Amirah Kashghari Okaz newspaper Following the horrific accident that claimed the life of Abdulrahman Ahmad Al-Ghamdi in Al-Baha in which his pregnant wife and two young children were injured and hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit, stories of the accident have been splashed on the front pages of local newspapers. We heard that the cause of the accident, according to the victim's wife, Samirah, was due to members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Hai'a) engaging the couple in a high-speed chase. Hai'a members and Abdulrahman had allegedly become involved in a heated argument after they complained about the volume of his car's stereo. When Abdulrahman attempted to drive away with his family, the commission members chased them, blocked their way, which forced Abdulrahman to serve off the road. His car fall off of a bridge that was under construction and he immediately died. It is only a matter of time before the entire picture will emerge. Whatever the identity of the chasers, the laws of the world consider whoever causes a traffic accident, even if it was unintentional, and leaves the scene of an accident without helping the injured victims, directly responsible. Until we get a clear picture of what happened, we have to stop and contemplate seriously on this accident. This is certainly not the first fatal pursuit of its kind. We ask: We've read the statements of the new President of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice banning members from engaging in car chases and his call to resort to reason (and kind persuasion) in promoting virtue and preventing vice. Then why haven't such pursuits by the Hai'a stopped when its president issued a clear order more than two months ago prohibiting chases? Surely this is a sufficient period for circulars to reach all of the Hai'a branches. May Allah bestow His mercy on the deceased and may He grant his wife and children a quick recovery. May Allah grant his family and relatives and us all in this nation patience and consolation.
