It was the event of a short time in one day. Fire broke out in a flat in a small building in Jeddah. In the flat were a child and a maid.
The father came back home and was immediately aware of a fire. He was unable to get to the maid and his child because of smoke.
He shouted at the maid and told her to take the child into the bathroom and run water over themselves.
The maid followed the father’s orders except that she did not take care of herself. Busy saving the child, she was overcome by smoke and suffocated.
This happened a few days ago and I imagine such tragedies are not uncommon. Looking at the picture of the building in the newspaper, I noticed iron bars on all the windows of the building.
No doubt the father could not get into the flat nor could the maid ask for help through an open window. As much as I hate the need for iron bars on our windows, I have trained myself to accept the necessity since we so often hear of burglars breaking into houses through windows.
But seriously, are we now trapped with only two choices? How secure are we going to be? Are the precautions we take against fire and accidents good enough?
In this specific case, the precautions against burglary combined with the fire to cause death and destruction. Some people decide that in order to be safe, they have to have their own precautions while others are busy endangering themselves and others.
If we take a look around, we’ll soon realize that the general public has little sense of keeping safe.
Our streets are the most obvious example of a place where we do not know how to keep either ourselves or others safe.
Children are the ones most affected by this. We see them sitting on drivers’ laps, playing with the steering wheel, as their fathers look smilingly at them.
If the children are not attempting to drive, they are loose in the car, jumping from front seat to back and hanging out of windows.
The amazing thing is that obviously nobody tries to stop them from what is very dangerous behavior. We have all heard of accidents in which children not wearing seat belts were horribly injured. As is ever our way, however, we avoid feelings of guilt by ascribing everything to fate.
In other words, do whatever you like. Jeopardize your safety and that of others since nothing will happen unless it is destined to.
Somehow we confuse our faith with laziness and ignorance. What has happened to the teaching of the Prophet (pbuh) who instructed us to trust in God, but to tie our camels first?
***
One of our biggest problems here is the existence of a rule or regulation which is, as Shakespeare so memorably wrote, more honored in the breach than in the observance.
In other words, if most Saudis can get away with breaking a rule without being caught and punished, then everything is all right.
No thought or consideration is given as to why there was a rule or regulation in the first place or to how breaking it might affect the one breaking the rule as well as others.
A few days ago I read a news brief from Saudi Arabian Airlines renewing its warning to passengers about not using mobile phones on board its aircraft.
When I read the item, I said, “Here we go again! Asking people to follow rules, but is there anyone out there making sure that people do follow the rules and punishing them if they do not?”
Every time you board a plane, you hear the message instructing people not to use their phones; still there is always at least one who thinks it cool to break the rule and, if there is no punishment, he or she will do break it all the time.
I remember once on Saudia halfway through the flight, I heard a mobile phone ringing. Looking around, I saw no reaction from the cabin crew nor from anyone else.
The ringing stopped and I thought that perhaps the man had forgotten to switch off his phone.
A few minutes later, a young man sitting close to me took out his phone and since he saw that nothing had happened when the other man’s phone rang, he switched his on and was proudly showing his neighbor some videos he had stored.
I looked around again, and again there was no response from the crew who just went about their duties as if all were well despite the music from the phone.
I then decided to play the bad guy and spoil my neighbors’ enjoyment — after all, I was on the flight and my safety might have been compromised — so I called the flight attendant.
When she came, I asked her if the rule against using mobile phones still applied and she said that it did.
I simply pointed then to my neighbor who was still having a fine time showing off the functions of his phone, and said to the attendant, “This man is using his phone, and someone else’s rang a few minutes ago.” As I had hoped, she told both to switch off their phones.
For my troubles, I received hateful looks for the rest of the flight. As soon as we heard the announcement that we were about to land, the music of mobile phones was heard all over the plane.
I decided that instead of protesting again, the best thing to do was offer a silent prayer that nothing happened to the plane and its hundreds of passengers.
What else could be done? Until the time when rules and regulations are implemented and punishments carried out — and known to be implemented and carried out — those of us who care about our own safety and that of others will just have to pray that nothing goes wrong.
