Morality police

"Morality police" is one of many names used to describe groups of people whose job (often self-appointed) is to enforce standards of moral behavior and religious adherence among the general public.

With or without an official mandate from the state, morality police tend to operate in nations and communities prone to extremist religious beliefs – particularly those in which one particular religion tends to be dominant. Unofficial morality police may be indistinguishable from what would in the west be more commonly known as lynch mobs. Some unofficial morality police groups appear to resemble Daily Mail readers who actively enforce their narrow and conservative views on how everyone else should act. Examples of this include the West Bank morality police who — among other valiant deeds — dealt harshly with Palestinians caught playing music too loudly on car stereos.

Morality police may arise as a result of moral panic, such as those generated by impending threats of women revealing their ankles or of people operating light switches on the sabbath.

Iran
Between 1979 and 1989, Iran's Islamic Revolution Committees or the Komiteh (religious police) monitored the behavior of Iranians and enforced Islamic moral principles. The police department subsequently took over these tasks.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's policing features the Mutaween, a casual term for the nice fellows who wander around making sure that no-one has the wrong kind of fun. These groups are either directly authorized or at least recognized by the government — normally by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. This is the Saudi governmental department responsible for enforcing Sharia law.

Rather unusually, Saudi media strongly criticized the Mutaween for their role in the death of 15 schoolgirls during a fire in 2002. The children were prevented from leaving a burning building because they lacked head-scarves, robes, and suitable male guardians to chaperone them.

Israel
Gangs known as "modesty patrols", originating from the Ultra-Orthodox wing of Judaism, allegedly patrol neighborhoods of Israel and use intimidation and violence in order to "preserve the modesty" of women who wear pants and commit similar acts of outrage. These groups operate without the support of the state. In one incident, a modesty patrol was suspected of spilling acid on the face of a 14-year-old girl.

When not throwing acid on young girls, threatening people for dressing immodestly, and beating women in order to preserve their chastity, the general purpose of these guys seems to be to make American Christian fundamentalists seem charming by comparison. In practice, actual violence is relatively uncommon. Mostly the modesty patrols would be more likely to intimidate and generally make people feel uncomfortable for not living like refugees from 3000 BCE.