THE phenomena of “street children” has become a social and political problem in many of the world’s large cities. These children may be orphans or beggars or simply too poor to live anywhere else. It is not only Europe and America which have this unfortunate and often dangerous problem. In some Asian countries too where poverty is more widespread, street children exist in unacceptable numbers and they are forced to rely on crime in order to survive.
Riyadh has its own variety of what I call “street children” but they are neither homeless nor poor. Most of them — and they are all boys — belong to respectable families and live in comfortable houses. They choose, however, to live on the streets in their cars and motorbikes. These young people usually come out after sunset and stay on the streets until dawn. They may be seen driving slowly or screeching quickly down otherwise quiet streets. Some can be seen parked near the malls, parks, juice and coffee shops. Mostly harmless, some of them have become problems for their families and others who like to sit in the parks or stop for a fresh fruit drink late at night! Some of these young men find brawling, teasing and even joy riding in others’ vehicles the most enjoyable pastime, adding to the woes of their own families and those of others.
I remember talking to one mother of a young man. She was fed up that her son preferred to spend all night out in the streets or in public places. The poor woman was not even averse to having her son locked up in jail just so that he would learn a lesson. Other mothers spend the long nights either “glued to the windows” watching out for their errant sons or phoning other mothers who share the same problem.
Renting cars on the weekends is also a favorite pastime for these young men. They prefer shiny, new cars and they collect all their friends and go driving recklessly all over town. Unfortunately, the fathers of many of these young men appear to have little control over them. One father says he has tried all sorts of punishments and bans but with little effect! “I now just hand over my car keys plus some money and think that at least he is using my car and has money to spend so that he is not taken in by others.”
Parents often fear their sons going astray or coming under bad influences. One expatriate father told me how his son had taken up with a crowd of young boys and had even gone away for a few days with his new car and some money without telling anyone.
“His mother and I were nearly crazy with fear. We did not know where he was or with whom. He eventually came back but with a car that was no longer new! If I tell him not to go out again with his friends, he threatens to run away.”
Some of these boys are said to have family problems that keep them away from home and on the streets. A few of them have taken up drugs in order to cope with the problems. In spite of the Kingdom’s strict law and order, the boys are still out at all hours on the streets, in the parks or at the home of one of the group.
Surfing the Net has become a kind of blessing in disguise because it keeps many young men at home. Lack of supervision at home, however, often results in the boys visiting unsuitable websites. One mother complained that her son had become friendly with an older boy from his school. “They would often go into the study where the computer is kept, lock the door and stay for hours. I sent in refreshments even though I didn’t much care for my son’s older friend. My husband got suspicious about the time they spent on the computer in a locked room so he went in one day. He found them visiting adult sites. My son could not have enjoyed them because he was really too young to be interested in those! When pressed, he said the other boy had made him go to the sites and he was ashamed.” Whatever the reasons for these young men’s behavior, the mere fact that there are so many of them should make us look carefully at the problem and consider possible solutions.
A childhood dream
Abdullah Bajubeer
YOU might have seen her in Pakistan or even in Afghanistan. Her name is Fabienne. She is French. She was a model but not an ordinary one. She was France’s supermodel — indeed Europe’s. For several years, her job was to wear the latest fashions designed by the most famous fashion houses in the world. She was constantly on magazine covers and in advertisements; she was on TV. The best photographers in the world fought to photograph her. In worldly terms, she had money, fame and fortune; she was fantastically successful. Despite all that, she was never completely comfortable with what she was doing; she wanted something different. Her childhood dream had been to help sick people. As a young girl, her ambition had been to be a volunteer nurse and help the poor and sick who might otherwise have been ignored. She longed to help the sick, particularly sick children. Destiny, however, seemed to have other plans for her.
Fabienne said: “Even as a child, my beauty attracted attention. In fact my beauty kept me from following my natural inclinations. My family and I found that my face and my body were like money in the bank; I allowed myself to be exploited for money and my dreams were put aside. Under the mounting pressure of my relatives and friends, as a late adolescent, I yielded to temptations. I must confess that in truth I could not resist the temptations of a luxurious lifestyle which invariably accompanies wealth and fame.”
She continued: “I found myself slowly becoming a puppet, operated by the whims and fancies of famous fashion designers. I had to forget my natural emotions and sentiments and become no more than a beautiful animal that knows only how to dress in the most provocative manner, arousing male passion and female envy. This passion led to a desire to acquire — in men a desire to acquire my person and in women to acquire my fabulous clothing. In return for fame and wealth, I became a toy in the hands of powerful and important people. My masters taught me how to be hard and cold, immune to human emotions. What mattered was success and fame and money.”
Then she tells how a sudden transformation occurred. “It was when I went to a fashion show in Beirut. I witnessed the massive destruction inflicted on the city by Israeli bombs. I saw bombs crashing into a children’s hospital and I felt that I myself had been hit by a bomb. It was a turning point. My childhood dream to help those who needed help suddenly surfaced. I could no longer control it. I rushed to the hospital where children were screaming and crying for help. At last, I found myself.”
Despite bombs, collapsing buildings and bullets, she went into the hospital and began to fulfill her original ambition. She presently works in refugee camps around the world, fulfilling her sacred assignment to her fellow human beings.
A touching letter from a reader
SHE wrote to me: “Believe me, sir, you are my last hope of support. I hope that despite the ubiquitous electronic network and mailing system, pen and paper will not disappear from the world. I hate reading books, magazines or newspapers on the Internet. When I read on the Internet, I cannot scribble notes and comments in the margins. Sudden ideas come when I read and I want to record them. This does not mean that I read nothing at all on the Net but my reading is limited to small extracts from books and magazines. The Net, it seems, just does not mesh with my taste and ideas. Of course, it is your right to communicate with your readers by the quickest available means; we do live in a world obsessed with speed. But please do not let me down with my love for books and the printed word. They will always be close to my heart.”
I must thank the reader for her trust in me. Be assured that I share your distaste for relying exclusively upon e-mail. Nevertheless, it has become an indispensable part of the busy modern world. It is the fastest means of communication in a world, as you said, obsessed with speed. All the same, I still use my pen and paper because they are my world, my family and my friends. I will keep on writing until my last breath and until the pens run out. I promise you that I will never be only an e-writer. Your letter was very touching and I hope you will continue writing. Thank you.
