Mutaween (Religious Police): Difference between revisions

{{QualityScore|Lead=2|Structure=3|Content=3|Language=2|References=2}}'''Mutaween''' (المطوعين‎ ''muṭawiʿin'', literally meaning "volunteers")<ref>Hans Wehr - [http://www.amazon.com/Arabic-English-Dictionary-Modern-Written-Arabic/dp/0879500034/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298902487&sr=1-1 The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic] - Spoken Language Services, 1994, ISBN 0879500034, p. 670</ref> is commonly used as a term for [[Islam|Islamic]], government-authorized or recognized ''religious police''.<ref>or ''clerical police'' or ''public order police''</ref> In Islamic states in which the governments are either directly controlled by, or fall significantly under the influence of, Islamic clergy, the Mutaween enforce the state's interpretation of the [[Islamic Law|Shari'ah]]. Alternate names include; clerical police, hisbah groups, morality police, moral police, public order police, religious police, sex police, and virtue police.

In contrast to the legislatively-restrained police forces of secular nations, the religious police have broad and arbitrary discretionary powers of surveillance, entry to property, detention and interrogation of suspects, and, in some places, summary judgment and application of punishment for perceived violations of Shari'ah. The religious police discipline both Muslims and non-Muslims in Islamic states.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan imposed a strict version of Shari'ah enforced by the religious police.

Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has had a religious police that punishes offenders relentlessly. Jamal Karimi-Rad, in 2006, has vowed to work with other governmental organizations and continue the prosecution of social vice<ref>[http://www.command-post.org/nk/2_archives/013550.html The Morality Police In Iran] - The Command Post, July 12, 2004</ref> or "moral corruption".  The Islamic officials use words like Western and un-Islamic as their talking points to justify such arrests.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1098931.stm Iran crackdown on New Year revellers] - BBC News, January 3, 2001</ref><ref>Robert Tait - [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/apr/20/iran.roberttait Police in Tehran ordered to arrest women in 'un-Islamic' dress] - The Guardian, April 20, 2006</ref><ref>Robert Tait - [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jul/14/iran.roberttait Iran's fashion police put on a show of chadors to stem west's cultural invasion] - The Guardian, July 14, 2006</ref>  The Islamic government's obsession with the people's behavior and dress even reached a point when it would employ female religious police who "with a razor took off the lipstick from the lips" of other female citizens.<ref>Nasrin Alavi - [http://www.softskull.com/files/WeAreIran_SampleChapterLo.pdf We are Iran] - Portobello Books Ltd, 2006, ISBN 9781846270031</ref>

There are morality police forces in other places, too. For example, they can be found in Indonesia,<ref>[http://www.indonesiamatters.com/1036/unislamic-behaviour/ UnIslamic Behaviour] - Indonesia Matters, December 27, 2006</ref> northern Nigeria, Malaysia,<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSSP27770920070706 Singer draws ire of religious police], ''Reuters'', Jul 6, 2007</ref> the Gaza Strip,<ref>Khaled Abu Toameh - [http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1246443716574 They accused me of laughing in public] - Jerusalem Post, July 4, 2009</ref><ref>Jonathan Spyer - [http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254163537553&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull Analysis: The Islamic republic of Gaza] - Jerusalem Post, September 29, 2009</ref> and elsewhere.

 

*"[http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5869 Catholic priest arrested and expelled from Riyadh] - ''Asia News, April 10, 2006 ''

*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1874471.stm "Saudi police 'stopped' fire rescue"] ''- BBC News, March 15, 2002''

*[http://www.nysun.com/article/13103 Saudis Arrest Christians For Spreading 'Poison'] ''- NY Sun, May 2, 2005''

[[Category:Shariah (Islamic Law)]]

[[Category:Society and human nature]]