Giving charity to the poor takes place throughout the year in the Kingdom but especially intensifies in the holy month of Ramadan as Saudis and expatriates make contributions to charitable organizations, give donations to needy families, and hand out money to beggars in the streets. With the advent of the holy month, beggars have increased their activity and African, Asian and Arab illegal residents, including children as young as four or five years old, can be found daily in large numbers begging from passersby near mosques, supermarkets and large shopping malls. These beggars take advantage of Ramadan to exploit the generosity of Muslims who given “Sadaqah” or charity to the poor during the holy month. It has become a common feature of Ramadan to see old women producing medical reports, drug prescriptions and electricity bills from their handbags and showing them to people who have finished their prayers in the mosque. Beggars use different techniques, such as talking in a low, mournful voice, carrying severely disabled children and narrating lengthy tales of woe. Most beggars are illegal residents in the Kingdom who beg as a profession for a source of income. At a well-known market south of Jeddah, Saudi Gazette found African women with small children gathering in large numbers in front of shops after Asr prayer and roaming the market begging until 3:00 A.M. During Ramadan, Jeddah residents complain about African beggars who knock on their doors looking for some sort of assistance, and cars stopped at traffic lights in the city are often approached by women asking for a few riyals. The Ministry of Social Welfare is responsible for dealing with the phenomenon of begging. However, Director of the Anti-Begging office in Jeddah Sa'ad Al-Shahrani told Saudi Gazette that the office only deals with Saudi beggars, while the police, municipality and other government authorities are responsible for illegal residents who beg on the city's streets. “When we arrest a Saudi beggar, we first investigate his social and economic situation,” said Al-Shahrani. “Then, if he is able to work, we send his official documents to the Labor Office in order to provide him with help in finding a job suitable to his educational level and skills in collaboration with Human Resources Development Fund.” He added that if the beggar needs food or immediate financial aid, the Anti-Begging office will immediately send his documents to a charitable society in Jeddah and to the social security office to provide him with what he needs. Beggars in Jeddah are arrested through joint field campaigns conducted by the Passports Department, Traffic Police, the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Hai'a), Jeddah police department and criminal investigation unit. The Anti-Begging office faces the dilemma of citizens and expatriates who become emotional and try to help beggars when officials attempt to arrest them. “Becoming emotional and overly sympathetic when the authorities attempt to arrest these people, only serves to increase the phenomenon of begging in the city. Unfortunately, those who succeed in this profession do not need any special education or training courses. They only need to sit near a grocery store or traffic signal to gather money from emotional, sympathetic people who pity them,” Al-Shahrani said. Some people who give beggars money or sadaka during Ramadan do not know that charitable societies here have set up special stalls or tents to receive their donations legally at certain locations in the city. A large white tent, for example, has been set up by a charitable society in Al-Sulaimanyah district to receive donations, such as water, dates, and clothes during Ramadan. Therefore, when a Muslim gives sadakah to this charitable society, he will know that his money will go to those who need it most. Mazen Batterjee, president of Al-Bir charitable society, said that donating funds to such organizations is better than giving money to beggars at traffic signals, as these societies know who is needy and who is not. “Many of the beggars in the streets are not in genuine need, and there is often a gang of criminals working behind them,” Batterjee said. “These beggars are illegal residents. They are not allowed to beg on the streets, which is why the police and municipality and government officials arrest them,” he added. Batterjee said that those beggars who are arrested and do not have Iqamas are sent back to their countries, while those who do have Iqamas are made to pay fines for engaging in begging in the street. “If they are Saudi beggars, they also pay a fine, because begging is an illegal act,” he explained. “Charitable organizations follow proper systems. Giving to individuals is dangerous, because sometimes the money given to these people ends up being used for terrorism. So it is better to give donations to authorized organizations because you know about their projects and that they are being monitored by the government,” Batterjee said.
