The World
Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind
The ruler of Saudi Arabia doubtless has a lot on his mind, given Iraqi turmoil, Osama bin Laden's death threats, and the problem of where to stash the flood of petrodollars. And yet King Abdullah, generally regarded as a cautious reformer in an ultraconservative society, has time to fret about the seductive influence of photos of women--though modestly attired--in Saudi newspapers. "The youth are driven by emotion ... and sometimes they can be led astray," he told editors, according to the newspaper Okaz. While the king requested that editors "cut down" on the photos, his words were interpreted as a decree to eliminate them.
Young Saudi men and women are barred from mingling, but they skirt social restrictions to flirt and exchange photos by, for instance, using Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones while in shopping malls or in sex-segregated restaurants. Saudi authorities considered banning camera-equipped phones, but they backed off because most phones are manufactured with that feature.
With Thomas Omestad, Larry Derfner and Associated Press
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