Saudi Arabia: Religious police close down women only park

by Kal El on December 29, 2008 · View Comments

Do you like this story?

The muttawa strike again in Saudi Arabia, birthplace of islam. Today’s target, a women only recreational park.

Vice cops in Yanbu shut down women-only park

Arab News

YANBU: The Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice closed down the only women’s park in Yanbu on Thursday. The move resulted in the loss of 60 jobs for local women, Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday.

Suleiman Al-Hamadi, vice chairman of the commission’s Yanbu branch, said the reason for the closure was complaints by people in nearby houses that they were disturbed by the sound of music from the facility. “The commission closed the park with the permission of the local administrator as it received many complaints from local residents about loud music and singing from there,” Al-Hamadi said.

Local women frequented the facility, as it provided health and sports clubs meant exclusively for women.

Shaimah Al-Anazi, owner of the entertainment facility, told the daily that several policemen ordered women and children visitors out from the park and closed the facility without giving any reason for their act.

Muhammad Al-Balawi, chairman of Yanbu Municipal Council, had inaugurated the park last September. The opening function was also attended by Ata Allah Al-Nazawi, director of the General Organization for Social Insurance, and Ibrahim Al-Alouni, director general of Abdul Latif Jameel Social Services Program.

“I will approach the Madinah governor and the chief of the commission to find out the real cause of closing the park, which is the only outdoor entertainment facility for women in this city,” Al-Anazi said. “It was a small village that catered to women’s entertainment needs while conforming to the regulations and Saudi traditions.”

Al-Anazi said she did not get any notice or warning from the authorities before closing the facility in which she had invested SR2 million. She suspected that the commission might have been provoked by an allegation by some people that the facility violated religious regulations.

She said such allegations are baseless and, on the other hand, the facility used to hold frequent religious lectures for women. She added that some people also mounted pressure on the guards in the park to quit their jobs.

Umm Emad, a divorced woman who worked at the park, said she and her three children would have no income to support themselves if the park remained closed.

Figures the inbred pigs would complain about women singing, as it would no doubt set a fire in the loins of the local men, who obviously have zero self control.

Related posts:

  1. Sad reality for women in Saudi Arabia
  2. Saudi Arabia: Police arrest 55 at 'gay' party
  3. 57 men arrested in Saudi Arabia for flirting
  4. Sharia in The Park: Helsinki Bows to Islam……!
  5. Saudi Arabia: Father kills his daughter for converting to Christianity
  • http://intensedebate.com/people/jennyjen jennyjen

    Last night on Huckabee I started reading the scroll and it seems the Taliban has banned everything that could possibly be construed as "western". A woman's only health club seems to fit the criteria, silly Taliban- now your women will be at home! Waiting to nag at you because you haven't fulfilled your duty as a suicide bomber and her daddy is mad about it! A little monday humor haha!

  • Joan

    The men must be like Tom cats if they cannot stant women singing in a park like that. What a load of animals they must be.Infact I would not leave them alone with a heard of cattle, as they would not be safe.

  • http://anegyptian81.blogspot.com An Egyptian

    Islam is a religion for men only apparently.

  • http://alwaysonwatch2.blogspot.com/ Always On Watch

    Male-centric Islamomaniacs can't stand for women to have the least bit of pleasure.

    So it has been for some 14 centuries.

  • http://www.mohammedt-shirt.com mohammed allah

    The Best mohammed T-shirt art is from Sweden. Watch and read the info at,
    http://www.mohammedt-shirt.com
    Please don´t translate read in English.

  • http://www.WankersAreCool.dum Gary “the Wanker” Rumain

    I have to say Saudi is like a big boys club. 

  • http://www.WankersAreCool.dum Gary “the Wanker” Rumain

    Cattle can be rough on people, so you’re probably correct.

  • http://www.WankersAreCool.dum Gary “the Wanker” Rumain

    On Huckabee! You watch that FOX crap?

    I’m all for woman’s rights, but I wouldn’t get my info from Huckabee. He is far from impartial, plus isn’t he a minister?

blog comments powered by Disqus