Definition

Noun: - Religious police in Saudi Arabia: A specific force tasked with enforcing public adherence to Islamic codes of conduct and morality as defined by the state's interpretation of religious law. Their authority traditionally included monitoring public behavior, dress, and observance of prayer times.

Usage

• The term is used specifically to refer to the now-disbanded official religious police force in Saudi Arabia, known formally as the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
• It is a proper noun and is typically used in historical or socio-political contexts.
• Example: mutawa'een

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metonymically to represent strict religious enforcement or moral policing in a broader, often critical, sense.
• Example: mutawa'een.

Variants and Related Words

• Mutawa (noun): A singular or informal variant for a member of this force.
  • Example: A mutawa approached the group for not observing prayer time.
• Religious police (noun phrase): The general English translation and equivalent term.
• Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (noun phrase): The formal name of the organization.

Synonyms

• Morality police
• Religious enforcement officers

Notes on Meaning

• The were a unique institution within Saudi Arabia. While similar concepts of religious or morality police exist in other regions, this term refers specifically to the Saudi organization, which had its own legal powers and procedures.
• Their powers to arrest and detain were officially curtailed in 2016, and the force was effectively disbanded, with its remaining duties transferred to the regular police.

Noun

1. religious police in Saudi Arabia whose duty is to ensure strict adherence to established codes of conduct; offenders may be detained indefinitely; foreigners are not excluded