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Saudis to expand controversial religious police

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Tuesday, May 7, 2002

ABU DHABI Ñ Saudi Arabia plans to expand the controversial religious police force.

Ibrahim Ghaith, commander of the religious police, said it will expand its authority and presence throughout the kingdom. Ghaith said this would include resources and the number of branches.

The commander said his 3,500-member force will obtain 25 new vehicles from the Saudi royal family. He said King Fahd has already donated 240 vehicles from personal funds.

"I would like to praise the generous aid we receive from King Fahd," Ghaith told the Riyad-based Okaz daily over the weekend.

Ghaith said the religious police force plans to open additional branches throughout the kingdom in a drive to expand operations. He did not elaborate. The force already has 13 branches.

The Saudi approval for an expansion of the religious police comes in wake of unprecedented criticism. In March, the religious police were accused of preventing firefighters from entering a burning girls school in Mecca.

Fifteen girls were killed in a stampede to escape the building.

An investigation by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz cleared the religious police force of any wrongdoing. Since then, the royal family has expanded the authority of the religious police and has approved a crackdown on manufacturers of abayas, or religious cloaks for women, that are said to violate Saudi requirements.

Saudi sources said the religious police have been moving toward independence from other arms of the security forces. Currently, the religious officers are often accompanied by a police escort and are not authorized to make direct arrests.

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