By Talal Al-Qashqari
The 1988 US movie “Rain Man” won four Oscars including one for Dustin Hoffman’s perfect performance as an autistic person. He played the role so well that anyone seeing him would think that he really was autistic. I thought nobody could play such a role as well as Hoffman until I saw an old man with his son at the mosque the other day.
The old man was carrying his 20-year-old son whose feet were shackled for a reason I do not know. Following the prayer, the old man stood up and started telling everyone in the mosque his sad story. His young son had been involved in a horrific car accident. His bones were completely destroyed and he could not move them anymore while his brain was severely damaged. He was mentally retarded now. The son could not understand anything and kept muttering unclear words. The father said he had to spend the entire day taking care of his son.
Everyone in the mosque bought the story and started giving money to the old man and his son. I was watching everything closely and noticed that he had accumulated over SR1,000. The old man kept saying “thanks a lot” to everyone for showing sympathy and pity while his son kept moving his eyes right and left to elicit further sympathy. I did not give them any money but waited for them to leave.
I followed them outside and saw the old man carrying his son and placing him in the back of his car. The son was struggling and could not move. They drove off and I followed them without letting them see me. The man pulled over five minutes later and I saw the “crippled” son get out of the back of the car on his own two feet and ride next to the old man. Both were pretending and had lied to get money from the people in the mosque.
I have written many times about fake beggars and call on the authorities to clamp down on them.
