Manama: A thief with a guilty conscience has asked for forgiveness from a Saudi man whose shoes he had stolen eight years ago.
The guilt-ridden thief sent SR500 in an envelope alongside the apology note.
The victim, Abu Abdul Rahman,said that his shoes were stolen as he was having dinner at a wedding reception hosted by a relative, local news site Sabq reported on Thursday.
In keeping with the local tradition, food is served on in a majlis and guests and hosts leave their shoes at the door.
Abu Abdul Rahman said that he wore the shoes for the first time after purchasing them and that he had to go home bare-footed afterwards.
“I was surprised on Wednesday when I received an envelope brought to my office by a young boy,” he said. “I opened it and I found a computer-typed note in which the thief said that he deeply regretted stealing my shoes as I attended my cousins’ wedding and asked for my forgiveness as Muslims celebrated Ramadan, the month of fasting, devotion and pardons.”
The SR500-note was in compensation for the shoes, he added.
Abu Abdul Rahman said that he had forgiven the thief years ago.
“The shoes in fact cost half the amount he sent me, therefore I will donate his share to a charity organisation,” he said.
In his note, the thief said that he had donated the shoes to a needy man.
