ABU DHABI Ñ Saudi's religious police force have added a target to their priority list Ñ
teenagers.
The religious police, composed of seminary students, have been
authorized to raid coffee shops throughout the kingdom to search for those under 18
years old.
Saudi authorities have banned the entry of anybody under 18 in the popular establishments which according to the chief of the religious police "negatively affect the morals of youth."
The 3,500-member force, called the Commission for Promotion of Virtue
and Prevention of Vice, will launch surprise inspections of coffee houses, Middle East Newsline reported.
Cafe owners have been warned not to allow anybody under 18 to smoke the
water pipes, or nargilehs, popular in the country.
Othman Al Othman, chief of the religious police, said anybody found
violating the ban on smoking will be arrested. Al Othman told the Al Jazira
daily that Saudi authorities are battling the trend of youngsters
frequenting coffee houses, which "negatively affect the morals of youth and
lead them to start smoking."
Authorities have already banned cafes from operating within downtown
areas of Saudi cities. The coffee houses and their nargilehs have been
restricted to the outskirts of major Saudi cities.
The religious police are authorized to enforce Saudi morals. The police
focus on stopping alcohol production and smuggling and ensure that women are
properly dressed and escorted in public.
Justice Minister Abdullah Al Sheik said Saudi application of Islamic
law, which includes beheadings and amputations, has had "tremendous positive
results in achieving security and preserving the interests of the kingdom."
