Mohammed Al-Bakr

Al-Yaum

GANGS specialized in begging usually increase during the holy month of Ramadan. These gangs are very well organized. They have leaders in charge of planning, others to run the field work and a third group of leaders to monitor the beggars so they would not cheat them and keep the money for themselves.

Although the media has talked much about this phenomenon, we still see beggars at traffic signals in total defiance of concerned officials who are making efforts to obliterate this ugly phenomenon. The police force to combat begging and the security patrols will not be able to end begging even if they doubled their staff.

The phenomenon will continue to exist as long as we are passionate and kind to the beggars though we know quite well that they are scamming us. You may have seen the video clip recorded by some youth who doubted a beggar’s disability. When the youth cornered him, he admitted that he was a liar and his disability was faked. The video clip is just an example of exploitative ways the beggars use to gain our sympathy. The begging gangs stand to make more gains because people are usually more generous during the holy month in the hope of obtaining manifold reward from Almighty Allah.

I liked a proposal sent to me by one of my readers. He suggested erecting billboards in many languages at traffic signals warning drivers against giving money to the beggars because many of them have been found to be liars and cheats. This is a sound proposal which I strongly support.