The Saudi Kingdom is back this week reminding people of the inherent extreme lunacy of theocratic legal systems.  Saudi Arabia’s top religious authority Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh has proclaimed that cinemas and singing concerts are unIslamic and morally harmful.  The Kingdom follows a medieval system of Sharia law and denies basic civil liberties to women, non-Muslims,  political dissidents, and journalists.  Cinemas and public concerts are already banned in the name of Islam in the Kingdom.

 Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh warned that cinemas or public concerts threaten the moral backbone of the country and lead to “atheistic or rotten” influence.  The announcement would seem to push back on the announcement of the head of the  General Authority for Entertainment, Amr al-Madani, that Saudi citizens might be allowed to go again to the movie and even see some public concerts, including Saudi singer Mohammed Abdo.  Abdo was rumored to be likely to perform in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.  Al al-Sheikh warned that the government would be inviting sin: “I hope those in charge of the Entertainment Authority are guided to turn it from bad to good and not to open doors to evil.” He added.”Motion pictures may broadcast shameless, immoral, atheistic or rotten films.”

As a result, the clerics seem intent on literally keeping Saudi citizens in the dark and away from influences other than their constant saturation of Islamic values in the Kingdom.