Saudi mosque imams asked to report beggars

Riyadh: A branch of Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance in Madina has directed all mosque imams to report beggars to the police and prevent them from using mosques to practice their illegal trade, Saudi Gazette reported.

The Ministry has asked imams to be vigilant for beggars and hand them over to the nearest police station for necessary action.

The director of the branch ministry, Mohammed Al-Amin Khatri said begging in mosques has become a growing phenomenon, which should be immediately stopped.

"Beggars from various nationalities are disturbing worshippers and obstructing their concentration during prayer."

Khatri noted that beggars usually enter the mosques or gather at the doors to beg from the congregates.

Imams have been asked  to ensure that beggars don't gather at the door or enter the mosque in order to prevent them from disturbing the worshippers.

"The houses of God should not be made places for begging. It is the responsibility of the imams to fight this negative activity," he said.

Madina police spokesman Brigadier Fahd Bin Amir Al-Ghannam said, when caught, the beggars will be 'classified' at the police station to separate the Saudis from others.

"The Saudis will be sent to the Ministry of Social Affairs to study their cases while the expatriates will be handed over to the passport police for deportation," he explained.