Another Death in Religious Police Headquartes
I could not believe my eyes when I read that another Saudi man had died last Friday in the religious police (Commission for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice) headquarters in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. This is the second death of a man held custody by religious police in the last ten days.
Ahmed was in his fifties, working as a part time taxi driver, he was driving a lady to her work as was mentioned in a local newspaper (Alwatan), when he was stopped and both Ahmed and the lady were taken to the religious police headquarters to be questioned.
It was said (by the Commission for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice) that as he was sitting in the interrogation room his blood pressure increased rapidly and sharply causing his death!
His family are devastated by his death and are asking for a biopsy to be done and a full investigation into the cause of death, since they think he might have been subjected to some kind of violence in order for him to pass away like this in their custody.
Another story was mentioned about a lady who fell from her apartment window a while ago in Makkah due to the assault by the religious police into the apartment building, it is said that this case is also still under investigation.
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Thanks for sharing these stories. When criticism of the Arab and Muslim World is presented objectively, it allows us to figure out how we can right the wrongs. The presence of these Religious Police is very disconcerting and the only way we can change things is to make the information more known in a factual way as you are doing it (rather than in the political way often presented by Arab bashers who use the incidents as a blanket condemnation of all Arab and all Muslim. They end up distracting from the problem by turning it into a broader political issue. The real issue is human rights abuses that need to be change and that isn’t about being Arab or Muslim, even if it is done in an Arab or Muslim context.
Anyway, thanks. These stories and reports are always so distressing.
Ray Hanania
Isn’t there anyone who can control them? That’s just disgusting the way they do things! Someone has to put a stop to this!
Thank you for your comment Ray.
It is really distressing watching and living in such atmosphere. Many have become used to the situation and the ways of life here that they just pass by and nod these problems off.. They are not willing to change, I have seen many who would say thank god, we are doing well, our families are ok, our children go to schools… bla bla bla. That is so selfish!
Are they just waiting for their turn? will they take a stand when something like this happens to them or their children? Why wait until it’s too late?
I wonder is there anyway that you can avoid such traumatic events there? I somehow realize the pressure upon youn and the “atmosphere” you talked about. have you anything on mind to avoid such circumstances and to have a better country? is it even possible?
P.S.
is it possible to come to your country and see whats going on there? I mean everyone here say that they wont let you in Riadh!
Pouyan,
Change is possible, it may take longer time than I hoped but it should start with us. Saudi citizens should not sit on their asses and wait for things to change, I have seen a difference lately within the media, people are starting to write about such incidences in the country. Having our voices heard is a start I think although there are opposing voices too
I believe that this matter (religious police) can be salved if people stopped fearing them so much. they can be weakened by the media, by exposing their harmful acts. We have to make sure that they do get punished like any other citizen, it is about time they know they are not above the law as they thought they were. They should not get away with murder as they have before.
The government should restrict their actions and prevent them from terrorizing and invading people’s privacy.
They should not be allowed to arrest people as they do, this is the police’s job (ministry of interior’s responsibility.. not theirs!)
I think it is very difficult to visit, you should either have a job permit or to be invited some how..
Many come for Hajj or Omra, but can’t stay longer than the allowed time..
I will have to ask for you if you like.
I know that change is possible, but I can assure you it’s not possible if you just want it! something has to be done, something serious, something calculated. We have the same problem here, we want it, but we don’t know how to gain it! you know it’s their politic to let you taste a little bit of freedom (having your voice herad, open media etc.) just to keep your mouth shut!
are you kidding me? your government established the whole organization and you want them to restrict its actions ? all dictator governments have such organizations to kill people and to show their cruelty and power!
But you know what Pouyan, it is biting them back in the ass (excuse my language) I mean, the government did give previlages to these extremists.. now that these extremists have a bit of power many have turned against the government!
So.. now the government has to clean this to secure its power. But because of the power religious extremists have (our country being so called ruled by Islam) this matter has to be dealt with extreme sensitivity and caution. We are depending on each other some how.
I remember one of the highly ranked members of the royal family mentioning that they do not have a problem with women driving.. it is the society that has to decide (knowing that we are divided and most are considered extremists in their faith)
So.. every one is throwing the ball into each others court!
Saudi is a very closed society that does not welcome change easily. Believe me.. talking and discussing our problems in the open is a START.. a few years ago, this was not even possible.. I agree with you, I would love to go to the next step.. but how should I do that knowing I would be slaughtered and my voice would be quitened.
The problem is alot of us here work as individuals to reach our goals, We should be more connected and united.. and we should have a plan as you mentioned!
Sorry to be off-topic as to this particular article but as to the general subject of BAD NEWS, it is very much on-topic.
Almost any Iraq postwar scenario one can imagine includes Iraqi Kurdistan being independent in all but name. I had feared that an effectively independent Kurdistan on the Turkish border could lead to tension and possibly fighting after the war. I was wrong. It is has already started.
The New York Times reported on Friday 8 June 2007 that there have been Kurdish People’s Party (PKK) guerrilla raids in Turkey. The Turkish army is massing troops on the Iraqi (i.e. Kurdish) border.
There seems no end to the bad new coming out of Iraq.
This has worsened. Today the Turks are bombarding Kurdish border settlements.
It is hard to understand the PKK strategy. One thought is that they are risking a two front war by attacking Turkey while the Arabs to the south of them are heavily armed and organized into powerful militias. Another is that they are hoping to avoid a two front war by attacking Turkey while the Arab factions are fighting one another. A third possibility is that they are not thinking at all.