Writing on the wall for vandals
Web posted at: 1/3/2008 2:42:35
The writing is clearly on the wall as graffiti artists are making their presence felt in the country.

Although seen as an art form in many parts of the world, graffiti has now reached nuisance value status here. Most often carried out by those in their tweens or teens, the vandals, armed with a can of spray paint, write anything that seems to come to their heads, be it on walls of private residences or schools, for example.

A frequent sight in the morning at a school located in the Duhail area is of flustered staff scrubbing off graffiti sprayed on the night before. The post-examination period seems to be prime time for the vandals to strike around schools, as they let their yah-yahs out.

While there is some mild political wording, usually a message of unity with the Palestinians, other artists spray not only seemingly arbitrary phone numbers but also of performers like Eminem and Tupac, perhaps reflecting the hip-hop culture that has permeated society here. And naturally, there is no shortage of obscenities in either language.
A wall sprayed with graffiti in the Umm Ghuwailina area. (Shaival Dalal)

Hardly works of art as in say the New York subways, but more an expression of teen angst. The political writings usually give names of Palestinian leaders like Abu Mazen and Abu Abbas. While some of the writings are in Arabic, a surprising number are also written in English.

No matter what though, writing graffiti is a crime. Local lawyer Mohsen Thiyab Al Suwaidi said: "Graffiti comes under the law related to vandalism and damaging public or private property. It is a punishable offence."

Graffiti could also reflect a sense of aimlessness and nothing can satisfy that more than a bright and clean wall, just waiting to be defaced. It is akin to the act of `keying', where envious or plain spiteful people run their keys on the sides of spanking new cars.

Dr Moza Al Malki, a well-known psychologist, told The Peninsula: "Writing graffiti is a sign of rebellion, almost always seen among males in their teens. This is because of confusion among these youngsters as they approach manhood. It can be seen as an outlet for frustrations and is a way of rebelling against authority figures like teachers and the police."

She said the family and individuals like social workers could intervene to ensure rebelliousness does not express itself in the form of defacing property. Eventually these youngsters will grow out of it anyways, she said.

Source ::: The Peninsula
Dr Moza Al Malki