JEDDAH: Young men and boys want to be treated fairly and respectfully when visiting shopping malls. Many say that they are not there to harass females or insult shopkeepers. Recently at a mall here a security guard asked a young man walking around alone why he was there when the day was reserved for families. “I am just here to buy a t- shirt. Do you mind?” he told the security guard, and then he showed the guard his father, who was close by. Young men in Jeddah have tried to fight back and show they are responsible. They point to the work they did as volunteers during the recent floods. To change attitudes towards them, they have launched a campaign on Facebook to convince officials of their good morals and to ask for a change in the limited time available for them at some shopping malls. Khaled Al-Safhi, a university student, said that perhaps time should be limited for families, so that more time is allocated for young men at malls. He said the youth here are Muslims and would never support harassment or mixing with unrelated females. “As a university student, I don't have time in the morning for shopping. The only suitable time for me is the evening,” he said. He said he hoped that mall managers would understand the situation of young men and make plans to accommodate them. Huda Mohammad, an 18-year-old Saudi, said most girls know how to recognize troublesome boys by their behavior and dress. But added that not all are trying to cause a commotion. “Unfortunately, there is a bad attitude toward boys at shopping malls. We should stop this because these boys are our brothers. We should guide them if they make a mistake not punish them,” said Mohammad. Layla Al-Swaidy, a 20-year-old Saudi, said that some boys want to make trouble, even if they are with their families. “I really support the banning of boys in the shopping mall, but only if they behave badly. If they do wrong, they should be punished by their families first and security guards second,” she said. Naveel Arif, a 23-year-old Pakistani, said that security guards must take tough action against young men who misbehave. “My opinion is there should be strict rules for bachelors. They must not be allowed to enter on weekends when families come for shopping,” he said.
