[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="15216,15217,15218"] Saudi Gazette report A favorite destination for people seeking to escape city life are the Kingdom's valleys where plush vegetation and cool temperatures draw countless people every year. During the rainy season, however, these valleys quickly flood resulting in countless deaths every year. Although the concerned authorities launch campaigns on social media websites and send text messages to the general public warning them to stay away from the valleys during rains, many people ignore the warnings. Al-Riyadh daily explores what prompts so many people to jeopardize their lives. Saving lives Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Hammdi, Riyadh Civil Defense spokesman, said the Civil Defense saved 121 people this year in different cities of the region who became trapped inside their vehicles when the valleys they were in flooded. The rainy season started on Oct. 16 and is expected to last for nearly two months, and Maj. Gen. Al-Hammdi believes the awareness programs need to be increased. "So many young men die needlessly because of reckless behavior during heavy rains. Families, schools, mosques and other concerned bodies should continue advising young people against engaging in these perilous practices," he said. Dr. Saad Al-Jareed, an associate professor at the Dawa Department, Imam Muhammad Bin Saud University in Riyadh, said young men often go to flood-prone valleys when it rains because they want to show off. "They drive through flooded roads out of a love for adventure and jeopardize their lives, which is an impermissible act in Islam; it is tantamount to killing oneself," he said. He continued: "The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, ‘Whoever kills himself with iron then his iron will be in his hand, thrusting it into his stomach in the fire of Hell abiding therein eternally. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself will drink it in the fire of Hell abiding therein eternally. Whoever throws himself off a mountain and kills himself will be thrown into the fire of Hell abiding therein eternally'." Dr. Al-Jareed said young people should be offered courses in religion so they can correct their behavior. He also suggested they should be encouraged to take part in sporting activities so they can spend their time productively. Strict measures Dr. Abdulrahman Badawi, a sociology and criminology professor at King Khalid Military College, called on the authorities to impose strict punishments on young people who ignore government warnings and engage in such risky behavior. "These people videotape themselves crossing flooded valleys and then post the videos on social media websites. Many of the young men who watch these videos then want to imitate them. Penalties are the only way to curb these practices," he said. Dr. Badawi also urged the Civil Defense to reconsider its awareness programs and admit that they are ineffective and should be revamped and improved. Obaid Al-Barghash, an educational and social expert, agreed with Badawi and said such risky behavior not only jeopardizes lives unnecessarily but prevents the authorities from focusing on rescuing people who are in genuine need of help. He called on families to play a more active role in raising their sons and warning them against engaging in risky behavior.
