In the past, thieves acted professionally. They would avoid causing great damage to a car, for example, by breaking in through the small triangular window in the side door. It was a less costly operation for the car owner, who could easily afford to repair the damage. Today’s thieves apply violent means, smashing cars and causing extensive damage just to steal something from inside.
Complaining to the police does no good in most cases. My advice to those who find their cars wrecked by thieves is not to report the incident to the police; they are always busy doing other things. Even if you leave your address with them, it will get you nowhere. Don’t even think of asking how many cars have been burgled or stolen that day, because that is treated as a top state secret that must not be divulged to anyone. The figure must never be revealed even if it is to be used in awareness campaigns to educate people about the safety of their vehicles.
My other advice is to leave all doors of your car wide open at all times. This will help the thieves, who will have no reason to smash your windows. You could even stick a notice on the windscreen asking the thieves to take what they need but avoid causing any damage to the car.
Do not count too much on security locks, warning systems and other anti-theft technology sold at auto accessory shops. These may prove useless now thieves have managed to break their secrets.
The most effective solution is perhaps to electrify the car with high voltage and put a warning in a place where the thieves can see it. This would force them to give up the profession forever and look for another means of earning a living. A quick visit to shops selling and fixing car windows all over the city will corroborate what I have said. This is a flourishing business.
All This Fuss Over a Play?
Qenan Al-Ghamdi • Al-Watan
Two weeks ago a colleague described how teachers at a secondary school in the holy city of Makkah succeeded in forcing the school management to cancel a play the students were going to perform on the grounds that a number of famous singers had been invited to the opening show, something that should never be allowed to happen.
The teachers thought that publicizing the play by inviting the singers would be an insult to the school and demanded the play be cancelled. The education department in the holy city yielded to their demand and canceled the show. The play, titled “Today’s Youth”, was to discuss the government’s encouragement of young Saudis to take up manual labor. It was to show how many in society still believe that Saudis should not be involved in what they believe are lowly jobs best left to others.
The writer said such behavior could only encourage terrorism, born as it was out of extremist ideology.
Extremism is entrenched in many of our schools thanks to the presence of teachers steeped in this kind of thought, along with the books, cassettes and lectures that promote it. It is these teachers who have spread it in our schools.
Saying the teachers objected to the play because some singers had been invited does not tell the whole truth. These extremists believe that art in its entirety is haram and should never be allowed. They view acting as the source of all evil on earth.
The official in charge said the manner in which the issue was conveyed to the education department justified canceling the play. It did not. Someone in the education department must have sympathized with the complainants. Otherwise, the matter could have been subjected to a thorough investigation to determine the content and motives of the play and then decide whether to allow it or not. It should have been treated as a matter of principle, but the director of the school sought to avoid any escalation and yielded to the demands of those individuals. He could have taken the issue to the director general of education in the city. With the academic year still in its early stage, I think there is still time for the play to be shown if the director general gives his approval. I believe he encourages such activities.
— Arab News Local Press 6 December 2003
