Begging rises during Ramadan as generosity grows, with warnings over misleading tactics

TDT | Manama

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Begging is seen more often during Ramadan because people are readier to give, a Bahraini lawyer has said, warning that some appeal for money through misleading ploys.

Jassim Al Issa told The Daily Tribune that Ramadan is a month of worship and charity, when alms-giving rises and social support grows stronger.

He said Bahraini society is used to helping one another year-round, but that urge increases in Ramadan as people seek reward, despite the many government and charity routes that support those in hardship.

He said a growing number of people approach the public for money in ways that do not match the reality of need, drawing a line between those who quietly struggle and those who actively seek cash.

Poor

He cited a Quranic verse describing the poor who are restrained, may appear well-off to the uninformed, and “do not beg people persistently” (Al-Baqarah, 2:273).

Al Issa said Bahraini law uses a wide definition of begging.

It covers anyone found on a public road or in public or private places asking others for alms, even if they are not physically fit or are unable to work. It can also apply, he said, to those who offer trivial goods, put on showy acts, or carry out other activities that do not amount to a real means of living, where the aim is to obtain money from passers-by.

Sympathy

He added that the definition can extend to anyone who pretends to have injuries or a disability, uses children, or relies on other deception to stir sympathy and draw donations.

The rules are laid down in Law No. 5 of 2007 on Combating Begging and Vagrancy, he said.

Article 3 bans begging and vagrancy on public roads, in public places, and in public or private premises, and applies to all, including those who are unfit or unable to work.

He said the law places social care before punishment for firsttime cases.

Under Article 4, a person found begging or vagrant for the first time is handed to a designated care home so their social circumstances can be assessed, and medical and psychological checks carried out

Reasons

A detailed report is then prepared, setting out the reasons that led the person to beg or live as a vagrant, and the steps proposed to deal with it.

It can also recommend a monthly allowance and training for suitable work, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Labour, within ten days of the person being handed over.

If the person lives with a family that supports them, Article 5 allows them to be returned to their relatives, Al Issa said, with an undertaking from the person legally responsible that the conduct will not happen again.

If it does, that person can be fined up to BD100.

Penalties rise for repeat cases.

Vagrancy

Article 7 provides for up to one year in prison and a fine of between BD50 and BD100, or one of the two, for anyone who returns to begging or vagrancy after receiving social care and is physically fit or has a source of income, he said.

Where the person is unfit or has no source of income, he said the penalty is up to six months in prison and a fine of between BD20 and BD50, or one of the two.

If the beggar or vagrant is a foreign national, the court may also order deportation in addition to the criminal penalty, he said.

Punishment

Al Issa said tougher punishment can apply where children are involved.

Anyone who uses a minor for begging, or encourages someone to beg, can face at least three months in prison, he said.

If the instigator is a parent, guardian, trustee, or someone charged with the child’s care, the minimum term rises to six months, and imprisonment can run to three years.