The media campaigns against the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice over a few death cases have created a state of tension between the Commission and the public, said Chief of the Commission Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith during his routine inspection visit to the Commission office in the Eastern Province, Wednesday. Sheikh Al-Ghaith asked journalists to be objective and accurate before pinning the blame on the Commission and running stories, criticizing them for showing only the negative side of their work and ignoring the bright side to protect society from vice. Journalists should take statements from the designated spokesman of the Commission, he advised. Hasty publication of incidents in which the Commission is involved may not do good to the case as the Commission always tries to keep low profile on moral violations, he said. He inspected the Eastern Province office to make sure that its agents have been complying with the new regulations, developing their communication skills on-the-job, and carrying out the strategic plan of the Commission. Sheikh Al-Ghaith also discussed future plans of the Commission during his visit. The Commission is cooperating with universities and research centers across the nation to develop its administration staff and field agents, he said. The Commission will soon create an emergency phone number through which the public can report incidents of moral violations. Responding to a question whether the Commission intervenes with the work of other government bodies, Al-Ghaith said it works and cooperates with other government agencies within the regulations that govern the mechanism of integrated work among these agencies. The Commission receives requests of help from other government bodies to which the Commission promptly responds, he added. The next move of the Commission will be focused on preventive measures by raising public awareness of moral violations through school visits, exhibitions, and publications. – Okaz __
