RIYADH — Security and legal experts have emphasized the need to punish a terrorist's family for sheltering him and not informing police about his criminal attitude and behavior. They also called for enhancing public awareness on the need to prevent criminals from carrying out attacks. "It's the duty of experts in the judiciary, Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution and other related departments to identify the legal responsibility of a family if it fails to prevent their son or relative from committing terrorist attacks," a local daily reported citing Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Interior Ministry, as saying He said families should inform authorities when they observe criminal behavior in their children or suspect their joining terrorist and extremist groups. Mansour Al-Qafari, spokesman of the Justice Ministry, backed Al-Turki's view and said parents should inform security authorities about deviant tendencies their children. "They have to do their duty to prevent their sons or relatives from criminal activity. If they are unable to prevent them they have to inform police. If they fail to do so, then they should be held responsible for their son's terrorist act," he explained. He said the punishment for harboring criminal relatives would depend on the enormity of the crime committed by them and the damages it caused, which would be estimated by the court. In modern judicial terms such family role is called passive crime. Mohammed Al-Omar, a counterterrorism expert, said no clear law is available to punish relatives who harbor terrorists or extremists and who had strong doubt on the militant's association with terror groups, ignoring the destructive effect of terrorism. He stressed the need for educating people on the need to inform authorities about such criminals to avoid questioning and punishment. "Many families are unaware of the danger posed by the deviant ideology subscribed by their sons or other relatives. "Some families ignore the change in behavior of their children as a mere religious commitment. As a result, some families and residential districts have become breeding grounds for terrorists and extremists," Al-Omar said. He urged families to keep a close watch on children when they follow extremist ideologies. They should check where their children are going, with whom they make friendship and which websites they visit the most. They should also follow their academic performance. It has been noticed that many youth joined militancy after they hated going to government schools. Lawyer Dr. Faisal Al-Romaih said the Shariah law insists that a person should not be held responsible for the sin of another person. Article 38 of the Basic Law of Governance says crimes and punishments are determined by the law. However, Al-Romaih indicated that those who shelter a young criminal having deviant thought is a criminal by law. There is a Hadith reported by Bukhari and Muslim that God has cursed a person who shelters a criminal. This indicates that God considers it as a big crime. "If there is no law for a crime, the judge has been given the discretion to issue deterrent punishment considering the enormity of the crime. The Shariah has asked the relatives of a killer to pay diya or blood-money if he had done it by mistake," he pointed out.
