Saudi religious police face backlash

[Psycho4Bud]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - As the car stopped outside a Riyadh amusement park, two bearded men dragged the driver from the wheel and took the three women on a wild ride of more than an hour, bouncing over sidewalks and finally abandoning them on a darkened street.

The women at first thought they had been kidnapped by terrorists. The two men however, said they were religious police.

It might have gone down as just one more excess of zealousness by the forces charged with upholding Islamic modesty, except that Umm Faisal, the senior of three women, did something that is believed unprecedented in Saudi Arabia: She went to court.

On Monday, four years after the incident, the latest chapter of the legal battle being waged by this 50-year-old mother of five reopens before Riyadh's Grievances Court, which handles damages suits for abuses by government and public figures.

The unusual publicity surrounding Umm Faisal's story comes on top of two cases involving the death in religious police custody of two Saudi men â?? one arrested for allegedly consuming alcohol, another for being alone with a woman not of his family.

A trial opened Sunday against three religious police officers and a fourth man in the death of Ahmed al-Bulaiwi, the man detained for being alone with a woman. Relatives demanded the death penalty against the defendants.

Taken together, the cases threaten to undermine the authority of the force's employer, the powerful, independent body called the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

Since the commission's creation more than six decades ago, there has been no known public legal action taken against its members despite complaints they occasionally overstep their boundaries. The public view has tended to be that whatever their faults, they are acting in Islam's name to defend morality.

But things may be changing.
Saudi religious police face backlash - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070702/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saudi_religious_police)

Be thankful you live where you do.......imagine if some of the religious right had this sort of power here in the states or in G.B.

Have a good one!:s4:

[wannabehippiegirl]

i use to live in saudi arabia
i dont remember it being anything like that
wow things have gotten stricker

[Anubis10012007]

I really hate these Islamic Republics. They are no different than medieval European states when the Church and kings ruled supreme.

Sad that since the Muslim World in the Middle Ages surpassed Europe in science and mathematics and in fact led to the European Renaissance.

If it just weren't for the damn religion! lol. Its not the religion itself that really bothers me, its the interpretation of the Qu'ran by radical Muslims. Islam could have been totally different today because of the interpretation. The same as the radical interpretation of the Bible like the 18th century Protestant minister Jonathan Edwards or modern ones like Jerry Falwell. Its no different.

I think that it is really ironic that martyrdom is in reality a bigger idea in Christianity than Islam. Jesus was recorded as saying you must lay down your life to follow me. Then we have the accounts of early Christians dying freely for their faith in Roman coliseums. Islam is mostly about laws and regulations. I know all about their convert or die policy. lol. There should be a sign in those shithole countries before you cross the border that say 'CONVERT OR DIE'.

The whole point of being secular is that people can worship however they want and they can be left alone doing it. Being secular means the people have a common goal that doesn't involve dogma. They don't have to worry about "holy soldiers" coming to fuck them up, just tax collectors. lol.

Now I am not anti-Muslim...but I am anti fundamental and anti-abuse in ANY religion. Islam was founded on the worship of the Arab moon god and the 3 Daughters of Allah. The Christian trinity can be traced back to Hinduism with its tri-unity of Brahman. The Trinity is blasphemy in 2/3 of the Abrahamic religions. Most doctrines come from an earlier source.

Perhaps the true Allah (God) is really in each and every one of us....not in a book or a mosque.

[wannabehippiegirl]

allah has no daughters sons or spouses
he is not a moon god
he is the creator therefore the god of the universe

[andruejaysin]

Allah is a superstition of a tribe of goatherders. Until people accept that we will be stuck in this mindless battle over whose imaginary friend is cooler.

[wannabehippiegirl]

allah is just the name for god in arabic
if you think its a superstition then all religions are just superstitions

[andruejaysin]

allah is just the name for god in arabic
if you think its a superstition then all religions are just superstitions
Bingo, you got it in one.

[wannabehippiegirl]

i sometimes think i dont believe in god but then everytime i get scared i automactically pray i dont know why but it helps

[Psycho4Bud]

Never say never to something you don't know for sure. If I hit the "after life" gates it can't be said that I stated that a particular religion was bunk. Leaving my options open I suppose you could say.:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:

[andruejaysin]

I don't comepletly rule out the possibillity of god, at least in a very abstract sense. But I certainly think the idea that the creator of the universe would be insecure enough to want to be worshipped absurd. I want to be worshipped, but I'm petty and self-absorbed. Can't we expect better of god?

[Psycho4Bud]

But I certainly think the idea that the creator of the universe would be insecure enough to want to be worshipped absurd. I want to be worshipped, but I'm petty and self-absorbed. Can't we expect better of god?

The word of "God" or some Priests and Popes that want followers? Jesus supposedly lived the humble life with very little to do with self wealth but now ya walk into churches filled with Gold chalises, candle holders, stained glass windows........not quite what the good book stated as far as I recall.

WORSHIP MY FAITH OR BURN IN ETERNAL DAMNATION!! Good for business I guess.

Have a good one!:s4:

[Breukelen advocaat]

allah is just the name for god in arabic
if you think its a superstition then all religions are just superstitions

They are all superstitions. The three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam present the greatest threat to the world - but in my opinion Islam is currently the worst one by far.

[Anubis10012007]

Religion is a great threat to the world. Remember how many wars and blood split in the name of God..or Allah? LOTS! Its the narrow interpretation of it that makes it bad.

Allah is the name for God in Arabic yes..but Allah was also a moon good of Arab tribes who had daughters.

Christianity has "pagan" influence and so does Judaism. Now all 3 of these religions claim they are the true interpreter of Allah or Yahweh and each 3 demonize the pagans, yet they were influenced by pagans. Just ignorant butt holes because they blind themselves.

Religion fucked me up big time.

[Oneironaut]

Islam is a religion of submission. The word "Islam" means submission. Islam stands for submission to Allah, the almighty invisible dictator of the universe, and on earth for submission of women to men, and submission of citizens to the state.

â??I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.â?� â??George Carlin

[PharmaCan]

For those who have never been tied up by their father and then had to endure him threatning to kill you with a big knife, well, let's just say that it's the kind of experience that sticks with you for the rest of your life, in a very unpleasant way.

Yet, the three main religions of this world honor Abraham as their "father". And what is Abrahams claim to fame - that he tied up his young son and was ready to kill him at god's request. Having been on the receiving end in that same kind of situation, let me say that god would have to be one sick mothafucker to engage in such activity.

...and the fools who believe in the religions that were born from this evil act really have no place in a civilized society.

JMO

PC :pimp:

[andruejaysin]

The word of "God" or some Priests and Popes that want followers? Jesus supposedly lived the humble life with very little to do with self wealth but now ya walk into churches filled with Gold chalises, candle holders, stained glass windows........not quite what the good book stated as far as I recall.

WORSHIP MY FAITH OR BURN IN ETERNAL DAMNATION!! Good for business I guess.

Have a good one!:s4:Hard points to argue, however if people weren't buying it.... Why does the ordinary man simply accept such claims, absent a shred of evidence and contrary to the common sense idea that god might be above such silliness?

[Mr.biggs]

im just glad im Muslim. If you go to an actual Mosque you will see that it is really peaceful. i think im going to Saudi Arabia this year.

[Psycho4Bud]

im just glad im Muslim. If you go to an actual Mosque you will see that it is really peaceful. i think im going to Saudi Arabia this year.

I'll bet it is! There are fanatics in any sector and the good people shouldn't be judged by the actions of the few.

Welcome to the forums by the way and as always...........

Have a good one!:s4:

[MagicalHerb]

i like hinduism