Rising number of beggars in Madinah ‘embarrassing’

MADINAH: A number of citizens and experts have attributed the rise of beggary once again to complacency and poor monitoring by agencies and authorities involved in the fight against beggary, as well as weak oversight.

They are demanding an intensification of anti-begging campaigns, which were successful in the past, especially in the areas around the Prophet’s Mosque, and near shopping malls, ATMs, and main roads. The rise of beggars in these areas, particularly near the holy sites, is an embarrassment to the country and reflects poorly on the city of the Prophet, peace be upon him, they argued.
The large number of beggars around the Prophet’s Mosque, who often harass visitors of the mosque, is a matter that must be addressed immediately, said Abdul Rahman Al-Ruhaili, especially since beggars can easily engage in such activities due to poor monitoring by authorities.
Saeed Al-Mohammadi, who works in the central area in Madinah, said the presence of beggars in the area and near the doors of hotels is an embarrassment to visitors leaving and entering, and unfortunately, many of these beggars are women with children wearing ripped clothing. He said such practices give a bad impression about our society.
Ahmed Asiri said the presence of beggars at malls and near ATMs also reflects poorly on the culture and society, while Mohammed and Fayez Al-Juhani described begging as a reality that must be addressed by all, especially as there are designated areas and charities where beggars can get assistance. They questioned the role of anti-begging and social affairs offices in eradicating this phenomenon and its manifestations.
Sara Abdul Aziz said begging is present everywhere in the world, but thankfully, the attention and support of the government toward citizens limits the excessiveness of begging in our country, with most beggars appearing during the month of Ramadan. She said authorities should activate plans to control and identify violators, while citizens and residents should also participate by cooperating with authorities in such efforts.
According to family counsellor Najlaa Hijazi, the main reason for the rise of begging once again is that members of society are driven out of religious obligation to lend a helping hand to those in need without necessarily knowing the truth about the beggars. She said the weak monitoring from anti-begging offices is also partly to blame, as those who need assistance should turn to charity organizations for help. To eliminate this phenomenon, she said we must intensify the efforts of these offices and promote more awareness among the community.
She said most beggars are not citizens but rather expats of various nationalities who use young children and women in order to collect more money. She said such groups take advantage of the goodness of society members in order to get money, noting that we must establish an organization that helps such beggars find decent jobs to support themselves.
According to Brig. Fahad Al-Ghannam, the spokesman of the Madinah police department, the reasons behind the rise of begging is that beggars take advantage and exploit the emotions of citizens, often using children and women. In cases where beggars are Saudi nationals, they are transferred to the charity organizations or social insurance agencies, but if they are expats, they are transferred to the Passports Department for deportation. He said the number of those arrested for begging from 1/1/1437 to 30/6/1437 was 214 people of various nationalities.
Mohammed Ismail Abu Hamid, head of the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call, and Guidance in Madinah, said the instructions are clear to imams and preachers at mosques to prevent the use of mosques as places for begging and to promote Islamic awareness in this regard. He said begging is a negative social phenomenon that is present in all societies, old and new, and that it harms the beggar and members of the society alike.