RIYADH: The Shoura Council is currently studying a major proposal to merge the religious police, officially known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, into the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
The plan is widely seen as a move to redesign and redefine the role of the religious police, as also to curb its powers further.
“This is not a plan or proposal from the Saudi government; rather, it is a proposal put forward by three members of the Shoura Council,” said Mohammad Al-Khunaizi, a Shoura member, on Tuesday. He said: “The Shoura Council is currently studying the merger proposal, while seeking the opinion of the members on this subject.”
Al-Khunaizi could neither confirm nor deny the fact that the proposal of merger of the commission into the Ministry of Islamic Affairs will go for voting next week. But, a Reuters report said: “The Shoura Council, an influential advisory body to the government, will vote on the proposal to merge the religious police into the Ministry of Islamic affairs, further curbing the force’s authority, next week.”
The report has quoted Atta Al-Thibaiti, a Shoura member, as saying the proposal had overcome initial opposition by the Shoura’s Committee on Islamic and Judicial Affairs.
The religious police, which have had the mandate to implement Islamic laws and better social ethics, patrol public spaces to enforce bans on alcohol, obscenity, abnormal behavior, store closures during prayer times, and the mixing of unrelated men and women. It also imposes strict modesty requirements on women’s dress, as well as on men, especially youngsters chasing women and philandering.
Saudi Shoura studying plan to merge religious police into Islamic Ministry
Saudi Shoura studying plan to merge religious police into Islamic Ministry
KSrelief distributes cartons of dates in Jundiai, Brazil
- The center distributed 1,480 food baskets to the displaced and other vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, women, and the elderly, in Kassala State in Sudan, benefiting 10,360 individuals, representing 1,480 families
JUNDIAI: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has distributed 1,600 cartons of dates in Jundiai, Sao Paulo, Brazil, benefiting 200 families, including host community members, refugees, and immigrants. This initiative is part of a project to distribute 200 tonnes of dates in Brazil in 2026.
The center also distributed 1,504 cartons of dates to the most vulnerable families in Brazil’s Mogi das Cruzes, benefiting 188 families from the host community, refugees, and migrants, as part of a project to distribute 200 tonnes of dates in the Latin American country.
This initiative is part of the many relief and humanitarian projects provided by the Kingdom through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to support those affected by disasters worldwide.
Elsewhere, the center distributed 1,480 food baskets to the displaced and other vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, women, and the elderly, in Kassala State in Sudan, benefiting 10,360 individuals, representing 1,480 families.
