be on the lookout for these men. As for their fate, they are arrested and then transferred to concerned authorities. The commission also has a role in breaking magic spells, which are found in the sea. We cooperate with divers in this aspect. After the spells are found, they are then broken using recitations of the Holy Qur'an. We do not use magic to break magic spells, as this is against the teachings of Islam as mentioned by the Supreme Ulema. But we use the Qur'an as did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)."

For Saudi Arabia to still chase after people accused of "sorcery" highlights how backward its upholders of virtue really are.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at August 6, 2007 12:05 PM

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