In businesses some individuals invariably seek to impress others and show how important and influential they are. This has now spread to the Kingdom’s beggars who have recently resorted to similar techniques in order to convince people of the seriousness of their case.
Waiting in the office of a senior official while you seek a solution to your own problem, you should not be surprised to see a well-dressed, well-behaved man entering the room and introducing himself as the manager of a national firm. After exchanging words with the official on current issues — including Saudization, the anticipated American attack on Iraq and even currency and share prices, the man then begins to explain why he is there. He tells the official the story of a widow and her orphaned children who were living in a house about to collapse on barely one meal a day. He says he decided to act out of humanitarian reasons and bringing the case to the attention of the senior official.
Impressed and deeply moved by what he hears, the official donates a large sum of money to help the poor family build a house. The well-dressed man takes the money, pledging personally to see to it that it is spent on a house to shelter the mother and her children. What actually happens of course is that the money will end up in the man’s personal bank account and the needy family will receive nothing.
Such thieves and swindlers exploit the sufferings of people and beg in their names. When money is given, the thief keeps it for himself. Not only is this a very ugly example of exploitation but it is also an attack upon innocent people.
