Last week, I went with my best friend, who is also my cousin, who is also my roommate, and who is not going to be happy when he finds out I mentioned him here ;-), to Al-Mamlaka shopping mall. We got there around 1600, it took us about two hours to finish our shopping spree. It was almost Maghrib (sunset) prayer time, and we were done with our shopping, but we had to wait for a friend of ours to pick us up.
We sat at the food court. A few minutes later, most of the employees at the mall came and sat there. They were chatting, smoking, and killing time, waiting for the prayer time to end so they can go back to their jobs.
Later, we heard some screams, and saw some guys running. “Oh, shit! It’s the religious police. Run away!” my friend said. We jumped from our seats, looking for the nearest exit. We took the escalator, and had to leave the mall using the gates of the parking lot.
It was so embarrassing to see tens of twenty-something-year-old healthy men run away at the sight of a bearded man. Of course, the man was companioned by a policeman to protect him, but I think they were doing nothing to be afraid. Are we ever going to get rid of these harassments? When these idiotic religious policemen will stop attacking people’s freedoms, and denying their right to choose?
Saudi Jeans 
Its been over a year since I’ve seen a religious police here. And I’ve only seen them twice the whole time I’ve lived here and no one ran from them. Maybe its the horror of Riyadh only.
This is just sad. They should be told: There is no compulsion in religion. Why run after men and force them to get into mosques. They have to realize that just doing it physically doesnt make you a better Muslim….its the conviction in the heart that matters. This incident is just sad. However, we dont see such things in Jeddah.
Mansur
Does the policeman have a firearm?
If not, kick his ass AND the religious enforcer’s.
That or it’s time for you guys to start learning martial arts (or get some guns).
Damn. Didn’t know the Religious Police were that horrific in Saudi Arabia.
A friend of mine was in Mecca and she was young enough that she didn’t need to cover her face, but tall enough that people are never sure what her age is.
So a Religious Police fella came over and smacked her on the leg with a stick. She promptly pulled off her shoe and smacked him on the head with it. The man was so surprised that he can only look at her dad, and her dad shrugged, “didn’t they tell you never to hit a Kuwaiti girl?”
Honest to Allah truth. :)
Yeah, they terrify me too ! lol
It’s just so sad, the whole deal ’bout the religious police,, i mean i think they should get like phsycology-ish, how to deal with ppl classes or sth & get them to something !
I know it may sound a bit wierd, but they also actually need to know more ’bout religion, ‘Cause once we were going on a field trip with school to the Jinadriyyah, & all the girls were wearing the hijab ‘n some of em’ were wearin’ caps over their hijab/3abayas ( you guys couldn’t imagine how hot & sunny it was that day !),, & the religious policemen were stnding RIGHT INFRONT of the bus’s door started yelling at us & using “gathif”, calling us stuff like “ya fajira !”, they were ALLREADY!! just cuz some of the girls didn’t wear the “3ala ilras” 3abaya (althought the girls were acting appropiately & mi7tarmeen nafsohom)=( & what’s more embarssing that we took the next day in religion class about Gathif & if you call someone a “Fajira” or “Zaniya” you should get a 60 jalda !
=( but oh well ! i hope they get better/less someday !
Bissa, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. We don’t need someone to teach us about our religion.
Its the duty of islamic leaders to enforce islamic rulings.
Yes, there is no compulsion ‘between’ religon however being a muslim you are to abide to all 5 pillars of Al-Islam which includes prayers.
If you are unsatisfied with the way sharia law is enforced in your country than by all means leave.
Probably a more decadent society would suite your needs.
By ‘decadent’ do you mean those societies which allow a person to choose their own religon to worship?
Their behavior has nothing to do with religion other than religion is the most conveniently usable common denominator among the people. In their hands it is a weapon for enforcing compliance – how they maintain a docile population.
Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel.
Dear, Seventh: For some people, it’s so easy to say “leave.” Sometimes, I wish I could leave, but I know that what I really want is to stay, and to change this.
Who outnumbers who there? OK, got that answer? Well what are you waiting for?
I agree with Sean. Find the Religious “Policeman” and beat him to death. Perhaps shouting out that you are avenging the poor school girls who were burned alive because the religious police would not allow them to escape the building because they were not properly covered.
The very idea of religous police is something horribly, terribly wrong. Faith in God should be based in Love. Faith based in Fear is no faith at all, it is simply self-interest. On the one hand, I am Jewish, so what would I know about this? But on the other hand, Rabiya al Adawiyya said pretty much the same thing a thousand years ago, so maybe its not entirely wrong.
Ben
Somebody can only frighten you as long as you choose to be frightened. If 20 teenagers can’t take a religious scold and a cop and humiliate them (more fun and damaging that beating the crap out of them) then you deserve to go around being scared.
Throw off your mental chains.
Hmmph! The nerve of people talking about decadent societies!
Err, excuse me, but it seems that the religious police are not policing who they should be in the first place.
An extreme begets another extreme. You force religion on people, and they will slowly adopt something other than it.
Force is intimidation and does not incorporate logical thinking. It is a fight or flight thing. We have been warned about people who can recite, yet none of the Quran really penetrates their hearts. We are to fear none, but Allah. It seems that the religious police have blasphemously unattainable aspirations.
Allah has never intended for man to be forced to worship him. This should flow our of our hearts.
No police can force a man to worship Allah. A true muslim will worship Allah from within and people will be able to see that they are worshipers of the One True God – Allah.
having spent 2 years in KSA I have developed a feeling of deep sympathy for the common saudi people. They are just normal human beings like any of us. The so called religeous police is nothing but just a weapon to terrorise the public and rule by installing fear into the hearts of the common man.
I tell you – there will be a logical conclusion to all this BS. An ultimate showdown. A day when these Saudi monarchs (vultures) will be plucked from their luxurious and obnoxiously large mansions, and chopped into small pieces, on the streets outside by these very people whom they treat like beggers right now.
I’ve seen one in tahlia street (riyadh) just yesterday. He was with two policemen. He stopped us at Isha salah because we didnt attend prayer in the mosque. They also captured two of my friends and put them in the (matawaa) center. They locked them in for about 2 hours, confiscated their mobiles, and questioned them!!!
Seventh, Brother, May allah strengthen your Iman. Your mouth only speaks the Truth. and though it may be harsh for some, its the reality and some ppl should grow up and take some ownership. like maybe learn from the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions and be real MEN and follow the shariah. This is not aimed at non-muslims OBVIOUSLY.