PHOTO: AFP/FILE
RIYADH: Saudi religious police arrested two young men offering a "free hug" to passers-by in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom's capital, local media reported Thursday.
The arrests were made in the main Tahlia Street where the two men were waving banners marked "Free Hug" in English, according to news website Sabq.org.
Free Hugs Campaign is a movement for individuals to offer hugs to strangers in public places, especially in big cities, "to brighten up their lives".
The initiative prompted surprise and controversy in Saudi society.
"It's a free hug, not a free drug for God's sake!" wrote one Tweeter in support of the campaign.
However, another user slammed the move. "Today it's one hug, tomorrow it's a free kiss, and the next day it'll be free sex!"
The religious police, or Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, is charged with ensuring compliance with the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islamic morality.
But it is often accused of abuses.
Religious police ensure women obey Saudi Arabia's ban on women drivers, implement a ban on public entertainment and force all businesses to close for prayers five times a day.
COMMENTS (14)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
I hate the Saudi govt as much as I hate the US.
They are scum who enjoy oppressing people.
Brainless people.
this shows why 'muslim world' is lagging in every aspect! The unending and brainless sanctions and bigotry!
Good action ! there's no need of ''free hugging'' , stop this drama
Nothing wrong in man to man free hug. why did the religious police arrest them? or were they trying to give free hugs to women? in that case their arrest is understandable.
Are all hugs in Muslim countries sexual in nature?
Saudi regression of their soceity provide us with real time demostration of life in middle ages.
Saudi Arabia is the most hypocritical society on the planet. The sooner their oil runs out, the faster their mindset will normalize. They have misused their wealth, it will not take long for them to realize, what is important, and what is not.
'Free Hug' campaign is a reaction to Western urban lifestyle, imo. Volunteers gather at a busy square where fast walking people are so unconcerned about each other that they don't even bother looking at other passersby. So this campaign tries to bring them back to 'life'. . But in Saudi, where hugging is a social norm to the extent that it might be culturally wrong to do that in a Western society, this campaign makes less sense. . Activists in Saudi should rather focus on the abuse of foreign workers - both when they hunt people from poor countries and also when Saudis pay ridiculous salaries to the Western citizens.
These guys are painfully predictable in their regressiveness.
Add overcompensation for latent tendencies to storage etc etc
It is well known that the Saudi Princes act one way in the Saudi public arena, but when overseas, and particularly in private, behave the way Europeans do. Double standards I'm afraid.
Saudis distribute millions to Pak madrassas and militant organisations generating hatred and violence in Pakistan whereas they cannot tolerate people hugging in their own country.
saudi land of retards and stone age fools.