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Saudi religious police “verbally insulted and attacked by two inappropriately-dressed females”

Jill

I know pepper-spraying someone isn’t funny, but if anyone deserves it it’s these guys. Especially in this context:

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.

Poor religious police. They were just trying to inform some sluts about the dangers of their slutty slutty clothing, and those crazy loose sluts go nuts! I suppose modesty warriors everywhere have it just as tough.

Yeah, no, just can’t bring myself to feel bad about this one. Way to go, two inappropriately-dressed females.

via Boing Boing.

22 thoughts on Saudi religious police “verbally insulted and attacked by two inappropriately-dressed females”

  2. Em, if you don’t write headlines for the New York Post, I think you’ve thrown away a brilliant career. 😉

  4. I say we embrace the example given to us by these Sluts Gone Nuts. I mean, can’t we use this so-called Vast Feminist Conspiracy that we’re oft accused of to distribute pepper spray and stun guns to our sisters en masse?

    (I mean, if enough of us do it, do you think they might think twice about commenting on my ass, my walk, my (supposed) sexual history? To much to hope for?)

  5. They apologized later- I know what my apology would be- “I’m so sorry but I thought you were perverts, my mistake.”

  6. This reminds me of a time I was crossing a street in Chicago and a cab nearly ran me down in the crosswalk.

    I called him an asshole, b/c that’s what he was.

    He went around the block, came back and told me I should not speak that way. I told him he was driving like an ass. He agreed, but girls should not speak that way to men. It wasn’t proper and a nice girl like me shouldn’t talk that way.

    This went on for a couple of minutes, with the cab slowly following me and Mr. Arab Purity Patrol CabDriver lecturing me on proper feminine behavior.

    I didn’t want him to know where I worked, so I finally stopped and said “You are cab #12345. You nearly hit me and now you are stalking me. I am going to report you.”

    Suddenly, bad language was all he knew as he sped away.

    Welcome to America, asshole. Women don’t just sit back and take it here.

  7. Caren, Go you! I don’t know the last time I’ve seen a cab driver in chicago without being compelled to use the F word several times. Way to show him!

    Seriously, is there a way we could send pepper spray to every woman in saudi arabia? It’s good to see them fighting back.

  10. Welcome to America, asshole. Women don’t just sit back and take it here.

    Yeesh, Caren. Obviously there are women in Saudi Arabia who don’t just sit back and take it either.

    I support your mouthing off to him, but let’s not pretend that harassing women is an Arab phenomenon, or that American women are so much more enlightened.

  11. Fucking awesome! It’s too bad they had to apologize, but I’m glad to hear they were “punhished” more severely.

  12. In Muslim countries religious police commonly help you stay on the strait and narrow. In Malaysia there was one stationed outside the hotel karaoke bar, to remind locals that it served drinks forbidden to Muslims. As a result, only Chinese and Westerners went inside.

    I wonder what they were wearing; were they merely going around bare-headed, or was their attire daring even by western standards?

  13. I wonder what they were wearing; were they merely going around bare-headed, or was their attire daring even by western standards?

    I’ve heard that the ones in Iran, at least, decide that you’ve made them get a boner and therefore you need to be punished for something you’re wearing. Lips too red? You *clearly* must be wearing lipstick, that’s what made me turn my head.

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  15. “Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of our entire flight crew I’d like to welcome you aboard Southwest Airlines flight 396 to Tucson, Burbank, and Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Please make sure your seatbacks and tray tables are in the upright and locked position, and for God’s sake, cover the fuck up, you heathen skanks.”

  16. Poor religious police. They were just trying to inform some sluts about the dangers of their slutty slutty clothing, and those crazy loose sluts go nuts! I suppose modesty warriors everywhere have it just as tough.

    It’s kind of sad that the US supports this Saudi regime. They claim to oppose Islamic fundamentalism, but they just shoot themselves in the foot with supporting Saudi Arabia (or at least until they decide to overthrow them).

  17. I wonder what they were wearing; were they merely going around bare-headed, or was their attire daring even by western standards?

    Given the fact that the Saudi modesty police are willing to push girls back into burning buildings if they’re not properly attired, they were most likely showing a half-inch too much wrist.

  18. Yeesh, Caren. Obviously there are women in Saudi Arabia who don’t just sit back and take it either.

    I support your mouthing off to him, but let’s not pretend that harassing women is an Arab phenomenon, or that American women are so much more enlightened.

    On second look that didn’t come out quite as intended. I certainly know that race has nothing to do with misogyny, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Sluts Gone Nuts are far braver than I. What’s different is that when a PurityPatrol jerk harrassed me here in the US, there was a government in place that supported my right to dress and speak as I please. And Mr. Purity Patrol Cab Driver knew it, too.

    I really didn’t mean it as a “go me!” post.

    My other Arab cabdriver offered to marry me, since I was almost 30. I asked if I’d have to wear a burka, and he was thrilled I knew what one was! And, of course I would.

    I prefer it when my cabbies just offer to read my fortune.

    As f’d up as this country is right now, I’m grateful that random cabbies are as close as I get to the repression those women were fighting. Go them!

  19. I know pepper-spraying someone isn’t funny…

    Really? I mean, I can imagine a few situations in which it might be amusing.

    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.

    No, you’re right. On second read it really isn’t funny that these guys were pepper sprayed, its hilarious.

  20. Hmm. If we arm the women, some of these uprisings might just take care of themselves. Just thinkin…of a new relief organization.

  21. I lived in Saudi Arabia growing up, my father worked for Aramco the oil company there. Those “religious police” are called Matawas and there are stories of them harassing Westerners all the way up to trying to rip necklaces with the cross on them off people’s necks. And they offer Westerners some leeway….

    The idea they politely wished to discuss the women’s clothing is unlikely. Things too Western or too non-Muslim are forbidden. We had to purchase a two foot plastic Christmas tree on the black market, though we later smuggled in a full sized plastic one the next year.

    All news in SA is state controlled pretty much, so the overall facts have likely been quite twisted. In the end, it’d be interesting to see the video supposedly made by the two women. Wonder if it’s found its way to Youtube.

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