Midnight vice clamp curfew in Manama

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
MANAMA: A midnight curfew has been slapped on coffee shops, restaurants and other outlets on the Al Fateh Corniche, as part of a crackdown on vice.
Prostitutes and illicit lovers have been using the late opening hours as a cover for immoral activities, say authorities.
Now all outlets on the corniche must close by midnight during the week and by 1am on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
The curfew has been imposed with immediate effect by Manama Municipal Council and municipal officials, at the request of the Interior Ministry.
Prostitutes ply their trade under the cover of the crowds there into the early hours, says council technical affairs committee chairman Sadiq Rahma.
"The shops and outlets are not the problem, but those who go there for immoral and indecent acts, who take the late opening time as an excuse," he said.
"Now those committing these acts have no excuse to be there and if found will be dealt with seriously by the police.
"This decision has been taken after things went out of hand, with young men and women seen in the middle of the corniche walkway hugging and kissing each other.
"The place has also become a hub for prostitutes, who prey on young men who spend their nights there. "Police are finding it difficult to combat prostitution in nearby Juffair and Exhibition Avenue and they have asked we set the timings on the corniche."