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Morality police up in arms against media in Saudi Arabia

The General Presidency of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which is also known as religious police outside Saudi Arabia, sparked a new controversy by filing a legal suit against certain journalists.

  • By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
  • Published: 00:00 November 1, 2008
  • Gulf News

Riyadh: The General Presidency of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which is also known as religious police outside Saudi Arabia, sparked a new controversy by filing a legal suit against certain journalists.

Dr Ebrahim Al Howaimel, undersecretary at the presidency, accused a section of the local media of publishing exaggerated reports about the commission and its officials.

Caught up in the media competition, some journalists pay no attention even to the credibility of their stories, he said, adding that the commission sued them for damaging its reputation.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Third Meet of the Directors for Guidance and Awareness at the branches of the commission in the Eastern Region, Al Howaimel said that commission officials have e obligations as do all other government officials and are accountable for their commissions and omissions.

"None of the officials enjoy immunity. All members would be accountable for their wrongdoing as per the provisions of the employees' disciplinary laws," he said.

Recently, Shaikh Ebrahim Al Gaith, chairman of the commission, blamed the media for projecting negative impressions about commission members and their activities, saying that this would have a bad impact on Saudi society as a whole.

It is noteworthy that there was an unprecedented local media uproar and public resentment over the abuse of power by a section of the religious police in the recent past in the Kingdom.

The commission members act virtually as a police force of several thousand men charged with enforcing dress codes, sex segregation and the observance of prayers.

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