Islamic religious police are official Islamic vice squad police agencies which enforce religious observance and public morality on behalf of national or regional authorities based on its interpretation of sharia. Modern Islamic religious police forces were first established in the mid-1970s; prior, the administration of public morality in most Islamic countries was considered a socioreligious matter, and was enforced through application of civil laws or through more informal means. . The following countries have formal legalised Islamic religious police (name of religious police mentioned): . ???????? Afghanistan – ‘Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice’ ???????? Aceh, Indonesia – ‘Polisi Syariat Islam’ ???????? Iran – ‘Guidance Patrol’ ???????????????? Iraq & Syria – ‘al-Hisba’ by ISIS ???????? Malaysia – ‘Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department’ ???????? Nigeria – ‘Hisbah’ ???????? Palestinian Territories – ‘Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice’ ???????? Saudi Arabia – ‘Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice’ ???????? Sudan – ‘Community Service Police’
