In March 2002, 15 Mekka girls apparently burned alive in a school building.
Why? Because they didn’t wear headscarves.
Here’s the full text of the German Press Agency (dpa) that has popped up all over online newspapers in the last four hours, as translated by me:
Saudi-Arabia: Fireworkers may rescue girls
From now on, Fireworkers in Saudi-Arabia may also rescue girls. Eight years after a fire broke out in a girl school in Mekka, the ministry for education of the strongly muslim country has drawn the consequences from a scandal that cost the lives of 15 female students.
The newspaper “Saudi Gazette” reported on Monday that the ministry has given the school leader and the safety personnel “clear orders” that rescue personnel need to be allowed to go into the girl school in case of an emergency.
In any other country in the world this would be self-evident. But in the pilgrim city Mekka, guards of the islamic religion police had hindered school girls in 2002 from leaving the burning school building. The reason: The girls did not wear headdresses and no long clothes. Eye-witness had reported at the time that the religion police had even been hitting the school girls. Workers from the office for the advancement of virtue and prevention of vice are still watching the girl school of the islamic kingdom today. They take care that nobody violates the state-decreed separation of the genders. Because no man or boy may enter the school premises and the girls are taught only by female teachers, they usually take off their headscarves and black robes at the entrance.
Congrats to Saudi Arabia for going from “extremely fucking idiotic” to “close to extremely fucking idiotic”.
Can I have a “linked to by Pharyngula” badge? 
Thanks, PZ!
[...] Now, in 2010, the religious ministry has given orders to the religious police to allow even male rescue workers to ent…. [...]
By: Progress in Saudi Arabia! | The Skeptics Resource on May 17, 2010
at 6:37 pm
Nice article! Love the conclusion
By: Stu on May 17, 2010
at 7:23 pm
[...] in 2010, the religious ministry has given orders to the religious police to allow even male rescue workers to enter girls’ schools in an [...]
By: 17 May 2010 (noonish) « blueollie on May 17, 2010
at 8:37 pm
It makes you wonder if these religious loons ever actually visit reality-land. Closer to home, our health and safety nuts are not far from being just as batty.
By: Stonyground on May 17, 2010
at 9:13 pm
Atheists,
you are going to learn even to TALK about GOD the way you do is going to cost you your lives…
the writing on the wall…
f*ck you very much!
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Touched_by_His_Noodly_Appendage.jpg
see, you degenerates have last names like first names…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster
how about I believe in WHATEVER I want – even in the FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER! – and you have nothing to say!
let me show you the end results of this particular *ONE-DIMENSIONAL SCIENTIFIC MODE*
of thinking that is called *CRITICAL THINKING*, which is completely divorced from
any human objectives…
this style has been perfected by dawkins, pz, randi and the other *NEW ATHEISTS*
**
THE BOOBQUAKE – 911!
see how we take a term and convert it into its AUTHENTIC POLITICAL DIMENSION – THAT
OF LIBERATION – not just merely harmless expression…
visit
dissidentphilosophy.lifediscussion.net/philosophy-f1/the-boobquake-911-t1310.htm
By: athdead on May 17, 2010
at 10:16 pm
I really can’t tell whether you’re a parody or whether you really need to lay off the caffeine. And the drugs.
By: puzzledponderer on May 17, 2010
at 10:52 pm
Poe.
By: KevinS on May 18, 2010
at 4:30 am
This nation controls 25% of the worlds oil! They must know, that cutting off the supply would knobble the wests economy. How have we let idiots that still think its the thirteenth century, be in control of such an important comodity? I know it’s in their desert kingdom, but how did we let this happen? And, what is it with their hatred of women? They seem to reproduce efficiently, how do they do this while fully dressed and burked?
By: Robster on May 18, 2010
at 2:48 am
I’m not entirely clear on what you mean by “how did we let this happen?” If you’re suggesting a sort of guilt by association then I agree. We do bear guilt for essentially providing the welfare for a country that imposes such a twisted sense of morality.
By: KevinS on May 18, 2010
at 4:29 am
Hi Kevin, we should have seen this or something similar coming, following the 1974 oil crisis. We, both the US & Australia learned nothing. Now, the Tea towelled brigade has us over err..the barrel. Now, by default, we are propping up these sick regimes. These same regimes, though hook & crook are spreading their ideology and in the end, it maybe a way off (good, the west will pay the price. Already we are,the mullahs are getting thir packs of wolves to attack cartoonists in one of the most peaceful nations on the planet, Sweden. Eight years for this crime to be righted, it’s not like it’s a third world country, just their belief system.
By: Robster on May 18, 2010
at 5:04 am
The fact that they have changed the laws indicates that there is outrage over the incident. The fact that it took eight years indicates there’s not nearly enough.
By: KevinS on May 18, 2010
at 4:31 am
[...] the religious ministry has given orders to the religious police to allow even male rescue workers to… That only took 8 years… and who know how many (female) [...]
By: Religious Police with new guidelines « Everything you think might be wrong! on May 18, 2010
at 2:27 pm
The religious ministry!!! there is no such a thing! second of all, this is a no story, the writer should have watched a movie instead of this nonsense. Fire workers have always rescued whoever in need. just cause a certain incident happen, doesn’t mean that’s how the system works! educate yourself instead of being selective.
what’s even worse is when we have people who think they’re civilized and educated by suggesting that they should colonize other countries to control their oil. it’s freaking 2010!! double standards! let’s colonize Colombia to save the world from cocaine!
By: Abdullah on May 18, 2010
at 5:34 pm
1. I don’t try to colonize anything. I am not even American.
2. This is an article from the Saudi Gazette, not something I made up. Please, if you think this story is wrong, go and complain to the Saudi Gazette. If you think it was mistranslated, go ask the German Press Agency (dpa) about their translators.
3. Sources, please.
By: puzzledponderer on May 18, 2010
at 5:38 pm
[...] dressed properly for being on the street? Well, look who’s entered the 9th century — Saudi Arabia now allows firemen to save such girls and not let them die. Huzzah! On that note: A Saudi woman whose male friend collapsed on being [...]
By: Friday Links (21-May-10) -- a Nadder! on May 21, 2010
at 10:08 am
[...] He finds some change eight years later: Now, in 2010, the religious ministry has given orders to the religious police to allow even male rescue workers to ent…. [...]
By: Is Saudi Arabia Progressing? | Free Market Mojo on May 21, 2010
at 6:12 pm
[...] The Puzzled Ponderer, a translation of a German article announcing that in Saudi Arabia, emergency workers are now permitted to rescue girls. In 2002, [...]
By: Gender Roles #0: Background « The Clever Badger on May 26, 2010
at 8:24 pm