On Campus

Saudi universities ban emos

Subculture declared “improper and deviant”

Authorities in the socially conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have banned university students from partaking in the “emo” subculture, according to Al Arabiya, which quotes an Al Riyadh newspaper story that says emos have been officially labelled “improper and deviant.” The term emo is short for emotional and adherents often wear skinny black jeans, pile on heavy make-up, sport androgynous hairstyles and gather to listen to weepy music. Saudi Arabia isn’t the first place to target them. The chief of police in Yerevan, Armenia said in 2010 that the presence of emos could “damage our gene pool.” Human rights activists likened the comments to a modern-day witch hunt.

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