Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat- Members of Khobar's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were the victims of an attack by two Saudi females, Asharq Al-Awsat can reveal.You might have seen the story a few years ago about the horrific fire at a Saudi school for girls, where the panicked girls ran from the school without their abayas, which cover the body from head to toe. The Saudi religious police chased the girls back into the burning school to burn to death rather than allow them to come out "inappropriately dressed." Fifteen girls died in that fire.According to the head of the commission in Khobar, two girls pepper sprayed members of the commission after they had tried to offer them advice.
Head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in the Eastern province Dr. Mohamed bin Marshood al-Marshood, told Asharq Al Awsat that two of the Commission's employees were verbally insulted and attacked by two inappropriately-dressed females, in the old market in Prince Bandar street, an area usually crowded with shoppers during the month of Ramadan.
According to Dr. Al-Marshood, the two commission members approached the girls in order to "politely" advise and guide them regarding their inappropriate clothing.
Consequently, the two girls started verbally abusing the commission members, which then lead to one of the girls pepper-spraying them in the face as the other girl filmed the incident on her mobile phone, while continuing to hurl insults at them.
The Eastern Province's head of the commission also revealed that with the help of the police his two employees were able to control the situation.
The two females were then escorted to the police station where they apologized for the attack, were cautioned and then released.
So I say, "You go, girls!" I have no sympathy at all for the Saudi religious police, whose usual model of "politely giving advice" involves beating the women with sticks. Too bad that the girls didn't have Tasers, too.
I read a comment elsewhere where someone noted that these two probably were comparatively privileged Saudi women, the sort who push their Indonesian maids down the stairs. Given the fact that they were just issued warnings at the police station and released, that isn't too unlikely. But having to choose between possible "princesses" and theocratic thugs, I'll take the "princesses" every time.
