EACH time any member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) makes a mistake, the Haia will direct its arrows away from the culprit toward the media. It wants the media to keep quiet until the story goes away peacefully without any trouble. In fact the media itself is unable to determine the issues that occupy public opinion. Anyway, the media is not part of the mistakes committed by the Haia members. If the traditional media is silent on Haia mistakes, the social media can freely tackle them without anyone being able to silence them. Participating in a recent TV talk show, Haia chief Dr. Abdullateef Al-Asheikh did not hide his anger and exasperation with the local media for its coverage of the incident that took place during the National Day celebrations in Riyadh. Two Haia members chased two Saudi brothers until their car fell from a bridge, killing one of them on the spot and seriously injuring the other, who later died in hospital. The language of the chairman was not different from that of the other Haia members who always try to avoid the real issue by attacking the media. The journalists should, therefore, not carry live coverage of the incidents involving Haia members. They should wait until the official spokesman of the Haia issues a press release that will pass off the chase as an ordinary "traffic accident". The issue will then be closed down. The Haia, in complete indifference to the human lives or the safety of society, will not tell us when this "tragic traffic accident" took place nor will it elaborate on its causes. The Haia considers its mistakes and negative attitudes as a small drop in its wide sea of achievements and positive attitudes. With the media keeping silent, the drops of the Haia's mistakes will accumulate until the sea of its achievements is buried. In these cases, the Haia will not learn from its mistakes and society will not be in a position to hold it accountable for any wrongdoing. With due appreciation and respect to the Haia chief, I would like to inform him that it is the journalists who are now defending his reforms that are being resisted by the Haia members themselves. The Haia chief made a decision banning his men from chasing the cars of suspects. When we hail this decision, we are in fact supporting him against the members who are endeavoring to have the absolute power to do what they want to do without fearing any punishment. Some of the Haia members do not want to be ordinary public servants executing certain instructions, but angels who never make mistakes. The danger against the Haia is coming from its own fanatic members, not from the media or the liberals. It is these fanatic members who are building thick walls between the Haia and society. Had it not been for video clips, Twitter, the press, satellite channels and social media, the Riyadh incident in which the two brothers were killed would have been buried like many other mistakes.
