The office of the Madina Emir was investigating a complaint from a visitor to the Prophet's Mosque who accused the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice of forcibly taking him and his wife to its department accusing them of not being married. The Saudi national, named by an associate only as A.M.S., was reportedly visiting Madina last week when, while sitting in the courtyard with his wife in the Prophet's Mosque following Maghreb prayers, was taken back by the sudden appearance of a Commission vehicle. Several Commission members descended and demanded to see his identity card, which he duly produced. When he told them that the woman with him was his wife, they further demanded to see their Family Identity Card, which he informed them was at the hotel. The man then asked if they would like him to go and get the card, but they replied in the negative, instead taking the pair to the local Commission office. The head of the Commission's branch at the Prophet's Mosque, Sheikh Saleh Al-Muzeini, said that a lot of incidents occurred in the area, and that in the current case the individual concerned was not cooperative with Commission members and that the couple's removal to a Commission office for further questioning was purely “routine”. “Some people,” Al-Muzeini said, “may be in the company of their wives yet do not cooperate with the Commission nor appreciate its work.” Al-Muzeini said only those who arouse suspicions are questioned over their identities, putting the number of cases of illicit relationships occurring in the area at up to two a day. – Okaz __
