Ramadan in the UAE is not simply a time of prayer and fasting, as many citizens use this time to exercise their ability to help those in need by donating to charity organizations, and some even directly to the government to help those who lack the resources to pay their debts and to be reunited with their families once again.
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Perhaps those who lack the means to pay off their debts, a pardon would be something they can only pray for during this period, but apparently, there are people who are generous enough to donate funds to help those in need.
Almost AED 2 Million in Ramadan Donations Secure Freedom of 21 Prisoners in UAE
A total of 21 prisoners have been granted parole after two philanthropists donated nearly AED 2 million to help pay off their debts, as shared in a report by the National.
The donations were given to mark the holy month of Ramadan and allowed officers to assist individuals serving jail terms for financial cases.
According to Brig Gen Ali Mohammed Al Shamali, director-general of Dubai’s prisons, the first donor had given AED 1.08 million which facilitated the release of four inmates.
Shamali shared that a second donor had contributed over AED 916,000, helping settle the debts of 17 inmates.
One of the prisoners released was an Asian man who left the UAE in 1998 but was later arrested on a transit flight through Dubai.
Regarding the Asian man’s case, First Lieutenant Habeeb Al Zarouni, of Dubai Police explained that he had a credit card issued in his name before he left the country which accumulated interest rates that he did not know of.
Upon the Asian man’s arrest, he was told to pay AED 50,000 from the interest accumulated by his credit card.
Earlier this month, Sheikh Khalifa, the President of the UAE, ordered the release of more than 3,000 prisoners ahead of Ramadan.
Sheikh Khalifa also pledged to settle the debts of the inmates, to allow them and their families the opportunity to start anew.
It has become a regular tradition for the UAE president to announce the release of hundreds of prisoners around this time of the year. Last year, close to 1,000 men and women, jailed for a variety of violations, were also released during Ramadan.
The help extended by the unnamed citizens is an expression of goodwill and tolerance among those considered as “outcasts” of society. Hopefully, those who benefited from this initiative will make good with the law, and even contribute to society just like how they benefited from it.
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