Saudi religious police considering employing women, report says

Jun 30, 2005, 12:30 GMT

Riyadh - Saudi Arabia's religious police authority is considering setting up a unit comprised of women to work in public places restricted to women, a local Saudi paper reported Thursday.

The daily Riyadh newspaper said the police authority, known as "mutaween" police, is studying the possibility of such an option in places were it is "awkward" for male police to be present.

"The female members would contribute to spreading the principles of the religious police according to the religious regulations and restrictions specified for them," the report said.

The paper said the issue is being considered given the presence of many public spaces specified for women only, such as festivals, workshops, markets, amusement parks and wedding palaces.

The duties of the powerful religious police authority is to make sure citizens abide by the strict religious and moral codes imposed in the kingdom. Consequently, they are far from liked among citizens.

In March 2002, 15 Saudi school girls in the city of Mecca lost their lives when their school burnt down.

The high casualty rate was believed to be because religious police would not allow them to leave the building, nor allow the firemen to enter, because they were not wearing the veil and would appear indecently in front of men.