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Not this way

May 30,2016 - Last updated at May 30,2016

The Public Security Department restored calm to Wadi Musa, home of the iconic city of Petra, where protesters rioted, blocking traffic, burning tyres, throwing stones at passing cars and even pouring oil on roads to impede traffic and the flow of tourists to the area, for having fallen victim to some fraudulent schemes.

At a time when the country tries hard to promote greatly needed tourism, generator of income, there are still thoughtless individuals whose acts frustrate this objective and who believe they have the right to act unlawfully.

The rioters’ grievances may be real — although, it must be admitted, their problem could have been avoided had they used common sense and been less greedy — but that does not give them licence to take the law into their hands.

Having fallen prey to some obviously fraudulent business deals, made to believe by conmen that they should grasp some golden opportunity they should not miss to make easy money, these people found themselves swindled and are angry as a result.

These are lessons in life that they should learn from, not take to the streets and behave like in the Wild West.

There are two issues here that need to be addressed.

On the one hand, fraudulent schemes, once found out, must be immediately ended to protect the public.

When identified, swindlers must be apprehended and punished accordingly through courts of law.

It seems, at times, that the wheels of justice grind slowly, and it takes a long time to bring redress to people who fall prey to fraud. That must be tackled.

When people can barely make ends meet, they are desperate to make an extra dinar, even if from not so above-board affairs, they could become easy targets of conmen.

And this is where authorities need to be vigilant and step in to protect unaware people.

On the other hand, people who sustain losses — by being gullible, one must add, and thus having no one to blame but themselves — must not take the law into their hands and behave violently to express their grievances.

It is simply inexcusable that they became themselves violators of public security, causing harm to fellow citizens and hurting a fragile industry, like tourism, in this case their own source of income.

People should exercise common sense and behave responsibly. They cannot blame others for misfortunes they brought upon themselves.

Above all, they should never behave like outlaws, or if they do, they must suffer the consequences.

 

Fortunately this episode ended with minimum damage. It must never be repeated.

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