Manama: A Saudi religious scholar has warned women against accepting to work in direct marketing or telemarketing services, saying that it could have ominous consequences for them and society.

“Such jobs, because of their nature, could result in grave problems for women,” Abdul Aziz Al Fawzan, a jurisprudence professor, said. “When women call men they do not know in their homes or offices and use a soothing and coquettish tone of voice to make them accept specific offers, we have a serious problem because the conversation could ultimately lead to soliciting and blackmailing,” he said during an interview on a private television channel.

Women need to be extra cautious and avoid working for such companies that want customers to swallow baits. “From a religious point of view, the companies themselves should avoid recruiting women to do their marketing with strange men because they put them at the risk of being harassed or becoming subject to vulgarities by some people whose religious values are weak and who lack good manners,” he said.

Al Fawzan’s advice caused uproar on social media networks where he was praised and criticized in equal measures. Those who supported him said that he spoke out of his concern for the well-being and comfort of women and that he wanted to protect society from evil.

“Thank you so much for promoting the virtue of women at a time when so many people endeavour to afflict our society with their poisonous pens,” Her Father’s Daughter, a blogger, posted. “We want you to be a thorn in the flesh of all the liberals and seculars who want to abuse women in all ways.”

However, those who disapproved of his words said that he should allow women with no steady financial income to earn a living and that he should appreciate that women are well capable of honouring their values and virtues.

“I wish the scholar if he wanted to offer valuable advice to press men to respect good morals and to order them not to harass or bother women,” a blogger under the moniker “Someone”, wrote. “He should not engage in scaring people about women taking up jobs. He should not deprive women of their right to work by distorting people’s views and presenting them under a negative light. He should be more positive of he really cares about the nation with its male and female citizens.”