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| the picture is from Pixabay website |
Anis Albasha
When I walk around the streets of any
German city, I am always amazed by certain sights that may go unnoticed by the
people of the country but have a different impact on me as someone from a
completely different culture. For example, it catches my attention that all
shops, banks, and shopping centers, when working hours end, are closed only
with glass doors, and anyone passing by can see everything inside. Yet,
burglaries rarely occur, and there are few reports of attempted break-ins or
damage to these glass barriers. In all the years I have lived here, I have not
heard or read about a single burglary in the city where I reside.
Security Measures
There is also a scene that is worth
mentioning, which is when a person wants to refuel their vehicle. They simply
stop at any gas station, fill the car's tank themselves, then go to the
attached shop and inform the employee of the pump number they used, and then
they pay the required amount. There is no guard or employee monitoring or
supervising the process. For those who may think of filling the tank and
leaving without paying, the gas station management can easily refer to the
surveillance cameras, identify the car's license plate, and inform the police,
who will take appropriate action and ensure that the individual pays the fine
as well.
Safety for Women
Another scene that caught my attention is
when I see women and girls walking late in the neighborhoods and the streets,
some of them riding bicycles or walking, but all of them are feeling safe.
Women here can wear whatever clothes they want. No one has the right to judge
them or try to harass them. However, incidents of harassment are almost
non-existent, and women can freely and safely go out, walk, dress, and live as
they want.
When it comes to traffic rules, I have
noticed that the majority of people adhere to these rules and rarely break
them.
Contrasting Societies
Are we talking about a utopian society?
Absolutely not. Certainly, there are criminals, scoundrels, and violators of
the law and rules in all societies. No city on this earth is inhabited by
angels. I may just refer to the famous incident that took place in the American
city of New York in the 1970s, when the power was cut off for only twenty-five
hours, during which hundreds of acts of looting and vandalism took place.
Religion vs. Law
So, the question that arises here is: What
makes some societies safer while others are not? Some may argue, especially
those with an Eastern Arab background, that the answer lies in
"religion." Those people believe that religiosity serves as a measure
of peace and morality and works as a ‘safety valve’ of virtue. I don’t think
that this is a correct perception. A simple comparison between religious societies
- or those claiming to be religious - and the societies I am referring to,
where there is peace and safety, in addition to people's dignity and rights
being safeguarded, which advocates of the theory of religiosity describe as
non-religious secular societies, is enough to show the difference.
What really ensures security and safety for
every member of a society is the sovereignty of the law. However, the law, in
its abstract and written form, is not enough to guarantee and protect people's
rights and enforce justice. There must be respect for the rule of law as well
as a practical enforcement of it that applies to all.
Equality and Fairness
What makes the law strong and respected in
countries such as Germany, France, the United States, Canada, or Australia, is
the fact that it does not differentiate between people and is not subject to
mood swings, whims, or favoritism. The law in these countries is strict and
applies to everyone without any exceptions, from the highest authority in the
country to the smallest member of society. This is something that is sorely
lacking in our Arab societies, where the law exists only on paper. But on the
ground, there is no real enforcement of the law.
In Arab countries, people need
"mediation" to get access to the law, and they need another
"mediation" to enforce it. Regrettably, what prevails in Arab
societies is the law of the jungle, where the strongest and those with
influence and power prevail. The weak or vulnerable groups in these societies
do not find justice or fairness in the law. On the contrary, the law there is
actually used to intimidate and suppress those people.
In these societies where there is no law,
when distressing incidents occur, it is the ruler or the king who might
"graciously" issue orders to the concerned authorities to take the
necessary measures and hold the perpetrator accountable.
However, if there were law enforcement in
these countries, these authorities would carry out their duty regardless of the
crime or the background of the perpetrators or victims. No presidential or
royal directives would be required to achieve justice.
Respect and enforcement of the law are what
make the shops here use glass facades when they close. It is what makes women
walk freely in the street or lie on the seashore without fear. It is what makes
drivers abide by traffic rules. It is because the law is always there and does
not favor anyone or differentiate between people.
Conflicts, injustice, and infringement of
rights exist in all societies. The only difference is that some societies
enforce the law equally, while others impose the law only on vulnerable groups
of society. What we need in our societies in order to feel safe and secure is
first to have a law. And second, this law must be respected and imposed on
everyone without exception, discrimination, or favoritism.
Does this mean that problems and crimes
will then vanish and that peace, justice, and prosperity would prevail? Of
course, no. But law enforcement is the real guarantee of people's safety and
security. When there is a law that applies to everyone, people feel safe. And
those who violate the rights and dignity of others will be held accountable and
punished.
In addition to the importance of law
enforcement, our societies are also in dire need of an independent and fair
judiciary. This topic is of great importance and must be talked about, but it
will be the subject of the next article.
