RIYADH: A Saudi court has sentenced four men to up to 10 years in prison and 2,000 lashes for dancing “naked” in public, media reported on Thursday.
In a video posted on YouTube, several men appear dancing atop a vehicle in the ultra-conservative province of Qassim. None seemed naked.
The court in Buraydah, Qassim’s provincial capital, sentenced one defendant to 10 years in prison and 2,000 lashes, and another to seven years in prison and 1,200 lashes, Al-Sharq newspaper reported in what media have dubbed the “naked dancing” case.
Their two companions were jailed for three years and sentenced to 500 lashes each, it said.
The four were charged with “dancing on a vehicle in public and posting a video online, encouraging vice, defying norms of the society and violating public morals,” according to Al-Sharq.
Two of them were identified as security officials.
Saudi Arabia applies a strict version of Islamic Shariah law that imposes many social restrictions.
IF they were dancing naked in the first place. But they weren't as seen clearly on YT. The very act of dancing in public where other Saudis can see and "get influenced" to commit vice (also dance, exhibit their bodies, be joyful in general) is Haraam as per the Saudi interpretation of the faith. You can take your pick from sayings like "La Hawl wala Quwwat".
To make this legitimate in the eyes of the majority, what better way than to put it as "dancing naked". This is the great Saudi Arabia, the protectors of the faith. Not sure why the rest of the world even take those morons seriously.