Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed, Emir of Madina region, has commissioned the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP) to look into the alleged assault of a woman by staffers of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a) last weekend. The bureau will investigate claims that the woman was dragged from a car in which she was traveling with her uncle. The Hai'a ensures women wear an abaya in public, do not socialize with unrelated men and do not smoke in public. The woman denied she was in breach of any Shariah laws and insists the assault was completely unprovoked. She says she was traveling in Madina with her uncle when Hai'a staff dragged her from a taxi, ripped her abaya and purse, and later tried to bribe her to remain silent over the incident. Hai'a officials have recently received a lot of criticism for cases of mistreating citizens including the death of two persons held in custody by the Hai'a in less than two weeks. In June 2007, the Hai'a announced the creation of a department of rules and regulations to ensure that the activities of its staff members comply with the law. The distraught woman told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that when she entered the Madina Emirate's Office to file a complaint against some Hai'a members, she was scared and tormented. “I didn't sleep at all after that,” she said. Prince Abdul Aziz has promised her that he would commission an investigation into the issue. __
