The perils of drifting

This is with reference to the article “The dangerous culture of drifting in Kingdom” by Ibraheem Alammar (Nov. 3). The writer has raised an important issue. I fully agree with the writer that it is due to the unavailability of other avenues for the youths that they resort to such dangerous sport.

It is true that the climatic conditions of the Kingdom do not allow various other sporting activities that are considered routine things in other parts of the world. However, we should not use it as an excuse to allow youngsters indulge in such perilous stunts. I believe that the construction of sport stadiums across the Kingdom is part of government efforts to divert the attention of the youths from such useless activities, which not only endanger their own lives but also threatens the lives of other people.

I have seen many videos of Saudi youths per- forming dangerous stunts, which proves that they are extremely talented and are courageous enough to perform any given task. They need proper guidance and a well-defined road map for their lives. The government is making all-out efforts to create all kinds of opportunities for the Saudi youths but of course it will take some time to witness the impact of those efforts.

The traffic authorities should, however, take effective measures to control the practice of drifting in the Kingdom. Such foolish acts are considered a testimony to one’s bravado in this tender age. Actually, everything boils down to one thing: Education. Instead of leaving everything to the government, we all should try to play our due roles in educating the youths and in making our society a role model for others to follow.

Rubab voices against such brutality. Islam does not sanction killing of any innocent person. It is important to condemn the actions of Israel but it is equally important to try to put one’s own house in order.