Riyadh: Saudi officials seized rainbow toys and clothing items from shops in the capital as part of a strong action against homosexuality, government media reported.Targeted items include rainbow-colored arcs, skirts, hats and pencil cases, most of them seem to be produced for young children, according to a report broadcast on Tuesday night by the Al-Ekhbariya news channel managed by the government.
“We provide a tour of goods that are contrary to Islamic faith and public morals and promote homosexual colors that target young people,” said an official from the Ministry of Trade, who was involved in the campaign.Giving a signal towards the rainbow flag, a journalist said: “Homosexual flag is present in one of the Riyadh markets.”
The color sends “toxic messages” to children, the report said.Homosexuality is a potential capital violation in Saudi Arabia, which is known for its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law that forms the basis of the entire judicial system.In April, the kingdom said he had asked Disney to cut “LGBTQ references” from “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, the latest Marvel film, but Disney has refused.
This film was finally not played in the Saudi cinema.Disney’s latest animation “Lightyear,” which features same -sex kisses, has also been banned in Saudi Arabia and more than a dozen other countries, sources close to Disney told AFP Tuesday, although Riyadh had not commented on the film.
Al-Ekhbariya reports also showed quietly from Benedict Cumberbatch on “Doctor Strange” and foreign children who seemed to fly the rainbow flag.The report did not specify how many companies targeted or the goods confiscated in the Ministry of Trade’s operations, and Saudi officials did not immediately respond to AFP requests to comment on Wednesday.
