What do you think?

[Meenah]

updated 2:17 p.m. ET, Sat., Feb. 23, 2008
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia began interrogating 57 men Saturday who were arrested for flirting with women in front of a shopping mall in the holy city of Mecca, a local newspaper reported.

The country's religious police arrested the men Thursday night for behavior that also allegedly included dancing to pop music blaring from their cars and wearing improper clothing, reported the Okaz newspaper, which is deemed close to the government.

Saturday's newspaper report did not say what kind of outfits the young men were wearing, but T-shirts emblazoned with drawings or English writing are often an invitation for harassment by the religious police. Islamic radicals also consider pop music a corrupting force.
Women in Saudi Arabia are required to wear a long, enveloping black cloak called an abaya and cover their hair with a headscarf.

The newspaper report said the men who were arrested Thursday could be released if they could prove they did not flirt with any women. Otherwise, they will be transferred to court and stand trial, the paper added.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23308294/

[Rapunzel]

Re: What do you think?

What do I think?

It's repressive. It's a nation without many basic human rights. And, I'm glad I don't live there.

[Meenah]

Re: What do you think?

If I could only use one word, it would be sadness. It really makes me feel so sad, on so many levels.

[Rapunzel]

Re: What do you think?

That, too.

I cannot imagine living in that environment. It does make me sad...

It also makes me count my own blessings.

[Meenah]

Re: What do you think?

I agree, I do count my blessings. I look at myself and my daughters and I realize how lucky we are. The freedom we have, it just is (at least for my daughters) I had to fight for alot of the freedoms they have and I take every opportunity to remind them!!!!

Re: What do you think?

Is it pathetic that I take heart in the fact that men were arrested for this? In some countries (actually in Saudi Arabia), I would have expected to hear that the women were arrested for "enticing" the men to flirt with them. Remember - this is a place where a rape victim will be charged with adultery. So - sad - yes. But perhaps some kind of freaky progress on the part of women???

I dunno ... looking for a bright side, I guess.

[Rapunzel]

Re: What do you think?

I had not thought about it that way!

Come to think of it - do we know what happened to the women?