Job Discussion Forums

[johnslat]

Dear sheikh,
Well he's apparently tri-present, at least:

Location: UK/KSA/AFRICA

Could he be the Trinity, do you think?

[trapezius]

I hope those barbarians go to jail forever.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=106645

[johnslat]

Dear trapezius
"Without hormones??

"Hormone effects vary widely, but can include:
stimulation or inhibition of growth,
In puberty hormones can effect mood and mind
induction or suppression of apoptosis (programmed cell death)
activation or inhibition of the immune system
regulating metabolism
preparation for a new activity (e.g., fighting, fleeing, mating)
preparation for a new phase of life (e.g., puberty, caring for offspring, menopause)
controlling the reproductive cycle
In many cases, one hormone may regulate the production and release of other hormones
Many of the responses to hormone signals can be described as serving to regulate metabolic activity of an organ or tissue.

You lost me on that one.

So apparently some people on here... condone such treatment of women."

Um, who'd you have in mind? I mean, it's hard to tell on-line if someone's hormoneless or not.
I reread all the posts and maybe i missed it, but I didn't see anyone "condoning" such treatment.
But such treatment IS a fact of life in the Kingdom, and those who CHOOSE to go there had better both be aware of what they're getting themselves into and be prepared to face the possible consequences for violating the law there.
Regards,
John

[trapezius]

The hormones thing was in response to a particular poster. (watch him/her respond!)

As for the condoning, I don't feel like going through 5 pages of posts again, but I saw several posts where people indirectly condoned what happened to Yara.

[johnslat]

Dear trapezius,

condone: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless,

Well, maybe you interpret someone's saying (as I did in the previous post) that the law in Saudi isn't always what many of us in the West would consider right or fair, but it IS the law there.
And one thing anyone in TEFL ought to know is that when you choose to go to another country to live and work, you are as bound to obey their laws, agree with them or not, as much as you're bound to obey the laws of your own land.
I was there for 19 years (by the way, have you ever been to Saudi?), and while there, I broke the law on numerous occasions. But I was lucky; I never got caught. If I had been, I would have had no one to blame but myself for what happened to me.
Regards,
John

[Cleopatra]

Yawn (again). So, the Sheikh, like so many of our male posters, is far more interested in inventing life stories for the female posters than he is in arguing their points. So tell me something I didn't already know.

[scot47]

Johnslat

Trapezius revealed to us in a previous post that becasue of some complex and tragic family biz he is trapped in KSA. As far as I remember his mum (or his wife ?) won't let him go and live in the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave", which is where he longs to be. So he is in the Hejaz which he dislikes. He dislikes the Pharisees and Saducees of that land even more.

So it goes.

Personally I rather like KSA and what it has to offer. Maybe I am easily pleased. Where else could I earn US$3,000 a month doing what I do ? With a free apartment within walking distance of my classroom ?

[Mark100]

One of the interesting things about Saudi is that it has so many rules and regulations and that these rules and regulation are quite often blatantly ignored or broken.

Arbitary justice seems the norm in Saudi and if you are unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing and you have no wasta then you may pay a very high price for what one might consider in the west as a very petty offence.

Conversely you may get away with blue murder and not suffer any consequences from what we may consider in the west as very serious offences.

[Cleopatra]

[veiledsentiments]

[desert_traveller]

what i am going to write here can by no means be taken as a matter of fact but as i have heard it from several independent sources (saudis) i am inclined to give it some credit

word around the campfire is, a number of the members of the religious police have had criminal records of some sort and joining the committee was one way for them to get off the road to hell and get 'rehabilitated'

as the husband of the arrested woman says (quote from the arab news), these guys or at least some of them are simply thugs (in uniforms)

also, and it is my humble opinion, whatever the committe is called, the actual function of this organization is rather intimidation than guidance

as for the issue of human rights in the ksa, my thoughts go along these lines: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAHHHAHAHAAA

[trapezius]

[sheikh radlinrol]

I was told the same thing in 2001 (i.e. that the Mataween were jailbirds who had agreed to join the anti-vice squad in return for parole.) Much later I was told by an Arab colleague whose opinions I valued that it MAY have been true in the past but certainly wasn't then (2004/2005). You hear a lot in the Kingdom.

[johnslat]

Well, I went to the site that carried the story and found this comment, which I found rather interesting:

"Addicts are not in a position to question the morals of their dealer.
R. McIntyre, Washington,D.C., USA"

We in the West, of course, are the "addicts", hooked as we are on Saudi oil.

Here's another, more recent article:

Saudi Human Rights Official Slams Vice Cops in Yara Case

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080210025713

It would seem the "religious police" were breaking the law.
Reminds me of the Rolling Stones:

"Just as every cop is a criminal . . . ."