Khaled Almaeena
The concept of human rights continues to be an issue of great concern to government officials and human rights organizations in Saudi Arabia. It is very unfortunate that human rights abuse is evident in our country and that there are no strict laws implemented to protect helpless and innocent victims. Last week a report released by the Makkah branch of the Human Rights Commission indicated that gas station workers were being exploited and abused. They are subjected to ill treatment, poor pay and abnormal conditions of work. Meanwhile, the situation with domestic servants is much worse. They suffer in silence behind closed doors. They are not free to meet people and have no chance to convey their plight to others. Only when social media captures pictures of these unfortunate souls can their cases be given any due attention. Then of course there are the victims of the visa business who are like bonded laborers. They cannot breathe or even move without the approval of their sponsor! These are just a few examples of obvious abuse. There are also many other cases that continue to be reported in our press with no serious attempt to finally put a stop to such human rights violations that should be addressed legally, socially and with a more humane approach. The Saudi Human Rights Commission was established in 2005. According to its regulations, "it aims to protect and enhance human rights according to international standards for human rights in all aspects, and to promote public awareness thereof and participate in ensuring implementation of the same in light of the provisions of Shariah." However, I think that the problem of the disregard and contempt for human rights is the result of unclear laws and that the issue is further compounded by a lack of a transparent method of implementation of the laws that do exist. Yes, there are laws on paper but by and large ordinary people have no idea how they can seek protection from the Human Rights Commission and get their due justice. Clearly there is not enough awareness of the concept of human rights in the Kingdom. Citizens and expatriates are not aware of their rights and duties. As a result there is little respect for law and the abuse continues due to ignorance or lack of compassion. The subject of human rights should be introduced in schools and in all academic institutions. There should be strict implementation of the law and violations should be punished. Awareness campaigns should be conducted and people should know where to turn to if aggrieved. Very often employees dismissed from work rush to lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission instead of the labor office. It is important for everyone to understand that no one is above the law and that there are existing laws that protect their rights. At the present time, this is not very clear in the Kingdom. Expatriates are the group that suffers the most. They are denied human rights and are subject to the whims of their sponsors and they are not able to lodge a complaint because in many cases they do not possess legal documentation. The media must also play a bigger role in exposing human rights violations and educating the public to show more respect for law and order. The human rights situation can only improve if a vibrant, responsible and unfettered media can act like a watchdog and support the victims of abuse. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman himself set the ball rolling when he stated that injustice will not be tolerated. The government machinery is working towards establishing a just society by looking into all cases. King Salman has repeatedly stressed that the ministers and government officials’ top priority is to see to the welfare of people. What we need to achieve is a free society and the right to justice and a fair deal for all. — Reprinted with permission of the Saudi Gazette and Khaled Almaeena. The writer is Editor-at-Large. He can be reached at kalmaeena@saudigazette.com.sa and followed on Twitter: @KhaledAlmaeena