Jerusalem Police against chastity squad

Jerusalem Police against chastity squad

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Meah Shearim residents agitated following wave of arrests of ‘modesty guard’ activists. In one of demonstrations held every evening, youngsters flip over police car in capital.

‘The chastity squad activists are doing what the police should be doing,’ senior community

member says

‘Modesty patrols’ sow fear

Jewish ‘modesty patrols’ sow fear in Israel

Some terrified that mere perception of impropriety could ruin their lives

JERUSALEM – In Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, where the rule of law sometimes takes a back seat to the rule of God, zealots are on a campaign to stamp out behaviour they consider unchaste.

• They hurl stones at women for such “sins” as wearing a red blouse and attack stores selling devices that can access the Internet.

• In recent weeks, self-styled “modesty patrols” have been accused of breaking into the apartment of a Jerusalem woman and beating her for allegedly consorting with men.
• They have torched a store that sells MP4 players, fearing devout Jews would use them to download pornography.

“These breaches of purity and modesty endanger our community,” said 38-year-old Elchanan Blau, defending the bearded, black-robed zealots. “If it takes fire to get them to stop, then so be it.”