As we should all know, Saudi Arabia is a religious state. Sometimes I forget that this is very central to their culture and traditions. Prayer is 5 times a day (at sunrise, midday, mid-afternoon, sundown, and an hour after sun set). During prayer no stores are open, no men are allowed to be working, all the men MUST go to the closest mosque and pray. I didn't realize how strict this was until recently.
The Matawa are the religious police. They dress only slightly different than the usual Saudi man in that their white throbe is showing their ankles and they don't have the black coil over their white and red scarf on top of their heads. Regardless they are very easy to spot. I think they are appointed by the king and their job is to enforce conservative Islamic law.
I went to a restaurant with a friend the other night and we arrived 40 minutes before the next call to prayer. They didn't want to seat us since it was so close to prayer, but my friend knew the owner so they sat us and told us we had to eat and leave within 40 minutes before prayer started. Honestly I didn't understand the big deal. But the owner has apparently been caught by the matawa on 2 different occasions serving customs during prayer time. Prayer time, remember is only for prayer, closest mosque, make it happen! This guy is in jeopardy of being deported if he is caught serving customs during prayer on a 3rd and final occasion. Everything was fine and we got out of the restaurant within time.
Then last night after work I wanted to run to the grocery store really quick. The grocery store is across the street from the hospital. But really I should say this is more like a busy highway, it's Mecca Road, one of the big streets in town. So on the hospital we can walk around in our scrubs and it's fine. But once off campus ladies need to wear an abaya. Last night I was too lazy to run home to get it before going to the grocery store and walked over in my scrubs. Unfortunately, I arrived to the store during prayer time (stores close). Also I didn't know that prayer time was really when the Mattawa come out to you know, enforce the laws of the land. So I'm in the parking lot, practically naked in my sexy white nurse scrubs, no abaya. Four Matawa in an SUV swoop up police lights flashing and they all hang out of the window to yell at me in English to cover my hussy self and where is my abaya. I really had no excuse because I know better. They told me to go home immediately. Seeing as though it was still prayer time no taxi drivers were around for fear of getting taken to jail for working during the holy sacred prayer time. So I couldn't do anything but stand there. A woman in a car called to me and told me to get in the car with her and her driver. She was appropriately covered and said she would take me home and pick up my shopping for me. Really if you think about it, everyday people are kind and go out of their way to help when they really don't have to.
In talking to Muslims originally from outside of the Kindgom of Saudi Arabia, I have found most disagree with the strictness placed on society here. Proclaiming the country they come from is far more religious than Saudi because of their freedoms. In other countries you can pray where you work or live, you can wear what you want, business can continue during the call to prayer. They've said they don't understand because Allah is everywhere and not just in the mosque. Also on international flights women will be fully veiled at the beginning of the journey to disembark the plane only wearing a headscarf. Is this a "when in Rome" mentality? I am not discrediting their religion or beliefs but it seems inconsistent at times.
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