And this is all different from the Taliban HOW?

JohnnyT, Nashua, NH USA

I'm from India and have been to Saudi Arabia only once and I was very nervous.
After reading Elaine's letter from Manchester, I am horrified by the fanaticism of the Mutawwa.
I myself have had coffee with several single, unrelated females here in India and enjoyed it and I know there's nothing unislamic about it. Thank God I live in India.

SM Hussain, Hyderabad, India

Gareth, Wales:

The more information we have about world events, the more informed our judgements may be about the world around us, including our own culture. Granted, all press is biased, but if it leads us to question and improve what we can, it is for the best that we know about it.

I would hope, in any case, that people have learned to take this all with a pinch of salt where relevant.

Brijit, Paris, France

Demi Doha, if more people thought the way you do, the world would undoubtedly be a better place. Religion is all about making the right choices and being guided in the right way and not being cajoled and bullied by fear of violence.

Islam is supposed to be a religion of tolerance and respect yet the various fundamentalist versions show very little of this and yet require all to follow suit. It harps back to the middle ages when Christianity went through a very similar phase and surely this should prove to all that religion based on fear and hatred simply can not sustain itself.

These zealots who disguise themselves as religious police are simply human beings with human traits such as the desire for revenge the ability to lie and decieve and most of all the absolute coruption that comes with absolute power.

Graham Greenberg, London, UK

Fazil, this has nothing to do with sharia. This is about ignorant, foolish, power hungry individuals who over react in this scenario while ignoring the much worse activities of the Saudi Royal family. Don't corrupt the word sharia by associating it those who abuse religion for personal gain.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that in the West, we are required to be accepting of all other cultures, even when others would try to force their culture on us, but we are expected to abide by their culture when we go to Saudi...

Kate, Kings Mills, Ohio/USA

How would he know if the girl was a student of his if she was wearing the head dress shown in your photo! Iris recognition software perhaps?

Jonathan Harker, London, UK

The Saudi's may legally repress each other all they want. I simply protest any of my US tax dollars supporting this idiotic repression of women and any men who treat them as approaching equals. The Saudi's will need to free themselves of this religious bullying. In the mean time I protest any US support of any government who allows this kind of repression.

JLZ, Snohomish, USA / WA

And we happily do business with this country, indeed, let them threaten us with terrorist attacks, if we don't. Yeah! Lets here it for democracy

Jeremy Poynton, Frome, Somerset

Great guys to have as allies huh.

David, London, UK

Regardless of what he and she are doing , they committed a crime under Saudi law. We may not all agree on a single set of laws, but we should ALL agree to respect each country's laws and regulations. We're only hearing one side of the story. However, people at the General Presidency of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice are doing their best to fight anti-social behaviour and disorder based on Islamic law; Islam is the last message sent to all mankind by Allah the Almighty through his Holy Prophet and Messenger Muhammad peace to be upon him. For more information go to: ( www.islam-guide.com ,or, www.islamalways.com) I respect the fact that we are different in religion and culture, and I would expect to receive the same respect from others about my country’s Saudi Arabia and its internal affairs. Hoping for this world to have peace, harmony, and to understand one another’s differences and choices. Thank you.

IBR, LONDON, UK

I don;t know why this is news. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Especially if rome is Mecca. If you know its not acceptable there, just don't do it. QED.

GK, Calgary, Canada

If true, this seems sillier than Gilbert and Sullivan's light opera where the Mikado wished to behead young men for flirting. Fact, it seems, may be stranger than fiction.

Phil, Hong Kong,

Gareth in Wales, where exactly does the article mention 'muslim'? I'll save you the hard work of actually reading it - it doesn't.

It talks about life in Saudi Arabia. Making the world aware of what goes on in Saudi Arabia might give momentum to make positive change there for ordinary Saudi citizens who don't enjoy the basic feedoms and liberties that we in the West take for granted.

So please, stop getting offended on behalf of muslims, because contrary to public opinion, most muslims are not offended by free and open discussion on news from any part of the world.

As for inciting racial hatred, if bombs on the London Underground didn't start widespread rioting, I think the general public are more than adult enough to deal with a news article about life 3000 miles away.

Garley, London, England

Great to live in England - phew !

fil, Lndon, UK

I worked in Saudi as a nurse some years ago, I am female and was in my thirties at the time. Once, at the souk, I was beaten about the head with a stick by a matowwa - religious police, who attacked me from behind while I window shopped. 1. for looking at shop goods during prayer time - and 2. for not wearing head cover - although I always wore my long black covering gown when out. I have been locked in Safeways in Jeddah during prayer time with my shopping trolley half full. The lights went out and the shop staff went to the mosque and locked any remaining customers in, mainly westerners. I was also foolish enough to go into the city centre on a Friday, where I was forcibly man-handled with a female freind to the front of a crowd in the main square. My head was held forwards by an old woman, while we watched the unfolding events of three men being bundled off the back of a truck, hands tied behind their backs, and promptly beheaded, while the crowd murmered approval.

Elaine Holdaway, Chorlton Manchester, England

Dr. Williams - please take not. I doubt the UK is quite ready for this.

Nona, New York City, USA

So the Archbishop still wishes to introduce some aspects of Sharia (Islamic) Law into British Law?

Fazil Kann, Epsom, UK

The point is Gareth, that it should not matter how good a Muslim you are as long as you try to be the best Muslim you can. If others are better then that is the way Allah planned it and not something that other humans should be able to punish you for. The religious police are no better than the gang of kids in The Crucible. It is better to love a religion than to fear it.

Demi Doha, Santa Cruz, California

Why do the press print this stuff. I am sure it will do no good at all for racial tolerance within this country. I am in fact sure that this type of journalism will incite racial hatred here at home. It is terrible that his has happened, but in this climate it adds more fear. There are many countries which have committed terrible crimes, and those in the Middle East are not the only ones. China has a terrible record on human rights, US with Guantanamo Bay, more recently the atrocities in the Balkans, the IRA etc etc. But it appears that the Muslims are being singled out for special treatment in the media.

Gareth, Pwllheli, Wales / Gwynedd