Naveed Miraj
It won’t be wrong to say that Saudi Arabia is one of the safest countries on earth. This is primarily because of two factors. Firstly there is strict enforcement of the law and there is nobody above the law.
Crimes of all kinds are punished as per the Sharia laws regardless of one’s social class or position. For instance, members of the royal family and major businessmen have also been prosecuted for corruption in a nationwide campaign against corruption.
Secondly, there is a robust social welfare system where each Saudi is entitled to free healthcare, education, subsidized water and gas prices, unemployment allowance, etc. Hence, people do not have to steal or commit any kind of crime.
This is something that the KSA needs to be appreciated for maintaining peace and harmony in its society through the stern application of law regardless of the presence of such a large number of expatriates but it is really unfortunate that certain elements in the western countries especially its media never refrain from finding faults out of positive developments taking place in the Kingdom.
The so-called champions of human rights opt to remain silent on what happened with prisoners in notorious Guantanamo Bay prison and how an innocent women Dr Aafia Siddiqui was awarded eighty six-year sentence in the US.
However, when it comes to Saudi Arabia, they make hue and cry over the strict punishments especially that of the death penalty awarded to murderers, rapists and drug traffickers.
The KSA is probably the only nation where the Quran and Hadith have been adopted as the country’s constitution and it truly follows the Shariah’s recommendations for punishing criminal activity in the society. There are independent researchers who admit that Sharia law impact on criminal activity is incontrovertible.
According to one study, a person in the United States is 30 times more likely to fall victim to crime and 316.5 times more likely to fall victim to violent crime than a person in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi laws have really served as a big deterrence against crimes.
The open beheading of murderers and rapists as well as those involved in drug trafficking transmits a very loud and lucid message to all and sundry. When people see for themselves the consequence of such actions, they desist from committing crimes.
It is not that the punishment is given without any trial or listening to the accused. Rather there is a complete code and procedure which is followed and only on the basis of clear evidence, the punishment is inflicted on the culprits.
We believe any leniency in this regard only encourages and bolsters crimes. Pointing fingers on Saudi laws in fact is yet another form and manifestation of Islamophobia that has become more rampant in the western countries because of their lack of understanding of Islamic teachings.
Instead of showing concerns for criminals, the western countries and media should see the overall positive impact of Islamic laws on the Saudi society which in fact is giving a complete sense of security and protection to ordinary citizens.
We believe that other Muslim countries including Pakistan should also follow the Saudi suit in order to address the issues of peace and security in their respective areas.
Western countries must also shun double standards and rather raise their voice for the oppressed people who have been denied their fundamental rights. Through their negative propaganda, they cannot undermine the image of KSA and its leadership in the eyes of Muslim Ummah.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman (MBS) has proven himself as a visionary leader who has shown the spine to take decisions that suit his country rather than the important capitals. This has further improved MBS image in Muslim population.
