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May 31, 2023

The Power of the Law: Ensuring Security and Safety in Society

 

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.


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