Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Shoura Council next Monday will vote on a proposal to merge the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, according to informed council sources.

They said the council would vote on the proposal after reviewing the viewpoints of the council's committee on Islamic and judicial affairs on the annual report of the Haia.

The proposal, tabled by Atta Al-Thibaiti and two other members, called for making the Haia part of the ministry instead of being an autonomous body as the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice is an Islamic duty on every Muslim.

The three members argued that the Shariah had never called for any special body to carry out this important Islamic duty.

They said the Prophet's Companions practiced this duty under the umbrella of the religion and never considered forming a separate entity for the purpose.

The members also said the Shariah tenets had never considered practicing the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice to be under an independent organ or an autonomous entity.

They said merging the Haia with the ministry would be in line with the government's vision to amalgamate certain government bodies in some ministries in order to avoid duplication of efforts and cut expenditure.

They further said the Haia will complement the work of the ministry and will enhance coordination among them to improve performance and save resources.

The members said the Dawa work of the Haia was being carried by the ministry and a merger would be within the good governance the government was trying to achieve.

Thibaiti said he and his two colleagues had succeeded in presenting the proposal to the council despite the refusal of the committee on Islamic and judicial affairs.

"We were able to convince the council to accept our proposal despite the rejection of the concerned committee," he added.

Thibaiti said if the council voted in favor of the proposal, the Haia would be merged into the ministry as their missions were almost the similar.

"We have been thinking out of the box and it will be unfair to reject the proposal," he said.