It’s not everyday that one can be jailed for offering hugs in a civilized society, but then once someone steps beyond the red lines established by a small group of people anything can happen.
The Haia recently took into custody two young men for displaying a sign in public offering hugs for free. This is not an uncommon stunt played in some Western countries, and, in fact, a group of young men some time ago staged a “Hug a Muslim” campaign on a Western public street as part of a humorous effort to counter the anti-Islamic atmosphere heating up in some countries.
“Free Hugs” is similar as it is a light-hearted, although, yes, it may be a somewhat silly attempt to spread peace, love and tolerance.
There is little doubt that these two guys who were carted off to jail were reckless and naïve about the consequences of staging such a thing in Saudi Arabia. But the reaction by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is extreme. By pushing something playful into a criminal matter sends a message to young Saudis that even the most benign messages of love and peace is a threat to one’s freedom.
I would imagine that the arrests of these two individuals was based more or less on the literal interpretation that they were promoting immoral behavior, which doesn’t surprise me in the least, but defies common sense. The Arabic press was complicit in sending a message that these two individuals were engaging in dubious behavior with headlines like, “2 Men Arrested for Offering Free Hugs” as if their behavior was sinful.
While some people may object that the two teens learned this activity from the Western media, there is nothing violent about their conduct. It was a message of peace, which is the message of Islam. Didn’t the Prophet (peace be upon him) greet Muslims and non-Muslims alike with messages of peace and love? It’s a mystery that offering free hugs in the context presented by these teenagers can be construed as anything other that a positive Islamic message.
We as a society continue to treat Saudi youths as a menace that must be contained. Young people hold a party and the Haia crash it. They play musical instruments in public and their instruments are confiscated. They are the same generation as young people in Egypt, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates who are not punished for their creative thinking.
And this is where Saudi Arabia stands at the crossroads. There must be a firm stand at the highest levels of government to commit us to channel the energy of the new generation. Today, young people are faced with the Haia at shopping malls, beaches and restaurants where their exuberance is curbed. And because public displays of creativity are deemed a threat to the fabric of our society — at least in the eyes of some Saudis – young people flock to social media.
But there will come a time when social media will no longer satisfy their desire to freely express themselves. If society doesn’t help them constructively channel this creative power, then young people will channel it themselves and we may very well have regrets that we weren’t a little more open-minded when we had the chance.
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