But the stick-wielding guardians of public morality have watched gloomily as in recent years their country eased some social restrictions — especially for women — and grumble bitterly at the changing times.
The notorious morality police — officially titled the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, but known simply as the mutawa — were previously tasked with enforcing the observance of Islamic moral law. Some restrictions have been eased on women's rights, allowing them to drive, attend sports events and concerts alongside men, and obtain passports without the approval of a male guardian.The mutawa has been"deprived of all its prerogatives" and"no longer has a clear role", said Mr Faisal, 37, dressed in dark traditional robes.
For decades, the mutawa's agents cracked down on women who did not properly wear the abaya, an enveloping loose black dress worn over the clothes. For writer Saud al-Katib, the reduction of the mutawa's power constitutes a"significant and radical change". The mutawa is now"isolated", said a Saudi official who requested anonymity, noting"a significant drop in the number of its employees".Mutawa leader Abdel Rahman al-Sanad wants to reform the force — in a country where more than half of the population is under 35 years old — and has even told a local television station the commission would recruit women.
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