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15 girls die as zealots 'drive them into blaze' [Saudi Arabia]
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 03/15/2002

Posted on 03/14/2002 4:41:08 PM PST by 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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: islamicviolence
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To: ValerieUSA
Any comment from the Saudi "princes and princesses"?

They will probably say something like, since these girls were virgins, they will be honored by becoming companions for the "heroic suicide martyrs" who died killing infidels.

81 posted on 03/14/2002 6:32:58 PM PST by Alouette
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Comment #82 Removed by Moderator

To: Lithasis
Sorry, not interested in any "bright side." These poor girls were burned alive.
83 posted on 03/14/2002 6:33:38 PM PST by dighton
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To: the_Watchman
And do you believe in killing people in order to prevent them from deviating from the behavior that YOU believe God prescribed? Stoned any adulterers lately?
84 posted on 03/14/2002 6:36:56 PM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: the_Watchman
I think "fundamentalist" is a moniker hung on anyone who actually believes that God has spoken either through the Koran, the Bible, or any other holy book.

Since I believe that God has spoken through the Bible and I further believe that what He said ought to be followed, I would be called a fundamentalist.

Well said. Well said, indeed.

85 posted on 03/14/2002 6:37:19 PM PST by BenR2
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To: oswegodeee
Uh, Pilate asked the Jews whether they wanted Jesus or Barabbas freed. They shouted for Barabbas. Then he asked them what to do with Jesus, and they all yelled "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!".
And, "Let His blood be on our heads, and our children!"
Then Pilate washed his hands of the matter, as he could find no crime to execute Him for.
I have read this somewhere.
86 posted on 03/14/2002 6:38:28 PM PST by GhostofWCooper
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To: Thane_Banquo
Islam is a religion of peace.

Thanks. I needed to be reassured.

I feel much better now.

Muttering to self: "Islam: religion of peace. Islam: religion of peace. Islam: religion of . . . ."

87 posted on 03/14/2002 6:40:12 PM PST by BenR2
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To: JZoback
Screw their oil, I'll pay an additional 15, 20 cents per gallon more just to not have anything to do with them.

How about we seize their oil fields
88 posted on 03/14/2002 6:41:32 PM PST by uncbob
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To: oswegodeee
My son in law's Uncle lives and works in Saudi as the director of nursing at the King Hussein Hospital in Jetta.. He is a homosexual and he says it is a dream come true for him..

Thanks for the word of confirmation. (Why am I not surprised?)

89 posted on 03/14/2002 6:44:56 PM PST by BenR2
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To: dighton
Our gallant allies.
90 posted on 03/14/2002 6:48:02 PM PST by poindexter
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To: neutrino
I'll guess a. It's the least personally offensive choice. Thank goodness there was no "all of the above" selections.
91 posted on 03/14/2002 6:49:13 PM PST by monkeyshine
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To: one_particular_harbour
"Dirty, rotten, sonsabitches."
92 posted on 03/14/2002 6:49:34 PM PST by blam
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To: uncbob
How about we seize their oil fields

No, that's not the American way. At least not nowadays

Let's make them obsolete!

93 posted on 03/14/2002 6:51:56 PM PST by JZoback
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To: WindRiverShoshoni
It wasn't -- it was on a London website

I don't read Arabic so can only rely on what is available in English, such as the posted article from the Arab News.

I'll check with some people in Arabia and see what's being said there.

I would like to hear how this is being reported in the region. I did not see an account in the Bahrain Tribune.

94 posted on 03/14/2002 6:57:14 PM PST by sistergoldenhair
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To: null and void
I'll second that----"It's A Peaceful Religion" BUMP
95 posted on 03/14/2002 7:15:52 PM PST by Pagey
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To: dighton
Yes, it was disgusting to see him smile as he answered questions posed by a reporter from Al-Eqtisadiah. In this most tragic situation, he was merely saying that everything was all right. Not only did he fail to admit the presidency’s responsibility for not regularly carrying out safety inspections; he had the audacity to say that the presidency was striving to provide better educational environments in which girls could study. Moreover, he made sure that he appeared wearing his black official robe.

The Grim Reaper wears a black robe and smiles too...

May the buzzards feast on this somabitch in the not too distant future
96 posted on 03/14/2002 7:29:51 PM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: Brad Cloven
Its not like the girls are human or have rights. It IS Saudi Arabia.

Bush has a covenant of peace with Islam and the House of Saud. We are betrayed.

97 posted on 03/14/2002 7:34:32 PM PST by a_witness
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Comment #98 Removed by Moderator

To: xm177e2
Why would the Jews keep herds of pigs since they cannot eat pork. You are a moron. Get help.
99 posted on 03/14/2002 7:55:15 PM PST by willyone
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To: willyone
Why would the Jews keep herds of pigs since they cannot eat pork. You are a moron. Get help.

From Mark 5:

He said to him, "My name is Legion, for we are many."
He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Now there was on the mountainside a great herd of pigs feeding.
All the demons begged him, saying,
"Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them."
At once Jesus gave them permission.
The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea,
and they were drowned in the sea.

100 posted on 03/14/2002 8:03:46 PM PST by xm177e2
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