A consignment of machine guns and ammunition seized by customs officers at a border point. — SG filesSaudi Gazette report ABHA – There has been a rising tide of murder cases all over the Kingdom in the past few years. A large number of these incidents involved misuse of weapons carried by citizens. Carrying weapons such as guns and daggers is common among tribes and people who live in rural areas. Even a simple verbal exchange or dispute can ignite a major fight that ends in the death of one of the rivals. There have been several instances in which celebratory gunfire, fired mainly by teenagers, turned wedding parties into disasters. The latest example was the tragedy that occurred in a village near Abqaiq in the Eastern Province on Oct. 31, 2012, when celebratory gunfire resulted in a high voltage power line snapping and falling on a wedding hall. Some 25 people were killed in the tragic accident and another 30, mostly women, were injured. Al-Watan Arabic daily reported that concerned citizens have called for stricter gun control laws so tragedies like the Abqaiq wedding hall disaster can be averted and innocent lives saved. Citizens have demanded that criminal charges be drawn up against people who misuse weapons, a ban on the sale of weapons to teenagers be enforced and a campaign to educate the general public on the proper usage of weapons particularly guns. Dr. Abdul Aziz Shaheen, professor of Social Science at King Saud University in Riyadh, said Saudi society has to change and people need to accept that certain customs such as celebratory gunfire are dangerous and must end. “Every society has certain traditions and customs that influence lifestyles, fashion, food as well as celebrations of festivals and weddings. Society should avoid customs that pose a threat to other people. Carrying any sort of weapon is unnecessary and celebratory gunfire is a danger we must avoid. Children and teenagers should not be allowed anywhere near guns," he said. Noted preacher and imam of Ahad Rofaida mosque, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saddah, said carrying weapons is not permissible in Islam. “It is not allowed for Muslims to point a weapon in the face of his brother even if it is for fun. The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited this," he said while emphasizing that Islam considers the killing of an innocent person a grave sin. Citizens have called upon the government to take effective steps that make obtaining guns more difficult. Mufreh Al-Bashar said rural communities often need weapons for self-defense but called for a ban on the use of weapons in cities and large towns. “Some people have to carry weapons. For example, shepherds who live in remote rural and mountainous regions often encounter wild animals and they need a gun or knife to protect themselves. But city life is quite different. It is preposterous that people carry around revolvers when they go out shopping. All this does is make people uncomfortable and pose an avoidable risk to human life," he said. Echoing the same view, Salman Al-Zarib, another citizen, said parents are to blame if their children are allowed to recklessly fire guns. “Teenagers who have no experience with guns are usually the most enthusiastic at weddings and their recklessness can cause deaths. Yes, we need stricter gun control measures and laws that prohibit their misuse but when children are given loaded guns, parents must also step forward and claim some responsibility." As part of its ongoing campaign to combat misuse of weapons, the general department for guidance and counseling at the Ministry of Education in Abha introduced a program for students on the dangers of carrying sharp tools. The campaign also seeks to foster a sense of brotherhood among students. For their part, law enforcement agencies have intensified a crackdown on gangs who smuggle weapons into the Kingdom from neighboring countries. Col. Abdullah Al-Dafran, a police spokesman in the region, said more than 4,300 illegal aliens were arrested during a campaign conducted in the border region last month. A huge quantity of weapons and drugs were seized due to the efforts of local police and border guards. Col. Abdullah Al-Hamrani, spokesman of border guards in Asir province, said at least 353 weapons and 22,386 bullets were seized by border guards during the last quarter of 2012. He said border guards have beefed up security patrols and surveillance along the border through reinforcement of troops and installation of more high-tech cameras.
