Saudi Arabia's "Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice"

The Arab News interviews Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith, he's the head of Saudi Arabia's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, one of the most feared organization in the Kingdom.

The paper gives a good summary of what this group does:

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is Saudi Arabia’s morality police. Its members roam the streets day and night looking for offenders of morality from both sexes. They randomly enter malls, restaurants and local and private establishments to enforce proper moral conduct. They also have the power to close shops during prayer times and asking people to attend prayers in mosques. In addition, they enforce the rule of gender segregation in public areas — with the exception of malls and hospitals. They also have the authority of confiscating material which they consider inappropriate to the Kingdom’s moral values. This material includes a wide variety of books and photos, pornographic material, sculptures, etc.

It's wonderful to have the Saudis as a close ally.

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