Honestly I don’t know too much about the mutawa, I’ve made umrah and stayed a few days in jeddah but haven’t had any experiences with the religious police there. However, I do know that all shops must close for prayer times and if they don’t they can get in trouble. For me I think this is good and encouraging way to make sure everyone can get to pray on time. I don’t know much more, but I think to have this in the West wouldn’t be as successful. BUT at least to be more accepting of the Islamic practices. However, I haven’t had any troubles with this. We were always given an area to pray in, time out to break fast, etc…. However there are “muslim” countries, such as Egypt that have ‘national security’ keeping an eye on you and known to make arrests on people who constantly pray in the mosques, dress Islamically, often visit orphanages, the sick, etc… So they basically are discouraging Islam and good Muslims. So it’s not that Islam itself is wrong or not successful. Rather the never
Not only that but Islam requires people of other faiths to pay money to support the Muslim religion. It happens in countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt alot. Muhammad very clearly established that people of other religions have to pay a poll tax, called the jizya, to Muslims. The money not only funds the spread of the Islamic faith (often by military campaign), but it is intended to remind those of other religions that they have been subjugated by Islam and exist in third-class status (behind Muslim women). The Qur’an clearly states in Sura 9:29 – “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” Edit: Hi Um Huda. It does not matter it still goes on under Islamic law. Western countries dont do this with religion, wonder why Islam does it fo