In a country where public demonstrations are a rare event, the rampage the streets of Alkhobar in the Eastern Province witnessed on Saudi Arabia’s National Day shocked everyone.
Never mind that on this particular day Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah was inaugurating King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in the Western Province.
The opening of the first co-ed university in the country was welcomed by all those who wish to see their country rise through the ranks of developing countries and make tangible contributions in the fields of scientific research and development to the benefit of all mankind. And never mind that the people of Alkhobar pride themselves on their city’s law and order, discipline, and a remarkable tolerance to people of all cultures. And yet this ugly incident occurred.
While the motives for such violence will be questioned in the days to come, the response of the authorities — the public flogging of some of those arrested during the riots — was welcomed by many. Twelve teenagers involved in the Sept. 23 rampage each received 30 lashes during a public flogging, while others still in custody awaited their turn. Abdullah Al-Alami, a noted personality in the Eastern Province was quoted in the papers as saying, “It is still unknown as to why this terrible incident took place. I blame society. We need to allow more space for the youth in terms of sports clubs, movie theaters and recreation facilities. In addition, the segregation of the youth from families is probably unjustified.”
He added, “What is important is that we find solutions, so that this problem doesn’t happen again. It is not just a matter of punishing those who had participated in these riots against ‘foreign’ outlets, we need to accommodate those kids and reform them from early stages wherever we can. What is also important is to stop the hate speeches.”
And Saeed A. Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Retirees Association, stated: “Our youngsters need recreational facilities to spend their energies. We need to arrange cultural and sporting events for them to keep them busy and to keep them happy. If they are unhappy then it does not reflect nicely on us as a society. Where will these youngsters go? They cannot go to the shopping malls; there are not many activities for them to get involved in. As a result, they indulge in anti-social activities. These incidents should serve as a wake-up call for us. These youngsters need to be integrated back in society. They need proper guidance and counseling.”
Although both men have valid points, I counter by asking myself what has happened to the role of parents of these youngsters. It is expedient to blame society, but should not we, as parents, play our part in ensuring that our children do not fall prey to deviant thoughts and ideas. Are we so consumed with ourselves that we often overlook the needs of our growing children?
Yes we can blame society for many of our ills, citing the various ideologies that surface from time to time, often distorting the thinking processes of young minds. Or blame the government for failing to provide the right environment for our youth in the form of sports activities and other energy-consuming outlets. But there is no denying that there has been too much neglect on our part as parents and that we failed to ensure that our children develop into responsible adults.
Guidance and discipline begin at home and should remain that way. Perhaps if the parents of these teenagers were to be flogged, the rest of us would pay more attention to our own shortcomings that lead our children to activities that do no good to them as individuals or us as a nation.
