Saudi Princess to Religious Police
"Loosen your grip on the population and fight government corruption" In her column in the government daily Al-Madina , Saudi Princess Basma bint Saud attacked the Saudi religious police, accusing it of instituting religious terrorism. She claimed that it operates savagely against ordinary civilians instead of dealing with the corruption within the government. The column provoked reactions in Saudi Arabia , and was widely discussed on Internet forums. Princess Basma is a social activist and a prominent supporter of women's issues in Saudi Arabia . Recently, in an extraordinary step, Basma was photographed with her face unveiled for an interview with Al-Madina . Also, counter to the custom among Saudi princesses, she married a man who is not a member of the royal family Following is the translation of her column: [1] "I Have Searched the Annals of History... And I Have Not Found a Trace of the Term 'Authority for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice...