Surveillance cameras to be installed in mosques


 Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — The Masajidona Foundation, responsible for taking care of mosques, has begun installing surveillance cameras inside and outside mosques in cities, said foundation director Muhammad Al-Mashari, Makkah daily reported. The cameras will be linked to concerned authorities and will be used to monitor suspicious activities and the level of security in these mosques in order to prevent any potential vandalistic or terrorist act and prevent criminals from using mosques for illegal activities. “The cameras will be connected with the control room of Highway Patrol and the foundation control room as well. We have already coordinated with concerned authorities and explained to them the purpose of installing these cameras and even signed understanding memorandums with them,” he explained. Once the cameras have been fixed, it will be difficult for criminals to resort to mosques to run illegal activities. Any vandalistic act will be discovered and the vandal will be arrested. Over the previous years, it has been noted that some persons enter the mosques to mess around with the carpets, air-conditioners or toilets and get away with it. The cameras will help reduce the costs of maintenance and upkeep and monitor footfall in order to implement any expansion if necessary. Latest statistics from official authorities indicate that there are 4,500 mosques located in a stretch of land running 1,500 kilometers outside the urban areas, specifically on highways. Most of these mosques are not kept in good condition and are not clean. In high seasons, as many as 9,000 people performs prayer in each of these mosques while in low seasons the number decreases to 2,000 per mosque.