Haia imposes ban on women jogging in Asir town

By ARAB NEWS

AL-MUJARADAH: The Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) has banned women from jogging and other physical exercise in certain areas of an Asir town, Al-Watan reported on Friday.

The Haia’s branch in Al-Mujaradah attempted to justify its decision by claiming it was doing the women a favor.

“The Haia did not exactly ban women from physical exercise, it only intervened to guarantee their safety from criminals who frequently harass them as they walk in lonely places,” said Haia spokesman for Asir province Bandar Al-Mufreh.

A Haia member, who chose to remain anonymous as he was not authorized to speak on the record, said records from the commission described one particular street in the town where women were banned as lonely, poorly lighted, and frequented by drug addicts and other anti-social people.

This was disputed by fitness enthusiast R.S Al-Shahri, who claimed that the street was safe and well-lit, while almost 30 women would walk there between sunset and Isha prayers. “But the Haia members banned us from walking on the street when there was nothing to fear,” she said.

She claimed that when she called Al-Mujaradah’s Haia chief Muhammad Al-Shahri for an explanation, he told her that the place was unsafe for women.

Comments

AHMED FARAZ RAO

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If the place is unsafe for women then please make it safe for women instead of banning women from jogging.
If some place is unsafe for people then should people leave that place or should police come into action to make it safe?

HA

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As an American Muslim convert who fully covers, I have to say that one of the things I miss the most about living in the USA is the freedom to go out of my home for a walk without being pestered by by so-callled Muslim men. It is an embarrassment to this country that women are subjected to humiliating comments and treatment for exercising a basic human right -- the right to leave one's home to exercise. If the Haia are so concerned about harassment of women, they should ensure that members of the Haia are present during the hours when women usually walk, to protect them and persecute the real offenders. This is also a clear indication of a need to educate men in this country on the value of women and how they should be respected. I've always believed that how a society treats its women is an indication of how civilized it is. Of all places, Saudi should be a place where women can exercise freely.

FAHED

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If the place isn't safe, do something about it! Put on some extra police or something.

DUPER MARIO

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It is very difficult when laws or rules are not written.
Laws should be very clear and known to everyone, so that everyone may follow them.

MERWYN

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Putting the cart before the horse! Try to fix the root of the problem by cleaning society of the drug addicts & anti-social behaviour instead of curbing freedom of movement which should be a right for every citizen. No wonder such bigoted people drag everything back to the Middle Ages in the name of control.
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