With the
beginning of the weekend and the national holidays, which fall on Monday and
Tuesday this week, many of us have been feeling a calm on the streets - I mean
less traffic congestion, which is expected as this year's holiday is almost a
week long. The national and liberation day holidays are only for two days, but
as usual here, they have been extended for a week. Maybe some will remain on
vacation until the end of this week, so things will only get back to normal
again by Sunday.

Now, how do we
celebrate the national holidays? Let me start with the water scene. Young
people will run in the streets with water sprays or foam or I don't know what
else, encouraged by parents. Stores will be delighted to sell all these harmful
and annoying tools, making big profits. Kids and teenagers will end up spraying
millions of gallons of water under the pretext of celebrating the national days
and bringing joy to the hearts of young people. I fail to see any connection
between celebrating the national holiday and harming people.

How do nations
celebrate their national holidays? Most countries of the world celebrate this
day with carnivals, fireworks and military parades. As for us, the celebrations
start by wasting water, raising large flags on cars, dancing in the streets,
and annoying people and pedestrians, especially those waiting for the bus or
taxi.

How can the state
intervene and stop it? I think through the environment police, the state can
penalize all the people who allow their children to spray water on pedestrians
and cars on the streets. The state should impose steep fines on violators who
expose the lives of people to danger and harm and spray people with water, foam
or any other substance that puts the lives of innocent people at risk. Is it
not the duty of the state to prevent such ill behaviors?

Those scenes have
become common during the past years and I do not know if this scene will be
repeated this year too, but time will tell. I wonder how much clean water will
be wasted, while in some parts of the world, people are dying of thirst. 

It's good that
some people can travel abroad to visit their families during the weeklong
holiday, and those who own chalets can stay away and be comfortable. Some may
avoid going out unless they want to participate in the so-called national
processions and spray people with water on roads that are full of potholes and
loose gravel.

I see that
whoever has traveled during this national holiday did well. I was not so lucky
this time. I will spend most of the time reading, watching movies and
monitoring the conditions on the streets. Happy holidays!

By Muna Al-Fuzai

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