RIYADH, 29 January 2007 — In the 1983 film “Sudden Impact,” Clint Eastwood’s iconic character Dirty Harry (pointing his .44 Smith & Wesson pocket cannon at a crook who seemed poised to reach for a nearby, wimpier pistol) uttered those famous words: “Go ahead, make my day.” In years since, US states have passed home-defense legislation that have been dubbed “Make My Day” laws: they provide protections to homeowners who use deadly force against criminals who have broken into their homes. Apparently, Saudi Arabia has no such protections, according to a report in yesterday’s Al-Watan newspaper. The newspaper said that a man has been arrested for physically assaulting one of three men who broke into his home in the middle of the night. The other two perpetrators fled into the night after the man was awoken to the sounds of cat burglary going on inside his home. He managed to apprehend one suspect, and in the process he managed to break a few of the crook’s bones. The thief was taken to a hospital and the homeowner was taken to jail. Police say they won’t release the man until the thief recovers from his injuries and decides whether or not to press charges against the homeowner. The mother of the Saudi homeowner called the arrest of her son utter nonsense and demanded that her son be released from jail. Police have not responded to the mother’s demand. “This will only encourage more thieves to commit crimes,” she told the newspaper. What are homeowners supposed to do when an unknown perpetrator is sneaking around the front room in the middle of the night stealing jewelry? Serve him tea and biscuits while waiting for the police to arrive?
