JEDDAH, 25 October 2005 — There’s one group of people who aren’t enjoying Ramadan as much as they’d like to in the Kingdom, namely the con artists whose attempts to take advantage of the holy month’s spirit have been frustrated by an awareness campaign and media reports that are making the public wise of their scams, sob stories and pretend injuries.
“We created this problem indirectly,” said an official with Madinah’s Anti-Beggary Department. “It’s because of the people’s generosity that these gangs are encouraged to come and take the money donated for charitable purposes away from those in need.” He said the beggars often operate in gangs and sneak into the country on Umrah visas with the intention of bilking kindhearted people. It used to be a lucrative business.
“It’s because of the people’s generosity that these beggars are rich,” the official said. “Many times, we arrest beggars with large amounts of money. Some have had as much as SR400,000.”
He said the Anti-Beggary Department is doing some begging of its own. “We are begging people to direct their money to charity organizations to ensure the safe direction of money to those in need.”
The official said an informed public is more effective than any number of raids.
“I can say that the Anti-Beggary Department’s mission is successful this season,” he said, “not in terms of arresting large numbers of them, but by increasing the awareness among residents that these are not people in need.”
The media has played an important role in getting the word out on the con artists through articles that expose their scams. So have the mosques, whose imams have warned those in attendance to be wary of the beggars’ sob stories.
“The mosque has played its role by highlighting the issue and exposing them in Friday sermons,” said Sheikh Omar Khatri, imam of Jeddah’s Tawheed Mosque.
“We’ve prevented them from begging inside the mosque,” the imam said. “They have no right to beg inside the mosque. If they are in need of money, then they have to go to the proper authorities to get help.”
Khatri said it’s making a difference. “I see it working,” he said. “Now people are aware more than ever that these beggars are nothing but organized gangs. I urged all imams in the neighborhood to do the same. It is time to fight back before they destroy our innocence and our desire to donate the money to help others.”
Some of the beggars who have targeted Jeddah soon may have to pick a new target — or give up beggary altogether.
“Personally, I stopped donating money to them,” said Turki Al-Mutairi, who works for a private company. “When they start begging I give them the advice to stop what they’re doing.”
Al-Mutairi would like the Bride of the Red Sea to say bye-bye to the beggars.
“Police should get involved for a change,” Al-Mutairi said. “They should start arresting beggars and deport them the day after they get arrested. The money confiscated from these beggars should go to the Anti-Beggary Department to buy more patrol cars or be directed to real charity activities.”
