MANAMA: Faced with a mushrooming of underground tattoo parlors, lawmakers in Bahrain are calling for a ban on tattoo artists on the island.
“This practice is against Islamic principles and we should enact tough laws to enforce a ban on tattooing in the Kingdom,” MP Adel Al-Assoumi said. He said there was an increase in the number of families concerned about their children falling prey to “this un-Islamic practice.” The ban will not cover ladies’ salons and other shops that deal in henna.
Underground tattoo artists, mainly from Asian countries, primarily cater to Bahraini youths. Some even list their details on social networking websites with contact numbers for potential customers. They charge between SR150 and SR200 per square inch.
A guitarist from a Bahrain-based band was arrested and freed last month for sporting a T-shirt bearing a caricature of a “devilish” figure and the slogan “God’s Busy...Can I Help?”
