Shamari, a Saudi in his late 30s, is trying to reunite with his wife after she deserted him because he received an SMS text message accusing him of improper communication with women. Al-Shamari's ordeal started when he received a message that appeared to be from his mobile phone provider. It read: “Dear customer, one of the genuine principles in Islam is the protection of people's honor. Thus we would like to inform you that chatting with unrelated women and tampering with their feelings is strictly prohibited in Islam. Consequently, we warn you that if you repeat this anymore, we will be forced to disconnect the service. We will also take legal action against you and take the matter to the daily press. We hope that you would abide by the rules and Islamic values.” Al-Shamari, who thought the message was a joke, burst into laughter and showed it to his wife. He didn't imagine that she would pack her bags and ask him to take her to her family. Since then, Al-Sharmari has done everything he can to convince her that the message was not genuine. “I did not leave a stone unturned to get back my wife, who went to her family along with my son and daughter,” he said. “I tried my best to persuade her that there was something wrong with the message and it was the company's mistake. But all my attempts were in vain and she has refused to return to me.” Al-Shamari said he lodged an official complaint and pursued the matter with the Communications and Technology Commission. He is waiting for the reply and hopes to learn who orchestrated a sinister plot to contaminate his marital life. Dr. Daifallah Al-Zahrani, deputy chief of the legal section at the commission, stressed that the phone company did not send the message. He said his office opened an investigation and found that the message was sent through the Internet, which constitutes a violation of the commission's rules. Al-Zahrani said they succeeded in determining the source of the message and are in the process of taking legal action against the person. He said the message, a cybercrime punishable by the law, falls under the jurisdiction of the Commission for Investigation and Prosecution. Case dossiers will be immediately sent to the CIP when necessary procedures are completed, he added.
