Saudi woman arrested for taking off veil in public, posting picture on Twitter

New Delhi: A Saudi woman has been arrested for posting pictures of herself without her veil on Twitter, reportedly. The woman, according to media reports, has been identified as Malak-al-Shehri by several websites. However, her identity has not been disclosed by the police yet. 

This is 21-year old Malak al-Shehri. She took a pic without her headscarf & now faces lashes. Welcome to #SaudiArabia, the US's best friend. pic.twitter.com/A1fbnauDeh

— Sarah Abdallah (@sahouraxo) December 12, 2016

The picture has triggered a major controversy for it shows the woman posing without her hijab in one of the main streets of Saudi last month. Reportedly, the police has said that they just carried out their duty to make sure that general morals aren't violated. According to media reports, the police further stated that the woman posted a picture of herself standing next to a popular cafe but without her headscarf which is mandatory in the Saudi society. Reprtedly, the woman is in her 20s and has been taken to prison for also speaking about prohibited relations with non-related men. According to AFP, a police spokesperson said "Riyadh police stress that the action of this woman violates the laws applied in this country,". Also, the police urged people to adhere to the teachings of Islam. Women in Saudi Arabia are supposed to keep themselves covered from head to toe. Saudi Arabia has always been known to impose many restrictions on women and is the only country in the world where women aren't allowed to drive.