Tariq A. Al-Maeena

 

I was very distressed to read about the recent vandalism that occurred at appointed sites where Jeddah Municipality had installed bicycles for the use of local residents. Some of the bikes were stolen while the rest were badly damaged, a willful act by the unidentified perpetrators.  It is an affront to all of us who live in the city and were excited about the introduction of the bikes and eventual bike lanes.



But these dastardly criminals spoiled the fun.  And they are criminals, let there be no mistake about it.  Such deplorable actions are not the first I have heard of or witnessed.  Many of us remember the fanfare with which the updated strip of the Corniche was heralded by city officials during the opening ceremonies.  What followed were the despicable acts of vandalism that saw lamp posts being damaged and benches being uprooted, among other abuses.



Some time back, an expatriate related to me his experiences of doing good only to be slapped in the face. Inspired by the words of the late US President John F. Kennedy, my friend made his mission to be: "Ask not what your community will do for you, ask what you will do for your community". He said: “We spoke a while ago about the importance of neighborhood responsibility and the role of residents in their own community.  I was a lucky person when my family and I happened to move into a very nice and friendly neighborhood in Jeddah. We were even more fortunate when most of our neighbors in the homes next to us were personal friends from before or became friends. We all shared a common thing, young children.



“So we got together and decided that we would modestly develop the strip of small land in front of our homes with our shared personal funds and effort. We built a sand pit, bought a few swings and monkey bars for the kids, and a big trampoline. We even planted a few trees, and shrubs which we watered on a daily basis. I even went to the extent of writing to the local municipality to ask permission to build speed bumps on the street as I saw a few cars zip by and I was extremely worried about accidents. I was able to get the go ahead and on my own expense the speed bumps were laid out. I also made signs to the motorists indicating 'Children at play,  please slow down'.



“All was well for a few years and the location became a popular location for the kids. Even friends from outside the neighborhood sent their kids to play. We also added a very small basketball court with a single hoop.



“But after a while I noticed that in the evening an older crowd of teenagers showing up (especially during the summer months when all our families were traveling) and just hanging out. I saw no harm as a few of them started to play basketball till the very early hours of the morning, but then another type of crowd started showing up from outside the neighborhood. Again I saw no harm until I realized they just had no respect for the place; they destroyed the swings and burnt the trampoline with their cigarette butts and made it unusable. They threw empty cans, candy paper wraps and the like. When I made a comment or two they just shrugged me off, and at times looked aggressive.



“After every summer, we made an attempt to clean up and fix the area, the same occurred again and again. We just simply gave up as it was getting frustrating and expensive. The question here is why?



“Why do people have no respect for a place that they seem to like to hang out in? Would they do this if they were abroad? It shows no self-respect, self-pride, and no respect for others. What a shame! If this is the future, then God help us! Kids and especially teenagers should learn at an early age that they have an obligation toward the community and the location they live in. It is after all in the teachings of Islam.”



Good habits take their roots initially at home.  It is not society nor the government that is tasked with teaching us to respect other people or property.  Those lessons have to be taught at a very early age.



It does not matter if we are a Saudi or an expatriate, an Asian or a European or young or old.  Whoever we may be, the city we live in is our address in the world, and we are all components in the dynamics that make up the metropolis we live in. There should be no place for tolerance or indifference toward vandals or vandalism.  We should make that message clear.

 

— The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena