Saudi officials order arrest of ‘Mecca Girl’ rapper

The rapper, who identifies herself as Asayel, posted the video last week. It shows her rapping about being a woman from Mecca. She is seen wearing a headscarf, singing in a coffee shop with backup dancers and children around her.According to the Mecca region's official Twitter account, the governor of Mecca, Prince Khalid bin Faisal ordered the arrest of those responsible for producing the song, which, it said, "offends the customs and traditions of the people of Mecca and contradicts the identity and traditions of its esteemed population."The prince also ordered the singer and her associates to be investigated and punished by the "relevant authorities." Earlier this week, Asayel's YouTube account was wiped out, but many other users have posted the music video. Mecca is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and the holiest site in Islam. Pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj, is one of the pillars of Islam. The call for Asayel's arrest comes amid efforts by the oil kingdom to modernize its strict social order and relax some of the many restrictions placed on women. In December last year, the government ended gender segregation at restaurants. In August, a ban was lifted on Saudi women holding passports and traveling abroad without the consent of a male guardian. In a landmark reform, women were granted the right to drive in 2017 and were issued their first drivers' licenses in 2018.Read More – Source

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