Job Discussion Forums

[bulgogiboy]

Do any of you expats working in KSA ever worry about being falsely( or deservedly ) accused of insulting Islam/Mohammed/The Quran?

Isnt this a really easy way of someone with a grudge against you being able to land you deep in the shit?? Let's face it, it's no joke to be accused of blasphemy in KSA...

I remember the fiasco with the Turkish barber accused of insulting Islam by someone who obviously had it in for him. He only escaped execution because the Turks kicked up such a stink and managed to get him off the hook. It's rather scary that you can be executed solely on the testimony of others. It's just your (usually non-Muslim) word against theirs. I mean, even if you are accused of rape you can point to physical and circumstantial evidence, but with accusations of blasphemy how can you disprove them? For all we know, the Turk may well have expressed a controversial opinion, but for me that's beside the point, you cant condemn a man to the chopping block just on the accusations of others alone.

Doesnt it worry you? Is this something that's ever been used/threatened by employers to manipulate you? I've had a couple of really dodgy managers/co-workers in the past who I wouldnt trust with this....

[Citizenkane]

Yes you do have to be careful not to give offence - however unintentionally - but I don't think it's quite as dangerous as you describe. Just avoid the subject of religion whenever possible, and when it does come up (and it will) just nod your head and keep mum. If you do say something which doesn't go down too well, apologise profusely.

And if someone really does have it in for you and accuses you of saying something really nasty, even then the worst that's likely to happen to you is that you could be deported. But even that is really very unlikely unless you actually go looking for trouble.

[With Malice Toward None]

Only the worst rat imaginable can tip off against a fellow expat on something as serious as blasphemy, imagined or real. If someone does so, and he/she has two witnesses(in my knowledge) to corroborate, you are in deep sh*t as you said.
Sharia insists on eye witnesses in charges of serious nature such as adultery, incest, etc, though more scientific and modern methods to fix criminal liability are used these days esp in cases of rape, sodomy and so on.
The best possible way to escape being incriminated in a blasphemy charge would be to live in a completely stupid way, put on outlandish clothes, wear flowers in your ears, dry your underwear near the staffroom AC,talk incessantly about the CIA stalking you and you being so clever evading arrest and so on, so much so that nobody believes anything about you. As our venerable poster John says one good thing about irony is that it preserves deniability. You will have lots to laugh about later.

[desert_traveller]

false accusations of unlawful sexual relations can carry severe punishment under sharia law, which may (have) set a precedent for dealing with false accusations generally, which may in turn make it a not very attractive option if someone wants to do you in

they can do that in so many different ways, anyways

[Stephen Jones]

The other person is unlikely to be believed.

[7atetan]

[johnslat]

Dear 7atetan,

I hope you luck holds. Examples 2, 3, and 4 are the kind of behavior that, should a student think you're not being "fair" to her/him, could land you in a heap of trouble.
I've seen it happen to others.

Regards,
John

[Stephen Jones]

With regard to Example 1 would you object to somebody saying 'Bless you' after you sneezed?

Example 2 we can't comment on without seeing the relevance

Example 3 is fine up to the point where you explain you're an atheist. That would mean instant deportation if reported.

Example 4 Again chewing gum is asking for trouble. If the students can see into the office then cover the window.

[7atetan]

[Kalima Shahada]

[veiledsentiments]

People have been deported from Gulf countries for drinking, chewing gum, and/or smoking in public during Ramadhan.

My advice to anyone reading this that has never been to the Gulf and is considering doing so, is that I am very suspicious that this person is trolling... and making this stuff up to start a little debate... and perhaps inciting others to try it and thus be deported.

This person wouldn't have lasted through one Ramadhan at any employer that I worked for... and that was outside conservative KSA.

VS

[Asda]

[007]

[With Malice Toward None]

Let me get in my twopennyworth before this thread is locked.
I think 007 said it. What 7atetan wants to do is negate openly and to repudiate needlessly. Atheism is not negation of God. You can be an atheist but why advertise it, esp in KSA? What difference between you and the zealots?

[freesoul]

[quote="7atetan"]