Saudi Arabia's authorities have launched a crackdown on products, including confiscating 'rainbow-patterned' toys and children's clothing on the grounds that they promote homosexuality.
On the 15th local time, foreign media such as the BBC reported that the day before, officials of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Commerce confiscated products with various rainbow patterns on the grounds that they promoted homosexuality.
According to the report, on the official SNS of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Commerce the day before, a video was released of a police crackdown team circulating shops in Riyadh, the capital, and confiscating various rainbow-patterned products.
The video showed the enforcement team disposing of or confiscating rainbow-patterned hairpins, toys, T-shirts, hats, and pencil cases.
An official in the video said, "The rainbow pattern is against Islamic belief and public morals." "The rainbow pattern promotes homosexuality among young people."
This is presumably because the rainbow pattern is usually used to symbolize sexual minorities.
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"Stores found to be selling these products will be subject to legal punishment," the official said.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce released the video on its official SNS and delivered a short message saying, "Our crackdown team goes around shops and confiscates products with symbols and signs that are contrary to common sense, and in case of violation, we will take legal punishment."
In fact, although there are no laws on sexual orientation or gender identity in Saudi Arabia, it is widely known as a very oppressive country for LGBTQ culture, with strict prohibitions on extramarital sex, including homosexuality.
In April, Saudi Arabian authorities also banned the screening of a scene with two mothers from Marvel Film's 'Doctor Stranger' series, which was not deleted. We have never allowed screenings in our country because of the scene.
(Photo=@MCgovSA)