YANBU, 6 September 2003 — A war of words has erupted in the wake of an alleged attack on members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice here, Al-Madinah said. Thirteen locals had reportedly attacked members of the commission in front of their offices in an attempt to rescue two men and two women the commission had arrested on the beach on suspicion of not being related to one another. One of the women escaped and all 13 alleged attackers were later arrested.

One of the 13 now says the attack was motivated by members of the commission kicking and pulling the hair of one of the women in their custody in front of witnesses. The commission denies this.

Ahmad Hamed Al-Refaie, 30, told the newspaper: “I was on my way to my cousin’s house when I saw a member of the commission dragging a girl into the street by her hair. She saw me and started calling for help. I told the mutawwa to leave her alone because he has no right to arrest her. He was not accompanied by a police officer and he wasn’t riding an official car.” The commission has no powers of arrest.

Al-Refaie said an argument then erupted between him and the commission member, who continued to assault the woman. “He beat her up badly with a wooden stick. Other people tried to help, but he threatened to kill me,” he said.

After Maghreb prayer that evening, Al-Refaie said, the commission member accompanied by some 20 men including his brothers went to his house and beat him unconscious with metal bars. “If I was in the wrong, why didn’t he simply come with the police and have me arrested?” Al-Refaie asked.

“I hope that the missing girl shows up to clear my name but I know that they must have threatened her to keep quiet. The story about us assaulting the mutawwa is not true. My brother and I are held by police on charges of attacking the director of the local commission.”

Ahmad’s brother Hamed Al-Refaie said: “The commission threatened non-Saudi witnesses that if they testify their businesses and jobs will be on the line.”

A witness who would only be identified as Ahmad confirmed Al-Refaie’s version of events. “I saw members of the commission beating up the girl very badly. She was calling for help when Ahmad showed up and they threatened to beat him too.”

Another witness using the initial N said: “During Maghreb prayer, a big group of people went to Ahmad (Al-Refaie)’s house, some of them members of the commission, and assaulted him.”

Members of the commission deny the allegations.