Raunchy posters in malls are 'acts of immorality'

Manama: A conservative Bahraini lawmaker has called for stringent action against stores that display "raunchy" posters and advertisement to attract customers.

"The Ministry of Industry and Commerce should put an end to the morally offensive ads and posters freely displayed in large shops and malls. They are a blatant violation of our Arab and Islamic mores and values and should be dropped," Jasem Al Saeedi, an independent Salafi MP, said.

"Those who do not respect our morals should be made to face the legal consequences."

Families no longer wish to go to malls in order to avoid feeling ashamed because of the brazen posters, he said.

"It takes just one visit to a mall to witness the moral depravation that has afflicted us. There are ads and posters of men and women in their underwear or wearing almost nothing, and this is in total disregard for people's feelings," said Al Saeedi.

For the MP, the indecent posters should be treated as any immoral behaviour in public, warranting legal action.

"Why should those caught engaged in immoral acts in the streets be punished whereas those who openly display shocking pictures do not come under the arm of the law? They should be treated in the same way," he said.

Al Saeedi, who had called for the separation of male and female students at the University of Bahrain, said that many Bahraini families had contacted him to express their frustration over the "immoral displays" in malls.

"Besides, the posters have negative influences on young people and give Bahrain a bad name," he said.

Several conservative societies in Bahrain have recently been putting pressure on the government to ban the display of lingerie and life-size mannequins in shop windows.