Not all extortions are collected at the gates, nor all money is imposed by decision nor collected under law. There are other kinds of extortions that do not appear in official charts and are not written on guidance signs, but they carve out from people's pockets and their dignity, when access to rights becomes conditional on what is not stipulated by any system, nor justified by conscience, nor sanctioned by religion.
There, at the doors of some government departments and in their corridors, the citizen stands carrying his papers and hopes, seeking to accomplish a transaction that is, by rights, legitimate. Yet, he collides with individual practices exercised by some of weak-willed individuals who exploit people's needs, or those who have made facilitating procedures a gateway for illegitimate gain, under various names that change nothing of their reality.
And here arises the question echoed in the hearts of the reviewers before their tongues: *Who is Responsible?*
*Who is responsible when people's needs are transformed into an opportunity for blackmail?*
*And who is responsible when completing a transaction becomes contingent on an amount not found in the laws and regulations?*
*And who is responsible when a citizen finds himself forced to pay what is not obligatory, fearing the loss of his rights or delays of his affairs?*
In one corner stands a man older than seventy, weakened by illness and slowed by age. He is at the department for the third time, holding his files in one hand and his cane in the other, waiting for long hours, and then walking away with fresh disappointment, until someone whispers to him that what couldn't be accomplished in weeks can be done in hours, if he pays an amount to those accustomed to profiting from people's needs.
In another place, a widow burdened by the responsibility of supporting her children, came seeking a right that would guarantee her and her children a decent life. Yet, she found that her suffering doesn’t end at the procedural boundaries, but extends to hints and suggestions that someone awaits monetary compensation, unsupported by any law or known system.
As for the young man carrying his university degrees and big dreams, he entered the institution believing that justice does not discriminate among people, but he left wondering sadly: *How does money become faster than queuing, and how do people’s needs become a resource exploited by some?*
And that mother holding her child between her arms, moving between offices, was not requesting a privilege, but was seeking a right. However, she discovered that some doors no longer open easily, and that some weak-willed individuals attempt to transform human suffering into an opportunity for profit.
What’s painful in this matter is that these small but impactfully significant extortions are often not imposed by decision-makers, but arise from individual practices conducted by some brokers or employees who misunderstood their duty, thus harming their institutions before doing wrong to the people.
The most dangerous aspect of these extortions is that they steal not just money, but trust, planting seeds of frustration, and leading people to believe that integrity has become slower than deception, and adherence to turn is less fortunate than circumvention.
No society can build its future with confidence if its members feel their rights are negotiable, and their human needs can be turned into a gateway for illegitimate gain.
Islam came to close the doors of corruption and preserve people's rights, as Allah Almighty said, *﴿Do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].﴾* [Al-Baqara: 188].
And Exalted He says: *﴿Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due﴾* [An-Nisa: 58].
And Glorified He states: *﴿And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption.﴾* [Hud: 85].
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “May Allah curse the briber, the bribe-taker, and the one who mediates between them.” And he, peace be upon him, said: "Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock."
Public service is a trust and not a privilege, a responsibility and not a means for personal benefit, serving people is an honor and not a favor, and a duty not a trade.
While the vast majority of employees perform their duties with sincerity and integrity, addressing the harmful individual practices remains a duty that cannot be neglected to protect the reputation of institutions, safeguard the rights of citizens, and consolidate the prestige of the law.
Surveillance is not just about reports being submitted, nor committees that meet, but it is an alert conscience, justice in accountability, and firmness in confronting anyone exploiting people's needs, regardless of their position or status.
Responsibility does not end with those who reach out for illicit money, but extends to everyone who covers up corruption, ignores complaints, or allows doors of institutions to become crossing stations for those with money, while the rightful owners remain captives of waiting and suffering.
States are not measured by the grandeur of their buildings, but by the grandeur of their justice, and the trust between citizens and their institutions is not built on slogans, but through practices that place everyone equal before the law, ensuring rights reach their rightful owners without intermediary, without fear, and without a price.
And the question remains: *Who is responsible when a human need turns into a commodity?*
*And who is responsible when the ordinary person finds himself compelled to pay what is not due?*
*And who is responsible when people's suffering becomes an opportunity for illicit gain?*
The real answer does not begin by casting blame but starts with reviving conscience, enhancing surveillance, establishing principles of accountability, eradicating sources of corruption, and protecting the honest employee, just as the mischievous hand is held accountable.
Behind every transaction is a person waiting, and behind every signature a family hopes, and behind every delay, a story of pain known only to Allah.
When integrity becomes a culture, accountability a methodology, and serving people a mission, institutions will remain fortresses of justice, and rights will stay rights, not commodities to be sold, nor privileges to be purchased.
Only then, no one will have to ask: Who is responsible?
