Last Wednesday we had our first brush with the Muttawa, the dreaded religious police of Saudi Arabia. My wife and I were walking down the street in a shopping district looking for a shop to buy school uniform for our kids. At one road intersection, we were waiting with a crowd of pedestrians for the traffic to stop so we could cross the narrow, one-way street. A four-wheel drive vehicle pulled up and allowed us to pass. I was surprised and pleased because I don't see such gestures here often. I raised my hand in appreciation without noticing who was at the steering wheel. Once we were across the street, I heard someone yelling from behind. I turned around and saw it was the driver of the four wheel vehicle. The only word I understood from what he was saying was 'madam'. I had never seen a Muttawa before, but I had no problem recognising that this was one, and I knew he was exhorting my wife to cover her head. I waved at him and told my wife what it was about. She promptly covered her head with her scarf. That satisfied him and he drove off to find other deviant souls to save.
15 minutes later we had finished our shopping and were returning to our car when the loudspeakers of the local mosque blared out the call for prayer. We saw the same Muttawa drive down the street exhorting the people on the streets to go to the mosque (I guess).
I have read so many horror stories involving the Muttawa in the newspapers here, I was hoping I would never come accross one of them. I am sure, though, that the bad publicity they received is only due to a few bad apples. Newspaper reports also suggest that the government has taken measures to curb the excesses committed by the Muttawa. Friends who have been living here for some time say that the Muttawa have assumed a more low key profile in recent times. I hope it remains like that.
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