Award for ALJ

I am happy to know that Abdul Lateef Jamil company Ltd. has received “the Award of Distinction in the field of replacement and indigenization of jobs at the Gulf Cooperation Council level.” It is a richly deserved honor. I congratulate the company.

Of late, there have been a number of meetings and debates devoted to exploring ways and means to develop human resources in the Kingdom as have been scores of articles published in Arab News and other periodicals bewailing the low representation of Saudis in the job market. But, so far as I could gather from newspaper reports, no one went beyond that. No one suggested what exactly should be done to improve the situation, let alone doing anything to change it — except ALJ.

There were many reports about their training programs and incentives. But no commentator, at least in the English language press, ever wrote anything commending the pioneering role of ALJ in expanding and supporting employment opportunities for Saudis. Perhaps that is a weakness we all have. We see what is bad and hold forth on them, giving ourselves the feeling that we have done something outstanding by speaking about it. But when something good happens, we ignore it. ALJ deserved bouquets for what it did, but we looked the other way. Perhaps we did not want people to ask, “Have you done anything similar?”

Abdul Lateef Jamil has shown the way to Saudi business magnates. They should do something as a sign of gratitude to Allah for the favors they have received from Him.

Salman Ali • Jeddah published 20 October 2004

Victims of Terrorism

Khaled Almaeena’s excellent article “Month for Spiritual and Moral Reawakening” (Oct. 15) gave me a good start on that day. I read it all the way through, almost to the end, until I reached the Sept. 11 part. I think I have had my fill of it from the media — sort of “Sept. 11 fatigue”, I woudl say.

Sure, it was a tragic event. But it is over now and the world has mourned it long enough. Why do we think we have to mention it every time we open our mouths as if that were the greatest human tragedy ever?

It was not the only terrorist attack in history. The world has seen bigger acts of terrorism which took hundreds and thousands more innocent victims than that of Sept. 11 and, ironically, committed by the same people who are claiming to be fighting terrorism. So, in fairness to all the innocent dead at the hands of terrorists of all hues and nationalties and using all excuses and pretexts, Sept. 11 was in a way nothing special to be singled out. When it is referred to as an example of man’s inhumanity to man, the acts of terrorism that were worse than that — from colonial wars, to Vietnam, to Palestine, to so many other incidents — should also be mentioned by name. Anything else would not be fair. A casual statement that Iraq is suffering or Palestine is suffering does not do justice to the Iraqi and Palestine victims of terrorism.

Afreen • Jeddah published 20 October 2004

Women’s Rights

Articles like Samar Fatany’s “The Status of Women in Saudi Arabia” (Oct. 12) makes it clear that Saudi women are perfectly capable of running businesses and leading creative lives. My understanding is that no one disputes that the Prophet’s wife Khadeejah was a capable businesswoman and a leading member of the community in her own right. What these facts prove is that there is no reason why the authorities should not let Saudi women do what their role models did, what they have proved to be capable of doing and what women in the rest of the world take for granted — such as voting. Municipal elections can serve as the first step. And there are other basic rights without which no human being can lead a normal life — such as driving and the right to travel. Successful businesswomen such as those Fatany reported on and other professionals should be able to travel without permission from a male member of their family. It must be galling for successful women, who may be the main, or even only money earners, in the family to have to ask like a small child if they can go and attend a meeting. Maybe the way women are showing that they can be independent will start the winds of change.

Mike Goldthorpe • New Zealand published 20 October 2004

Women’s Rights [2]

It’s difficult to reconcile the claim of women’s rights with the fact that they will not be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections for “administrative” reasons. If it’s an issue of not having enough female workers for female voting areas, why not come up with some form of absentee ballot that women can use? We keep paying lip service to the role of women in this society, but when it comes to the reality, they are being limited — not by Islam — but by what some people consider “convenient”.

Maryam Michael Paddock • Dhahran published 20 October 2004

Meaning of Ramadan

After experiencing nine Ramadans in the Kingdom, I fear that this very important religious observance is going the same way as Christmas has for Christians. Long ago, Christmas degenerated into a time of greed, overeating and drinking to the point where many people began to dread its arrival. The observance of Ramadan in the Kingdom puzzles me. Why is a great deal more food than usual sold in the month of fasting? Shouldn’t less food be consumed? Why do people feel they have to stay up all night? If they binge-eat from sunset to dawn, they are not fasting. They are shifting the times of meals. In truth, if people slept at night they would get through a typical working day. Finally, can anyone remember the real meaning of Ramadan?

Leigh Vernier • UK published 20 October 2004

Fear of Successful Wives

Whether the “Fear of Successful Wives” petrifies a man, as argued by Abdullah Bajubeer (Oct 15), is debatable. Maybe she will work and be successful, or she will stay home and be a wonderful housewife. It really depends on the man and if he is making enough money to support his family. There are many American women who would prefer to stay home and be housewives. But that has become a Hollywood myth in the United States. Men do not hold down jobs and support their families as they did and a woman needs some kind of stability. All women pray for that suitable husband who will love, cherish, and take care of her.

As for being overweight, yes, I agree that lack of exercise is the main cause of obesity, for men and women. But before the husband gets embarrassed, he might want to make sure that he is not at fault. Having children, for instance, makes a woman’s metabolism change and weight does not go away as fast as it once did. Instead of being embarrassed, take your wife places where she can get exercise. Go on long, romantic walks, take her dancing or hiking or swimming. So many men overlook that fact that they are the reason why their wives are overweight because they do nothing to make sure the wife gets any exercise. Stress may also be a factor. Stress also affects the heart and blood pressure and all this can lead to heart attacks, strokes or diabetes. Get off the couch and take your women out. As for the Canadian study, being fat or skinny does not affect intellectual skills. That really depends on the female’s level of education. And as for enduring pain, why should a woman, fat or skinny, have to endure pain of any kind unless she is giving birth? Women endure pain a lot better than men do. A woman lies when she saves some of the grocery money to get something that she has been wanting for a long time. A woman lies to keep from disappointing someone. A man lies because he can. Isn’t that what Clinton said? In Bill Clinton’s case he wasn’t just a liar; he was a cheat as well.

Teresa Byrum • United States published 20 October 2004

America’s POWs

It is noteworthy that one of the terms of the release of Yasser Esam Himdi, an American citizen accused of “terrorism” and held at Guantanamo, is that he cannot sue the US government for wrongful imprisonment. I guess this is what America means when it says “freedom, democracy, justice and equality.” Because there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other prisoners of war (America uses the word “detainee” in order to circumvent the Geneva Convention concerning the rights of POWs), it would be enlightening to know what Himdi experienced while imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.

I hope Arab News will interview him and publish a report giving some facts. The world knows very little about what happens behind the electric fences at Camp X-Ray.

Mujeeb Ahmed • Jeddah published 20 October 2004

Questions About Pakistan

As a Pakistani citizen living in the Kingdom, I wish our president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, would clarify a few things for me.

• We have often heard from him that the Waziristan and Balochistan operations are to make Pakistan secure and stronger. Is he sure the situation is not similar to that in East Pakistan in 1971-72? Are we going in the same direction — of losing another part of our country?

• Kashmir is the core dispute between the nuclear powers, India and Pakistan. How can we believe that India will have occupied Kashmir delivered to us on the negotiation table when it took it on the battlefield?

• Why has our foreign policy failed to win the support of the Arab and Muslim World on Kashmir in the same way that we support Arab-Muslim causes such as Palestine? Is it that India is seen by them as a big market? If so, are we fighting for “nothing”?

• Will we able to stop India from becoming a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council?

• How can we be sure that the Musharraf government is not following American dictates on all national and international issues? Is the president sure that the American presence in our country and a permanent US military presence in neighboring countries will not result in its interference in our internal affairs — dictating our polices, defining our boundaries, monitoring our nuclear development and telling us who our friends or enemies should be?

• How can we Pakistanis believe that we need a president in uniform?

• How can we believe in our political system and decisions when a majority of our federal and provincial ministers, including governors and chief ministers, are involved in crimes or are supporters of criminals?

• What is Musharraf’s policy on implementing Islamic law, including establishing Shariah courts, in Pakistan? Does he think we should do that?

• Are we, in the name of the war on terrorism, going to kill our own people? Does he think that this American war has become a war on Islam? Does he agree that, after Iran or Syria, Pakistan will be the next target of the US?

Abbu Haleema • Yanbu published 20 October 2004

Choice for Americans

The choice for me as an American voter is not “Choosing Between Boilerplate and One Who Is Prodigiously Insincere” (Oct. 15) as Sarah Whalen put it. My vote will go to Kerry because we Americans have to change our energy-consumption habits. The reality of the long-term vision is that we may not always be the big consumer who can make a deal and get cheap oil. There are emerging industrial countries that may be willing to pay more for their energy than we are. Then, of course, there’s that whole environmental side. But it may be too late; Bush’s war has created too many wounds. The alliance needed now is for all nations to work together on a clean and renewable energy source. Bush has no future vision (or at least no reasonable one) for the world, or even this country, and no desire to help people who oppose his narrow views. His record is the proof. The news is out there. And for the people who are missing the lesson, they will learn their errors from history. So, give Kerry a chance. And why not? Could it get any worse?

Kelly Leatherwood • United States published 20 October 2004

Questions About Iraq

Apparently George W. Bush now owns Iraq. How else can you explain how he has the authority to reorganize the oil industry and/or to privatize various elements of Iraq’s infrastructure? Does Iraq not now have a government appointed by Bush? How did the executive branch of the US government get the authority to appoint a foreign government? Is it fair to say that Bush now rules Iraq? I don’t remember Congress taking up the issue of how Iraq would be organized as the people there wait to elect a government. I don’t remember the UN taking up the issue either. Is there someone out there that can explain this to me? Did Congress have the authority, and if so, did they exercise that authority and give Bush the go ahead to attack, control, reorganize, sell off, and/or restructure the various industries, economy and government of Iraq to favor American corporations? Will the Supreme Court ever consider whether any of this is constitutional? Is Bush claiming that he got the authority to do all this from the United Nations? If not, where did he get it? What are the rules of this game? Is there any precedent for this? I would appreciate an answer if you have one. If Kerry wins the election, will he then be the new ruler of Iraq? Will he have the authority to replace the puppet regime Bush put in place? How does this work? Does the oil belong to us now?

Mark A. Goldman • United States published 20 October 2004