RIYADH –– The religious police ordered the arrest of 57 youths this week for flirting with girls in malls in Makkah, The Saudi Gazette reported on Saturday.

The young men were detained on Thursday evening by regular police officers following a request from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the English-language daily reported.

They were accused of wearing “indecent clothing and playing loud music and dancing” to attract the attention of the women, it added. Members of the commission, known as the Muttawa, patrol public areas to ensure strict adherence to religious ideals.

Part 2
The cops are making Saudi men are a frustrated lot. It is no secret that their men visit Dubai once in a while to enjoy life with an overdose of wine and women. Our little birdie, who was in Dubai last month on an official visit, told us stories about Saudi men who had come to attend the same convention. Men in their late 40s, made merry in a 5-star hotel till early mornings, and even called a Lebanese girl, who was a PR professional, to their room at midnight for an official briefing. The girl refused, but their party continued for four days, much after the convention was over.

Ouch!

Moral of the story: The more you try to contain it, the more it gets out of hand.