New Delhi, Jan 15, 2017: Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-sheikh, in an interview warned of the depravity of cinemas and musical concerts. Saudi Arabia's highest ranking cleric, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-sheikh while responding to a question about the plans of the kingdom's General Authority for Entertainment to license concerts and study opening cinemas, gave a statement saying, "Cinemas and music concerts would corrupt morals if allowed in the ultra-conservative kingdom."

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The head of the Saudi supreme council of clerics said, "Cinemas might show movies that are libertine, lewd, immoral and atheist, because they rely on films imported to change our culture."

Al-sheikh gave many statements opposing music concerts saying the concerts don't really promote good music and are not at all a medium to connect with music. He insisted that music entertainment and opening cinemas represent a call for mixing between sexes. Al-sheikh said, "At the beginning they would assign areas for women, but then both men and women will end up in one area. This corrupts morals and destroys values."

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Recently a show by American stand-up comedian and actor Mike Epps at a university campus in western Saudi Arabia was cancelled last month. However, he also said that entertainment through cultural and scientific media is okay. He urged the authorities, "not to open the doors for the evil."

– prepared by Shambhavi Sinha of NewsGram. Twitter: @shambhavispeaks