Mutawa
1
9.9
- noun
- The order was issued by Labor Minister Adel Faqih and was verified by Abdullatif al-Sheikh, the head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, commonly known as "Mutawa" or religious police.
- Mutawa, or religious police
Examples
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Her campaign is directed principally against the Mutawa, the draconian religious police force who in 2002 refused to allow schoolgirls to leave a blazing building because they were not wearing the correct Islamic dress.
Blog text (23) -
In 2002, when teenage Saudi schoolgirls tried to escape from a burning school without their headscarves and abayas (black robes), the Mutawa, or religious police, beat them back.
Academic text (2010) -
The mutawa patrol the streets to ensure that people follow Islamic laws and principles.
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Citizens often feel the presence of the mutawa as they enforce codes of conduct in public areas.
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As a member of the mutawa, he plays a crucial role in maintaining religious standards in the community.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Mutawa comes from an Arabic word mutawwa' that means 'one who promotes virtue' or 'encourages good behaviour'. So the word refers to members of the religious police who patrol public places to enforce dress and conduct rules.