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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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 Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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| They are holding the mobile phone, waiting for mother, wife or sister to tell them what to do. |
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RedLightning
Joined: 08 Aug 2015
Posts: 137
Location: United States
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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| In the heat of the moment wrote: |
| sicklyman wrote: |
| plumpy nut wrote: |
| you're not teaching at Guantanamo |
ah those were the days
One thing you might get chastised for is playing music during prayer time e.g. on your car stereo or in your flat with the windows open. |
Playing music - loud enough for Joe Schmoe to hear, and especially in classrooms - will often be discouraged at any time. It isn't the 'done thing' with many people in Saudi, I very rarely see a Saudi male with headphones in although I suppose the headdress could be disguising them.
RedLightning, how was teaching in Kurdistan, and were the classroom practices developing as quickly as the region is? |
Your guess is as good as mine I'm afraid. In an effort to get my foot in the door, I took a position at a K-12 last year, so I really have no idea what the universities are like. I found Erbil to be quite charming though, at least after my 'settling in' period |
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BajaLaJaula
Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 267
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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Depends on the city... Jeddah used to be a little more lax when it came to prayer time. I have heard that recently the Mutawaeen have been making a come back, though.
It is their country and you have to play by their rules. Be prepared to feel rushed no matter what time of day it is....trying to get in to the store or restaurant before they close their doors for prayer.
"There is no compulsion in religion." (Quran - Al-Baqarah:256)
For some reason this doesn't seem to apply in KSA. But don't try to make sense of it. Once you accept that nothing makes sense in the magic kingdom and you stop asking why, then and only then can you finally be at peace. Accept whatever they tell you and keep your head down and comply with their every request.
Remember your goal is to make money and KSA is just a means to an end. It will all unravel some day.....just hope that you have gotten the hell out of there before then. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
Sensible employers - which are few and far between - will have some system in place of giving newbies a mentor to show them around.
The dodgier employers of course, have no one who has lasted more than a few months. |
This isn't about being shown around. I don't think that's what the OP meant. It's about asking basic need-to-know questions that help us navigate daily life in whatever country we're in. In KSA, I got useful info from a multitude of sources including my teaching colleagues, staff, students, the guys at Jarir Bookstore, the housing cleaning ladies and guards, my neighbors, etc. And yes, even you and Johnslat on this forum.  |
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gregory999
Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Posts: 372
Location: 999
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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| BajaLaJaula wrote: |
"There is no compulsion in religion." (Quran - Al-Baqarah:256)
For some reason this doesn't seem to apply in KSA. But don't try to make sense of it. Once you accept that nothing makes sense in the magic kingdom and you stop asking why, then and only then can you finally be at peace. Accept whatever they tell you and keep your head down and comply with their every request.. |
I think your interpretation/understanding of the above verse is outside its context. I do not think the Magic Kingdom forces you to embrace the religion of Islam against your will.
"There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path" [al-Baqrah 2:256]
"There is no compulsion in religion" means: the religion of Islam is very clear and its proof of its soundness is self-evident, so there is no need to compel anyone to enter this religion. Rather anyone who has sound understanding will enter it of his own accord, without compulsion. |
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BajaLaJaula
Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 267
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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Religious text can be interpreted in many ways......unlike a historical account. I choose to interpret it in a broader sense.
Forcing members to attend prayer by rounding them up during prayer time seems an awful lot like compulsion to me.....but my intention was not to argue the finer points of Islam.
BTW....KSA is the only place that I have encountered this. The rest of the Islamic countries I have visited didn't feel the need to close businesses and round people up.
A discussion that turns to religion is sure to get locked. |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 1:38 am Post subject: |
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I would hate to come to the KSA to teach with the appearances of an Arab Pakistani or a Bangladeshi.  |
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