Officials in Saudi Arabia say they’re seizing any rainbow-coloured toys, clothing and other products for “promoting homosexuality” in bizarre rainbow raids on state TV.
The state-run Al Ekhbariya news channel this week showed one raid on a store in capital city Riyadh. Ministry of Commerce officials inside the store point out a range of the items and pile them on the floor.
The rainbow-coloured products included t-shirts, skirts, hats, hair clips, popping toys and pencil cases.
“We are giving a tour of the items that contradict the Islamic faith and public morals and promote homosexual colours targeting the younger generation,” an official said, according to a translation by Agence France-Presse.
The media report also claimed a rainbow “homosexuality flag” visible for sale sends “a poisoned message to children”.
The Ministry of Commerce posted the media report on the crackdown to its Twitter page.
The account tweeted officials were confiscating “products that contain symbols and signs calling for deviation and contradicting common sense”.
Businesses in Saudi Arabia caught selling the rainbow products would face legal penalties, the ministry wrote.
فرقنا الرقابية تنفذ جولات على منافذ البيع وتضبط وتصادر منتجات تتضمن رموز ودلالات تدعو للشذوذ وتنافي الفطرة السّوية، وتوقع الجزاءات النظامية على المنشآت المخالفة. pic.twitter.com/XyeNvYmOvl
— وزارة التجارة (@MCgovSA) June 14, 2022
Saudi Arabia strictly prohibits same-sex activity
Saudi Arabia strictly prohibits same-sex activity between men and women under Sharia law.
Consensual same-sex sexual conduct is punishable in the kingdom by flogging or the death penalty.
Transgender people are also criminalised, with strict penalties for gender expression that violates the strict dress codes imposed by Islamic law.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
A very good reason NEVER to visit or promote those countries, and never to encourage the practise of Sharia Law over here.
Are these the same Saudi officials who holiday across Europe and England frequenting brothels and mistreating sex workers of all genders.
They are pathetic and I will never spend one cent in any of these Countries.