ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia has again shot down a proposal that was intended to boost the prestige and power of the
religious police.
The Shura Council dismissed a proposal to require the religious police
to wear uniforms. On July 3, the council voted down the proposal 63-52.
This was the second time in as many months that the council rejected
plans to enhance the religious police, entitled Commission for Promoting
Virtue and Preventing Vice. The council has been critical of the abuses
attributed to the religious police, Middle East Newsline reported.
Shura member Talal Bakri said a uniform for the religious police would
prevent impersonators. The religious police seek to enforce Islamic mores in
public.
"Because our country is going through times where evildoers are
impersonating the identities of many officers of the law," Bakri said, "I
suggest that commission members wear a unified outfit in addition to their
identity cards. This will deter others from impersonating them and make
their jobs easier."
But the committee said the badge worn by the religious police marked
sufficient identification. Members said a uniform would harm the force,
which also operates against drug and pornography rings.
"There should be no distinction between commission members and other
pious people in the community," council member Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah said.
"The police sometimes resort to undercover agents that catch criminals while
wearing plain clothes. As for impersonating their role, officers of the law
wearing uniforms are also impersonated."
Earlier, the council voted against increasing the salaries of religious
police officers. Other proposals defeated were the establishment of 20
branches and a $1.5 million budget increase for the religious police force.
"This does not mean that the council is for or against a specific
government body," Shura Council president Saleh Bin Humaid said.
