15 girls die as zealots 'drive them into blaze' [Saudi Arabia]

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 03/15/2002

[dighton]

SAUDI Arabia's religious police are reported to have forced schoolgirls back into a blazing building because they were not wearing Islamic headscarves and black robes.

Saudi newspapers said scuffles broke out between firemen and members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice who tried to keep the girls inside a burning school in Mecca.

Fifteen girls were killed as they stampeded to escape from the blazing building in the Muslim holy city. Saudi media and families of the victims have been angry over the deaths of the girls in the fire that gutted the school.

The resulting public criticism of the religious police, or mutaween, is highly unusual.

The English-language Saudi Gazette, in a front-page report yesterday quoted witnesses as saying that members of the religious police stopped men who tried to help the girls escape from the building, saying: "It is sinful to approach them."

A civil defence officer told an Arabic-language newspaper, al-Eqtisadiah, that he saw three members of the religious police "beating young girls to prevent them from leaving the school because they were not wearing the abaya".

He added: "We told them that the situation was very critical and did not allow for such behaviour. But they shouted at us and refused to move away from the gates."

The father of one of the dead girls alleged that the school watchman refused to open the gate to let the girls out.

"Lives could have been saved had they not been stopped by members of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice," the Saudi Gazette said.

The much-feared mutaween roam the streets of the conservative kingdom wielding sticks to enforce dress codes and sex segregation and to ensure that Islamic prayers are performed on time.

Those who refuse to obey the orders of the religious police are usually beaten and sometimes jailed.

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002.

[ChadGore]

omg

[AngrySpud]

And if these scumbag religious police came across a naked woman being raped, they'd probably back away, saying "It is sinful to approach them."

[Uncle Miltie]

Its not like the girls are human or have rights. It IS Saudi Arabia.

[null and void]

Peaceful Religion bump

[Eugene Tackleberry]

Actually, it's worse than that. The raped woman is usually punished afterward.

[cynwoody]

Face it.  We have savages for allies.

[mdittmar]

Saudi media and families of the victims have been angry over the deaths of the girls in the fire that gutted the school.

Ooohh,their angry,these people are @^@)!s!

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I had to go to the TELEGRAPH to be sure that this was not some sort of hoax.

These people really are living in the 12th century, aren't they? Perhaps the President's early characterization of this war as a "Crusade" was accurate, after all...

[Thinkin' Gal]

Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice

Is this something Janet Reno set up?

[rockfish59]

big nosed, smelly ingrates!

[Thane_Banquo]

Islam is a religion of peace.

[Bob J]

Radio Free Republic Presents

The Banana Republican Hour

With your host Luis Gonzalez

This week’s guest:

Brothers to the Rescue founder, José Basulto

---

On February 24, 1996, three light aircraft left Miami on a routine flight. Their missions, to search the waters off the Florida Coast for rafters trying to reach the US shores, and bring them help by guiding the US Coast Guard to their location. That day in February, only one plane would return to its home base in Miami.

Tune in to Radio FreeRepublic this Thursday, March 14, at 9 PM EST, and listen to the actual sounds of a terrorist in action, murdering unarmed American citizens.

Sr. José Basulto, founder of Brothers to the Rescue and pilot of the surviving Cessna, will shed light on the events of that day, and detail how the Clinton administration withheld advanced knowledge of the attack from the humanitarian volunteer group, helping seal the fate of these four courageous flyers.

Radio FreeRepublic, fearless talk radio.

Click on Banner to hear broadcast of Show Thursday, March 14, at 9PM EST/6PM PST


RadioFR Every Thursday at 9PM EST/6PM PST

RadioFR Archives, Hear the shows you missed

[Tacis]

Please remember that Islam is a religion of peace and love! Is there any doubt that the Saudis are a bunch of wealthy savages? If Saudi and some key Saudi cities are not on the potential targets list, they should be.

[Lent]

Ssshhhhh. They're our allies in this war on terrorism.

[the_Watchman]

You are off base. You enjoy your religious freedom due to a group which included those who by any current standards would be described as fundamentalist Christians, who believed that our rights are derived from God, not from government.

If you take God-given rights out of the equation then government statists rush in to fill the void. No one is safe whose rights come from the government.

[BenR2]

And if these scumbag religious police came across a naked woman being raped, they'd probably back away, saying "It is sinful to approach them."

Yeah. And then, they'd likely go home and commit homosexual acts with each other while watching illegal porn movies and drinking illegal hootch!

Let me see, . . . I think I've got it . . . . Yes, that's it: Another family-friendly profile of Islam: Religion of Peace!

[BenR2]

Its not like the girls are human or have rights. It IS Saudi Arabia.

You mean one of those "coalition" countries whose leaders Colin Powell fondly refers to as "my esteemed colleagues?"

[Shermy]

Seems a lot of Saudis are mad about this.

School tragedy should sound alarm bells [Arab News.com]