Saudi Gazette report

 

HAIL — The municipality had to replace two roll-ups showing the faces of young girls after they were vandalized and the girls’ faces were scribbled over with a red marker.



Hail Municipality spokesman Saad Al-Thuwaini was quoted by Al-Hayat as saying that a hashtag with a photo of the vandalized roll-up was started on Twitter on Saturday promoting a ban on girls’ faces on roll-ups.



“The comments on Twitter fired up people’s outrage to combat the extremist mentality of considering little girls under 10 years old and their image a sign of promiscuity and deeming it un-Islamic. We have replaced the roll-ups with new ones and whoever did that is uncivilized and uneducated,” said Al-Thuwaini.



He added that the vandals did not only cost the municipality money, they also damaged the spirit of the girls on the roll-ups and their parents.



Saudi actor Mishari Al-Ghamdi said the roll-up was of the girls who were with him in a music video on Eid. “How could anyone look at little girls and think of them sexually! I’ve worked with the girls and they are so young and cute. They were very polite and pleasant to work with. Whoever did that is definitely a sick person,” said Al-Ghamdi.



Journalist Saud Al-Rifaa said we need to work as a community to raise awareness of how wrong such an act is. “What the vandals did is wrong on so many different levels. First, they have transgressed on public property and ruined it. Secondly, with their regressive mentality, they portray a very bad image of Islam,” said Al-Rifaa.



Kholoud Al-Fahd said in a tweet that the act of vandalism was an extremist’s act. “Covering young girls’ faces has nothing to do with Islam and chastity. If the person looked at those girls and think of them sexually then he is a pedophile,” said Al-Fahd.



Mishari Al-Mirmish said in a tweet we must stop extremism in our country. “Such extremist acts are harming our society. It is driving us out of the country just so we can have a good time in life,” Al-Mirmish said.