Do-gooder is jailed
The week's news at a glance.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
A Nigerian convert to Islam was jailed last week for helping his elderly female neighbor. Ibrahim Mohammed Lawal, a student of Islamic studies in Riyadh, found his neighbor ill and took her to a hospital. Soon he was picked up by officers from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, who pronounced him guilty of being alone with a woman not of his family. The commission refused to say how long he would be detained. “I wanted to do a good thing for a woman who was sick,” Mohammed told the Riyadh Arab News, “and here I am languishing in prison.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 low ratings cartoons about the Late Show cancellation
Cartoons Artists take on early warning signs, the Gen Z stare, and more
-
Connie Francis: Superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Crossword: July 26, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle