More news from the world's most sinful city. Following the arrests of the cross-dressing Filipinos, the scandal of thedancing bankers and the "devil-worship" at a heavy metal concert, Riyadh police announce that 807 people have been arrested during the past month for "disgusting" clothing and hairstyles.

The Saudi Jeans blog explains: "The main target of those arrests are young men who wear low-waist jeans and afro hairstyle aka kadash."

A Saudi professor of sociology, quoted in al-Hayat (Arabic), says these "negative social phenomena" are a consequence of the French Revolution (1789).

Meanwhile, in a effort to counter the “ignorant and vexatious demands” of liberals, a group of conservative Saudi women have launched a campaign entitled “My Guardian Knows The Best For Me”. They have called on the king not to abandon thewali system where women are only allowed to travel with approval from a male guardian.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 26 August 2009.