I was truly saddened when I read the article in Al-Bilad daily last week about the unfortunate incident that happened when Muhammad Al-Faidy, one of the columnists of the paper, went to a local center of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice to pick up his daughter. (The commission officials had detained her because they claim she was hanging out in a mall with a group of young men who weren’t related to her. Al-Faidy contends that in fact the young men were harassing his daughter. He says the officers should have detained the youths, not his daughter.)
Al-Faidy was pressured and harassed when he went to the commission center in Jeddah’s Al-Safa district. He was unable to get his daughter out of detainment without a lot of hassle and haranguing that involved signing a document pledging not to repeat the infraction, an infraction he claims was committed by the young men.
I was livid reading about this incident for two reasons: One, the commission officers are supposed to serve the community, preaching to them in a meaningful, merciful and lenient way; clearly these officers weren’t conducting themselves appropriately. Two, while the commission patrol has been known to be attacked by people who don’t understand its important role, Al-Faidy is not one of these types: He is a credible and admired member of the community and what he wrote must be taken seriously.
An investigation must take place into this incident. Mistakes happen, but they must be recognized. Most important: Investigations should take place into incidents like this in order to remove the bad image the commission has among the general public.
The commission has a huge responsibility that God had obliged us with to correct and preserve the Islamic community. It is used as a way of seeking God’s forgiveness and avoiding His wrath. Everyone is aware of the commission’s important mission that follows the recommendations of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was never a cruel or harsh teacher. He was a gentle and loving preacher.
