Our Friends the Saudis
Charles Johnson
Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 6:07 pm PST • Views: 312
In the religious apartheid kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is defending their Dark Ages thuggery: Virtue Commission Defends Arrest of Businesswoman.
RIYADH — The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice yesterday defended its action against the Jeddah-based businesswoman Yara earlier this month, saying she violated Saudi regulations and Islamic law.
“The Ministry of Labor does not approve mixing of men and women at work places. So it’s both a violation of the country’s law and the Shariah,” the commission said in a statement carried by Sabq.org Internet portal.
In its first reaction to the arrest of Yara, a mother of three, in Riyadh on Feb. 4 by its officials, the commission also said that it reserved the right to take legal action against columnist Abdullah Al-Alami for accusing its officials of abducting the woman.
Yara was arrested, along with a Syrian colleague, for being together in a Starbucks cafe in Riyadh. The 36-year-old woman said she was forced to fingerprint two confessions and was strip-searched at Riyadh’s Malaz Prison.
The commission also underscored the definition of family sections.
“The family sections at coffee shops and restaurants are meant for families and close relatives,” the statement said.
Frank says: