Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Shalash

Al-Jazirah

The horrendous crime committed recently in Manfouha District in Riyadh, resulting in the death of a 50-year-old Pakistani woman has shocked Saudi society. Four Pakistani men broke into the woman’s house, raped her and her son, killed her, left the son alive, and then fled the scene after stealing cash and jewelry.  Riyadh Police arrested the culprits shortly after the crime was reported. They will receive punishment commensurate with their heinous crime.



Every time an expatriate commits a crime in this country, I wonder what has given him the courage to come here to kill, steal, practice prostitution, make alcohol, sell drugs, pimp maids and engage in sorcery and witchcraft activities.  Expatriates have come to this country looking for better job opportunities.  But why do they commit crimes?



A senior source at the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution said 40 percent of the crimes that disrupt the security of society are committed by expatriates, people who entered this country for employment purposes.  Studies have shown that most criminals are illiterate and they are employed in low paying jobs. What is worse is that they seem to have no ethics and that they will do anything and stoop to any level for money, even if they have to kill innocent people.



Sometimes I wonder if expatriates are taking us too lightly. An Arabic proverb says: “If you are a stranger in a place, act politely and with respect”. But some expats are not doing that. They are taking our laws lightly.



Have we, by our absolute confidence in expats, encouraged them to commit such crimes? Why do those who commit crimes fail to learn from those before them who were punished for breaking the law? Where exactly does the problem lie? Is it the way those expats were raised? Were they brought up to be criminals without any ethics? If this is so, then media reports that claim that many of the expats coming from East Asian countries are in fact former prisoners may be true.



Or is it all about money? Some expats want to get rich quickly regardless of the means used to achieve that end. Or do those expats think that we are such tolerant people that we will give up our rights easily and forget and forgive no matter what they do?



The authorities must run checks on the background of expatriate workers who come here to do menial jobs. Ethics are more important than skills. The Ministry of Labor together with Saudi embassies abroad should be in charge of this task. This will not of course prevent all crimes but it may reduce the number committed by expatriates. We should only recruit expatriate workers who have ethics.