Saudi cleric urges ban on women's sport in kingdom

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A senior cleric has urged the Saudi government to uphold a ban on women's sports in the kingdom in the face of increasing demand to ease the restrictions.

Shaikh Abdul Karim Al Khudhair said in a statement on Sunday that sports are "corrupting" and "satanic" for women. Instead, he urged women to stay at home.

Al Khudair is a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, which is in charge of the kingdom's Islamic affairs.

The Saudi Education Ministry has recently announced that starting next school year it will introduce a new curriculum in the country's schools that includes programmes to provide social skills and creativity.

Some critics have demanded that sports also be introduced to girl schools.