Why do Saudis always take a negative approach to solving problems?

Why do Saudis always take a negative approach to solving problems?

June 24, 2016
Yaseen Abdulrahman Al-Jifri
Yaseen Abdulrahman Al-Jifri

Yaseen Abdulrahman Al-Jifri


WE should learn positive lessons from the following two stories that were recently published in local newspapers. Both stories highlight how a person should respond to a problem and solve it. The first one took place in the Eastern Province, specifically in Dammam when some members of the Philippines community there decided to roll up their sleeves and clean Dammam Corniche and Morjan Island.

The community members took the initiative and did not expect any recognition or award from anyone. They noticed that these areas were not clean and decided to clean them and protect the environment from garbage. The way they reacted to the problem deserves praise. They wanted to do something good for society and all the people who visit these areas. Their actions demonstrate a sense of social responsibility.

The other story was about a group of people who threw garbage bags in front of Al-Dayer Municipal Office in Jazan in protest at Jazan Municipality’s failure to collect their garbage. While we all have the right to protest and object to something, we have to select the right way to get our point across to officials and try to come up with a solution to problems. If those people had reacted positively to the problem, they would have conveyed their message loud and clear.

Why do we not solve our problems in a civilized way? We are part of society, after all, and what harms others should harm us as well. Why do we not solve a problem in a positive way instead of making things worse? I have no doubt that Saudis love their country but some of them need to realize that positive actions are the best way to solve problems. We have to look at the big picture here. We are Muslims and Islam orders us to do good deeds.

Islam orders us to remove harmful things from the road but the problem is we do not do it while non-Muslims do. We always take a negative approach to solving our problems while others adopt positive ones. Why is this the case?


June 24, 2016
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