Riyadh: Saudi Arabia says starting on
Thursday, only females can work in women's lingerie stores.
The 2006 law banning men from working in female apparel
and cosmetic stores has never been put into effect, partly due
to hard-liners in the religious establishment who oppose the
whole idea of women working where men and women congregate
together, like malls.
The Labour Ministry says that over 28,000 women have
already applied for the sales jobs.
Saudi's Arabia's most senior cleric, Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al
Sheikh, spoke out against the decision in a recent sermon,
saying it contradicts Islamic law.
He argued that wrongdoing may occur when a woman stands
face to face with a man and sells without embarrassment.
The country follows an ultraconservative interpretation
of Islam called Wahhabism.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 02, 2012, 22:33