Sunday, December 21, 2008; 6:44 AM
RIYADH (Reuters) - The head of Saudi Arabia's religious police has
eased his criticism of a return of cinema to the conservative Muslim
country saying he saw no harm in it as long as what is shown complies
with Islam.
Cinema made a low-key return in the Islamic kingdom after a three
decade ban, but a sharp reaction by Ibrahim al-Ghaith, the religious
police chief, showed efforts to relax tough religious laws face tough
opposition.
But Ghaith, the kingdom's second-most influential cleric, changed his
tone in favor of the moviegoing revival.
"We are not against having cinema if it shows the good and does not
violate Islamic law," al-Hayat newspaper quoted him on Sunday as
saying.
It was unclear why Ghaith had apparently changed his approach and the
religious police were not available for comment.
A locally produced comedy, "Menahi," premiered in two cultural centers
in Jeddah and Taif this month before mixed-gender audiences, earlier a
taboo in Saudi Arabia whose strict Islamic rules ban unrelated men and
women from mixing.
Ghaith, who heads the morals police -- called the Commission for
Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice -- demanded in remarks
carried on Saturday by Saudi newspapers that cinema remains banned,
calling it an evil the kingdom could do without.
"We have enough evil already," he was quoted as saying.
"Menahi," produced by billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's media
company Rotana, shows the comic escapades of a naive farmer earlier
played on television by popular Saudi actor Fayez al-Maliki.
The film has attracted such large crowds that the film had to be
played eight times a day over a 10-day period, the organizers said. It
had to be stopped in Taif due to overcrowding in the hall, Rotana
spokesman Ibrahim Badi said.
Showing the film was the latest attempt to introduce reforms by King
Abdullah, who has said the world's largest oil exporter cannot stand
still while the world changes around it.
Political analysts say Alwaleed could not have gone ahead without the
blessing of royals with key decision-making roles.
The kingdom's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al al-Shaikh has not
commented on the issue.
Ghaith's religious police have wide powers to search for alcohol,
drugs and prostitution, ensure shops are closed during prayer and
maintain a strict system of sexual segregation in Saudi society, where
women are even banned from driving.
(Writing by Souhail Karam; editing by Ralph Boulton)
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