The Religious Policeman

Saudi Arabia is a dry country. It doesn't rain much. That's why there's so much desert. What rain we get, normally comes around now - we call it the "Rainy Season", although it's not like being in the Amazon, it might rain for 3 or 4 days at most. Some of us like to pray for rain around now. As I said yesterday, there's a much better chance of our prayers being answered now, rather than in August. May as well go with the flow.

However, according to some of our clerics, we are in a "drought", and the reason for this is our sinfulness.

Saudi Clerics Pray for Rain; Blame Sin

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi clerics across the kingdom led worshippers in prayers for rain Thursday, blaming a recent drought on sinfulness, including women who unveil themselves or mingle with men.
...He singled out women, saying their sins included "bedecking, unveiling, mingling (with men), being indifferent with hijab (the veil)."

It's the poor women getting the blame, of course, no point in living in a male-dominated society if you can't blame women for everything.

Just one thing I don't understand - if unveiled women are the cause of drought, how is it that it's always throwing it down in Seattle and London, whereas Qassim, the centre of Wahabbism, is also the dryest place in the Kingdom?

And where did these clerics learn their Theology, which has such convincing explanations for natural phenomena? You guessed it, the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University in Riyadh!