Saudi Arabia made a surprise turnaround last week, when the government stripped powers of arrest from the country’s notorious morality police.
The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, as they are officially known, are responsible for upholding various religious morals – from preventing drug dealing to enforcing modest dress – across the Kingdom. Where they were once allowed to detain citizens – sometimes with significant violence – to ensure the rules, they’ll have to defer to other authorities.
The news was greeted with happiness from some Saudi citizens. But the celebrations were by no means universal.
Over the past few days, many Saudis have taken to Twitter to express fury and sadness that the enforcers of conservative codes are not the power they once were, using the Arabic hashtag #Give the Virtue Police its Powers Back".
للحفاظ على الأمن العام والأمن الأخلاقي نقول لكم #اعيدوا_للهييه_هيبتها
— سم (@lQIC8NbEDVEDqIJ) 18 April 2016
To protect us and protect our morals please give them back their powers.
من يتصدى للسحرة والمشعوذين وقضايا الابتزاز وأوكار الدعارة وغيرها بعد الله إلا رجال الهيئات
— نايف الصحفي (@alsahfe2) 18 April 2016
#اعيدوا_للهييه_هيبتها
Who will protect us from wizards, blackmailing, prostitution except for Allah and the Committee members.
Many are worried that removing the Committee’s powers of arrest could be a slippery slope to even more extreme transgressions:
#اعيدوا_للهييه_هيبتها @alsahfe2
— منى الشمري’’ (@BysawUo) 18 April 2016
ضيقوا على الهيئه ويناقشون قياده المرأه والله يستر من اخرتها
They have stripped the Committee from its powers and now they are discussing allowing women to drive, may Allah keep us away of sin.
Sexual licentiousness is a big worry for those calling for the police to be restored to power:
#اعيدوا_للهييه_هيبتها
— أ.عبدالله الغبيوي (@alghabiwe) 18 April 2016
اللي ضد الهيئة شخصين :
- بنت تريد الانفلات
- ورجل يريد ان ينفلت عليها ويجعلها سلعة لرغباته فقط ويرميها
Only 2 people support limiting the Committee’s power
1- A girl who wants to live a liberal life full of sins
2- A man who wants to meet this girl, have an affair with her and throw her away.
#اعيدوا_للهييه_هيبتها انا كولد اعرف مجتمع الشباب وكلام هذا الرجل صحيح ١٠٠٪ ولاينكره الا كذاب ، اختصر كل شي بكلمتين pic.twitter.com/xFPvjf9OMq
— إبراX #انا_الهيئه (@ibrax94) 18 April 2016
As a young man I know what young men think, the hashtag is 100% accurate and undeniable; it said it all in a few words.
But the restriction on their powers opens the door to any number of terrors:
#اعيدوا_للهييه_هيبتها
— رعووود (@Co6coCom) 18 April 2016
الهييه هم من منع الشواذ والسحرة وكل أمر مخالف لشرع الله
They protect our community from homosexuals and wizards we should give them back their powers.
Earlier today, #Chivas_Whiskey began trending on Saudi Twitter, indicating, perhaps, that worst fears of the Committee’s supporters could already be close at hand.
