RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- King Abdullah has told Saudi editors to stop publishing pictures of women because they could lead young men astray, newspapers reported Tuesday.
The king's directive, made in a meeting with local editors, caused surprise because the monarch has been regarded a quiet reformer since he took office in the ultraconservative country in August.
In recent months, newspapers have published pictures of women -- always wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf -- to illustrate stories. The stories usually have had to do with women's issues.
The papers have also started publishing a range of views on causes that are not generally accepted in Saudi Arabia -- such as women having the right to drive and vote.
The king told editors on Monday night that publishing a woman's picture was inappropriate.
"One must think, 'do they want their daughter, their sister, or their wife to appear in this way?' Of course, no one would accept this," the newspaper Okaz quoted Abdullah as saying.
"The youth are driven by emotion ... and sometimes they can be led astray. So, please, try to cut down on this," he said.
Although the paper quoted the king as saying editors should "cut down" on the photos, the statement was seen as a polite way of telling them to halt the practice.
The king has broached topics such as women eventually driving, his instruction to editors indicates that Islamic conservatives remain a powerful force in the kingdom and brake on reform.
The country adheres to a strict interpretation of Islamic law. Women are not allowed to vote or run in municipal elections -- the only type of balloting permitted in the kingdom.
The king also called on editors to stop printing stories that portray the country in a negative light.
"Don't write anything that can be harmful to the country. Some reporters, they want to stand out and they end up going too far and this should not be allowed to happen," Okaz quoted Abdullah as saying.
The king added that newspapers should ignore the foreign press, especially when what it publishes is "against Islam or against Arabs."
All media in Saudi Arabia are either state-owned or state-run.
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