Riyadh: More than 50 people have been arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges like prostitution and begging. This action has been taken by the new police unit formed on the orders of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This unit has been formed to monitor Saudi 'immoral acts' and catch those doing such work. This new unit of the Home Ministry has been specially created to deal with community security and human trafficking. This has happened at a time when the Saudi government is relaxing strict social rules.
According to the Financial Times report, this new unit has arrested 11 women on charges of prostitution. This is the first time in more than a decade that Saudi authorities have publicly acknowledged the existence of prostitution in the country. The unit has arrested several foreigners for indulging in 'immoral acts' in massage parlors and forcing women and children to beg.
Why was this new unit created?
This new unit in Saudi is being compared to the country's religious police force 'Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice'. This force was known for enforcing moral rules. The Saudi government reduced its powers in 2016. This was seen as part of Mohammed bin Salman's attempt to diversify the economy and relax strict socio-religious rules.
Analysts say the reason behind the creation of this new unit is not clear. Khalid al-Suleiman, a columnist for the semi-official Okaz Daily, says the Community Security Unit has been created due to an increase in alleged violations of morality. Advertisements of such activities are appearing on social media platforms. This has damaged the image of Saudi society. In such a situation, pressure increased on the government to stop this and this unit was formed.
Social media users in Saudi say that the Community Security Unit is a kind of return of the religious police. This time only its appearance has been changed. However, many people have also welcomed this move. Social users believe that it is good to take action against human trafficking, drugs and prostitution.
