A discussion on the role of government could take up a week's worth of newspaper reporting and still come to no definitive conclusion. The government fills roles that affect both large groups of citizens and far-flung individuals whose issues are unique to them. Rarely, however, has a government taken steps to remedy the individual irresponsibility of some of its citizens, but the Kingdom's Awasir – the Society for the Welfare of Saudi Families Abroad – has admirably taken on that burden. Awasir estimates that some 1,500 widows and children abandoned by Saudi men are currently living in poverty in 19 foreign countries. To be fair, in numerous instances the real problem comes with the death of the husband and father. That not only robs the family of its primary financial source but, given that many of these marriages were kept secret, the family remains under the radar and largely ignorant of whatever resources may be available to them. Thus, the death of a provider and the family's quest for help from the Saudi government triggers an investigation into the validity of the marriage. Once the validity is confirmed, Awasir can step in and assist the family on a number of levels, ranging from straight financial aid to assisting the family's move to Saudi Arabia and help in assimilating to Saudi life. It is not the government's role to clean up after the mistakes of its individual subjects, but as Awasir president Tawfiq Al-Suwailam said, “Undocumented marriage abroad and other practices affect the individual, the family, and society at large.” Undocumented marriages, however, are often signs of irresponsibility on the part of the participants, and such irresponsibility is not the automatic purview of the government. Protecting those who are the unwitting victims of such behavior, on the other hand, does fall under the government's oversight. It has the resources to assist and shore up the existence of innocent family members until more permanent means can be found. Education is the only way to convince errant Saudis of the negative repercussions of marital irresponsibility. The humanitarian assistance of Awasir, however, is an admirable cog in the overall machinery. __
