Riyadh (AsiaNews / Agencies) - He
tried to bring the campaign in Saudi Arabia "free hugs " and the
muttawa , the religious police arrested him for "indulging in practices
that offend the local culture and public order". This is what happened to a
young Saudi, Bandr al- Swed , who on November 19posted a video on YouTube showing
him (pictured) on King Mohammed Abdel Aziz street, one of the shopping streets
of the capital with the sign typical of the "free hugs
" campaign.
The
young man explained that he wanted to bring the proposal of a movement that
aims to " brighten " the lives of people offering to hug a stranger to
his country. "
I liked the idea - he said - and I wanted to bring joy even to Saudi Arabia
."
The
video, which lasts three minutes, quickly became viral, reaching nearly a
million views. However, the
reactions on social media were diverse. On
Twitter, there are those who called Bandr al-Swed's proposal - " a nice
idea " that " can make people smile ," but also those who called
the young man " a man who suffers from psychological problems " and
who accused him of imitating the West ,
forgetting his own Saudi identity.
A
view shared by the religious police , officially the Commission for the
Promotion of Virtue and the Suppression of Vice, which also arrested another
young man surprising passersby with the offer of "free hugs".