Saudis on a mission

SAUDIS continue to embrace volunteerism in numbers that often don’t receive a lot of attention. Often viewed with skepticism among business leaders and the general public who wonder whether there is an ulterior motive to doing good deeds, volunteers don’t always get the support they need.
But many volunteer organizations prefer to work autonomously because what they are doing works well for the community they serve and their own desire to do good.
One such group is the Roads Knights, which is made up of more than 300 Saudi guys from all over Saudi Arabia. Their mission is to hit the highways and provide repair services to vehicles that break down in the middle of nowhere. This is not new. Abdul Raouf Nasher, the group’s founder, originated the idea in Riyadh last year and has since spread to many of the metropolitan areas of the Kingdom. More recently, however, the Roads Knights are serving the highway between Jeddah and Makkah, a particularly grueling drive where vehicles often break down or accidents occur due to sleepy or inattentive drivers.
The number of volunteers performing automotive repair service has since risen to about 350 guys. The program has been so successful that the Roads Knights have branched out to another, equally important service.
The group recently has been cleaning up neglected and abandoned mosques. Most of these small mosques are found off highways or remote roads leading to villages and small towns. The mosques are in locations that don’t attract worshippers and have fallen into disrepair, yet they are an important stop for travelers. I remember when my brother and I drove from Madinah to Jeddah and had stopped at a small mosque to clean up and pray. But the mosque was filthy and strewn with trash. We couldn’t even use the restrooms because they were so dirty. Many travelers face the same inconvenience and end up praying on the roadside, which is not always safe.
These guys find these old mosques, clean the rugs, remove the dust and dirt, make repairs and clean up the litter. They make the mosques attractive for use instead of leaving them an eyesore. They do it for Allah and they do it without any expectation of receiving money. In fact, according to Nasher, they need no money, nor do they need any outside help. There is no glory in their work other than doing it for Allah. With the growing number of young Saudis turning to volunteerism they demonstrate that Saudi society and Muslims living in the Kingdom have altruistic intentions. They serve as role models not only for the next generation of Saudis, but also their elders.
While volunteering to rescue motorists and restoring mosques to provide the community with a proper place to worship, Saudis should also consider that these services should be part of a government program. Saudi Arabia has one of the highest automobile fatality rates and broken down vehicles on major highways pose serious dangers to the public. In addition, stranded motorists face heat-related dangers. It’s the government’s responsibility to protect motorists and not be dependent on volunteers to rescue the stranded and repair their vehicles. For now, Nasher’s volunteers fill the void, but Saudis can take a page from Nasher’s playbook and provide government funds for a program under government supervision to complete what the Roads Knights have started.