RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, April 29, 2008

Saudi Prince Orders Crackdown On Flirting

Men Who Pester Women Will Be Punished With Haircuts

  • Saudi women on a shopping trip

    Saudi women on a shopping trip  (Salah Malkawi/ Getty Images)

  • Fast Facts Saudi Arabia

    Learn about the people, economy and history.

(AP)  A governor in northern Saudi Arabia has ordered authorities to punish men who flirt with women in public places by cutting their hair, local media said Tuesday.

Prince Fahd bin Badr, governor of the northern al-Jof region, ordered police to carry out the punishment after seeing a group of men with long hair pestering female students as they left school in the northern al-Qurayat province, Al-Hayat newspaper said.

It said the prince told a gathering at his palace in the northern town of Skaka on Sunday he has instructed police to apply the punishment to all youths guilty of flirting, including "the sons of senior military and civil officials."

"The decision doesn't include men who spend their free time in public places without hurting anyone," the paper quoted the prince as saying.

Saudi Arabia has long imposed a strict Islamic lifestyle in which men and women are segregated in public. That lifestyle is enforced by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, a government body that runs the country's powerful religious police.

Its members patrol public places to make sure women are covered and not wearing make up, the sexes don't mingle, shops close five times a day for Muslim prayers and men go to the mosque and worship.

Many clergymen in this conservative Gulf country say men should not have long hair because Islam prohibits the sexes from emulating each other.

Sheik Mubarak al-Rushoud, head of the commission in al-Jof, told Al-Hayat the new punishment resulted from "the repeated pestering of women in souks and outside girls' schools."

He said Fahd has ordered that the punishment against the men "who emulate women" should be carried out at the scene of the infraction, according to the paper.

"The decision, however, doesn't include all men with long hair," al-Rushoud was quoted by Al-Hayat as saying.


© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 74 Comments
by dmhphils April 30, 2008 11:16 PM EDT
The strength of "sin" is law. Human nature cannot be suppressed and the laws of the Muslims only mask the true colors of the human race. It is similar to putting your head in the sand and pretending that law can change the hearts of men.....can''t be done. Needs to be a supernatural overhaul of the heart to really change the nature of man. BTW, only God is capable of that one.
Reply to this comment
by underdogus April 30, 2008 10:56 AM EDT
You''''ve called every one of us Anti-Christian, anti-American, un-patriotic, muslems & terrorists
Posted by j-whitman ..that'' because you are anti-Christian,un-patriotic,muslim & terrorist supporter...
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman April 30, 2008 4:22 AM EDT
Oop''s, posted on the wrong page -- Yep still battiing singinrick

How''s everyone here tonight ??
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman April 30, 2008 4:16 AM EDT
Rick,,,, You''re too funny, you Hate every Christian who doesnt'' think as you do ----- You are the Taliban of Christians

You''ve called every one of us Anti-Christian, anti-American, un-patriotic, muslems & terrorists
Reply to this comment
by gce65 April 30, 2008 3:04 AM EDT
It''s no secret that many or most of the Saudi princes drink, gamble, buy hookers, etc to excess whenever they leave the kingdom. They are some of the biggest hypocrites in the world and a joke!
Reply to this comment
by gce65 April 30, 2008 3:00 AM EDT
Fahd bin Badr is a MINOR prince in the house of al-Saud. He''s probably just trying to make a name for himself by kissing some religious "arses" in the kingdom.
Reply to this comment
by erasmus81 April 30, 2008 2:07 AM EDT
I''''ll try and send you an e-mail to finish the night.

Okay, Goodnight:)
Reply to this comment
by erasmus81 April 30, 2008 2:05 AM EDT
He evidently didn''''t think he could handle you without some sort of control.

He doesn''t like how aggressive I am. They are not used to it there. I should have told him someone like RowdyTexan, who is American, was probably more aggressive than I. She would put a bullet between his eyes with her gun.:)
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine11 April 30, 2008 2:04 AM EDT
All to talk to you.

I hope it was worth it.:)



You know it was and is.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine11 April 30, 2008 2:03 AM EDT
Yes, and I was just about to panic. That was scary.


I know, I could feel your stress.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine11 April 30, 2008 2:02 AM EDT
Erasmus, sweet thing, I have to go. I''ll try and send you an e-mail to finish the night.
Reply to this comment
by erasmus81 April 30, 2008 2:01 AM EDT
All to talk to you.

I hope it was worth it.:)

"I got blocked, changed names, got blocked, changed again, got blocked, and then about an hour later, I said I was going to give it one more shot, and I got on."

Yes, and I was just about to panic. That was scary.

Reply to this comment
by ajmarine11 April 30, 2008 1:59 AM EDT
Yeah and I got the impression he didn''''t LIKE it. What about you?


He''s the one that started talking about giving you three pills, I think that would have been plenty, but he also wanted to put three bottles of vodka in you. Lord only knows what plans he had for you.

He evidently didn''t think he could handle you without some sort of control.
Reply to this comment
by erasmus81 April 30, 2008 1:58 AM EDT
That''''s it girl, get on your soap box and organize things. President Erasmus...........its got a nice ring to it, doesn''''t it.

I think it does.:)

Reply to this comment
by colonieny April 30, 2008 1:58 AM EDT


Why don''t we liberate these fools and bring Western religions and sanity to them ?
Reply to this comment
by erasmus81 April 30, 2008 1:55 AM EDT
Kinda like you and Pasha going at it. He is finding out what Western women are like.

Yeah and I got the impression he didn''t LIKE it. What about you?

Reply to this comment
by ajmarine11 April 30, 2008 1:55 AM EDT
I got blocked, changed names, got blocked, changed again, got blocked, and then about an hour later, I said I was going to give it one more shot, and I got on.

All to talk to you.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine11 April 30, 2008 1:53 AM EDT
The women of the world need to unite!


That''s it girl, get on your soap box and organize things. President Erasmus...........its got a nice ring to it, doesn''t it.
Reply to this comment
by erasmus81 April 30, 2008 1:53 AM EDT
Remember the last time we go kick off? When I went to post a comment, I couldn''t, so I then went to the other name. Then awhile later, for some reason I thought I would try the old one again, and then it worked. So I never did have to change it.
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine11 April 30, 2008 1:50 AM EDT
I don''''t think they can see how the rest of the women live.


Maybe now, but I just saw an article where it say the Iranians are mad at "Barbi" dolls and they are going to stop them from coming into their country. They say Barbi doesn''t wear the right clothes and she is messing up their Islamic Society. It''s only a matter of time, the world is becoming so small and with satellites, I think the Middle East women will find out alot more than their men want them to find out.

Kinda like you and Pasha going at it. He is finding out what Western women are like.
Reply to this comment
See all 74 Comments

Exclusive Webshow

Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie." Watch Now

Latest News
News in Pictures
Scroll Left Scroll Right
Connect with CBS News

Stay connected with the CBS News using your favorite social networks and online news applications: