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Keyboard Kommando
Joined: 03 Dec 2012
Posts: 38
Location: Saudi Arabia
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 Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 2:52 am Post subject: |
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Saudi Arabia Sent Death Row Inmates to Fight in Syria in Lieu of Execution
1-20-2013
http://www.aina.org/news/20130120160624.htm
(AINA) -- A top secret memo sent by the Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia reveals the Saudi Kingdom sent death-row inmates, sentenced to execution by decapitation, to Syria to fight Jihad against the Syrian government in exchange for commuting their sentences.
According to the memo, dated April 17, 2012, the Saudi Kingdom negotiated with a total of 1239 inmates, offering them a full pardon and a monthly salary for their families, who were to remain in the Kingdom, in exchange for "...training for the sake of sending to the Jihad in Syria."
The memo was signed by Abdullah bin Ali al-Rmezan, the "Director of follow up in Ministry of Interior."
According to the memo, prisoners were of the following nationalities: Yemenis, Palestinians, Saudis, Sudanese, Syrians, Jordanians, Somalis, Afghanis, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Iraqis, and Kuwaitis.
There were 23 Iraqi prisoners.
A former member of the Iraqi parliament, who spoke to AINA on condition of anonymity, confirmed the authenticity of the document and said most of the Iraqi prisoners Saudi Arabia sent to Syria returned to Iraq and admitted that they had agreed to the deal offered by the Saudi Kingdom, and requested the Iraqi government to petition the Saudi government to release their families, who were being held hostage in Saudi Arabia.
Yemeni nationals who were sent to Syria also returned to Yemen and asked their government to secure the release of their families, according to the former Iraqi MP, who said there are many more documents, like the one shown below, about Iraq, Libya and Syria...................
http://www.aina.org/news/20130120160624.htm |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:34 am Post subject: |
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Press Release from the "Assyrian International News Agency" ???
Who funds them ? Let me guess. |
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mr fred
Joined: 30 Oct 2012
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
This is Mr Fred's only post in the Middle East section and he may be unaware of the situation. Perhaps he was just referring to one poster... or just TEFL teachers in general. He may be unaware of the fact that even many teachers are forced to stay because their employer will not provide them with an exit visa and hold their passports.
VS |
Whoever decided to go there will do.
We all know there are problems in many countries but moaning about it after you chose to go there for a high salary and better standard of living is double standards at its worst.
I'm less than aware of employers holding on to passports and so on but I haven't researched that because I have no intention of going there.
Mostly because I don't like what goes on politically and I'm not greedy enough for money to change my attitude.
I chose to come to Indonesia so I don't complain it isn't British enough and moan about them having their own laws.
Unpopular opinion it may be but consider this; you're the foreigners.
I expect foreigners to respect my home country so it seems fair to respect their place. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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Dear mr fred,
I agree with a lot of what you wrote. I respect the right of the foreign countries I've worked in to make their own rules. I may not agree with some / many / or even all of them.
I do, however, disagree with this, which seems to me to make a blanket assumption:
" . . . I'm not greedy enough for money to change my attitude."
Believe it or not, teachers can go to Saudi (and other places) for reasons other then "greed." I'm living in the US now, and, quite honestly, I don't agree with everything here, either. I rather doubt I could find a place on earth where I could agree with all the "rules." The difference is that here if I don't like something, I can, as a citizen, at least attempt to change it legally. When I'm in another land, though, I don't believe I have that same right.
I don't think one has to "change one's attitude" in order to work in a place where one may not agree with all the rules.
Regards,
John
P.S. I taught in Indonesia, too - loved it. Beautiful country and wonderful people (at least all those I encountered were.) |
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mr fred
Joined: 30 Oct 2012
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 4:05 am Post subject: |
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Some people teach abroad for cheap travel, some to experience new cultures, a lot more for a fat bag of cash and a standard of living they could never get in their home country.
I hear so many moaners rant on about their country of choice because it's so much better in the States/UK/Australia/where ever they came from.
Perhaps I've heard so many, I'm a little too harsh. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| Those who are unhappy with their surroundings are welcome to join me on Planet Tralfamador. Kilgore Trout and I enjoy it here. |
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fledex
Joined: 05 Jun 2011
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| mr fred wrote: |
Whoever decided to go there will do.
Unpopular opinion it may be but consider this; you're the foreigners.
I expect foreigners to respect my home country so it seems fair to respect their place. |
Thanks for clarifying it Fred.
I'm not sure where my home country is; but, as a US passport holder and having been born, raised, and settled there much of my life, I don't expect foreigners to come to my home country and respect it (that is if respect means acceptance). I would be disappointed if they did. My hope in helping foreigners learn English and come to the US is that they will slowly, but eventually, change the US by bringing their politics, cultures, laws, religions, languages, food, and any other things you can imagine to make it a better place than it currently is. Europeans have had a strong influence there, but I hope others will also have a more positive influence in the future.
I hope people working in KSA can do the same in Saudi Arabia, which is in need of a lot of change. Some things in Saudi, such as the beheading of child criminals and slavery, don't deserve acceptance simply because a person chooses to live there. These things deserve scorn; not just in Saudi, but anywhere.
So, if you mean "acceptance", by saying we should respect a country, then I disagree. If respect means showing tolerance, genuine human kindness, and understanding toward the country and its people, then I would agree with you. This would include trying to change the things wrong with that country. Anthropology has scorned any and all value judgments for too long: true respect requires some value judgments. The problem, of course, is knowing which ones are right, but I would put the abolition of slavery and child beheadings among the no-brainers. However, I do believe that if one doesn't agree with a country's mores and laws, then one should get out or stay out unless they can contribute to a change. So, figure that one out. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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Dear fledex,
"This would include trying to change the things wrong with that country ..."
A guest worker in another country may "try to change things" in that country, but the consequences of such behavior would differ, depending on the actions taken and the country in question.
An undocumented alien in the United States who joined in, say, demonstrations for immigration reform would run some relatively small risk of being arrested and deported. However, an EFL teacher in Saudi who agitated against the government there would not only be ineffective, he/she would also face the very real probability of imprisonment followed by deportation.
So, would you provide some examples of just how an EFL teacher in the Kingdom should, in your opinion, try to change things there?
Regards,
John |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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First of all by not believing what he reads in "Press Releases" generated by some freak funded by the spookls in Langley !
The "Assyrian News Agency" !! Come on ! |
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Ixchel
Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 156
Location: The 7th level of hell
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| mr fred wrote: |
Some people teach abroad for cheap travel, some to experience new cultures, a lot more for a fat bag of cash and a standard of living they could never get in their home country.
I hear so many moaners rant on about their country of choice because it's so much better in the States/UK/Australia/where ever they came from.
Perhaps I've heard so many, I'm a little too harsh. |
There's quite a difference between being mildly unhappy about your employer (as I have been in 26 years) and having your passport kept from you. Since you obviously haven't watched one single documentary on conditions in KSA I can't take your comments seriously. Do some research before posting nonsense. Oh, and being American or British gives far more protection in KSA than being from Indonesia or the Philipines besides the fact that we tend to hold much higher status jobs. |
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fledex
Joined: 05 Jun 2011
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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| johnslat wrote: |
Dear fledex,
However, an EFL teacher in Saudi who agitated against the government there would not only be ineffective, he/she would also face the very real probability of imprisonment followed by deportation.
So, would you provide some examples of just how an EFL teacher in the Kingdom should, in your opinion, try to change things there?
Regards,
John |
As to the first part, it depends. Some agitation, perhaps talking about foreign maids in class one day, probably wouldn't result in imprisonment or deportation; and, bringing up the topic of beheadings might also be OK. Pushing these topics every day in class could cause problems. Meeting, talking, and helping guest workers from other countries can also be of some effect. The effect, of course, is small for any one person. Yet, as any agitator will tell you, never think that you don't make some difference.
As to the second part (examples), I remember arguing with students about whether the killing of Osama bin Laden (which happened while I was there) was true, whether it violated the Quran to play music, whether man has really landed on the moon, whether monarchies are a good thing, and some other topics of interest to them and me. I saw these topics as a way to have students question some popular myths in Saudi. Maybe I was just lucky, or I knew how to do it discretely, but I never experienced any repercussions for having these discussions, nor for playing music in class. I think the students generally recognize authenticity and have respect for it.
Taking up the Islamic faith while in the Middle East is also a good idea, it can change one's own life and paradigm. For me, it (the faith) has even continued to grow in more positive ways outside the confines of KSA. Did that change things in KSA? Well, yes and no. It certainly changed things about KSA in my mind, and perhaps to some small degree changed the views of some people I met there. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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Fledex
You became a Muslim in KSA ? |
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fledex
Joined: 05 Jun 2011
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
First of all by not believing what he reads in "Press Releases" generated by some freak funded by the spookls in Langley !
The "Assyrian News Agency" !! Come on ! |
Agreed! |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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Dear fledex,
Well, I know of four teachers who touched on such sensitive topics in class. They were, of course, reported to the administration. One was fired immediately; the other three (good teachers all) did not have their contracts renewed.
Did they change Saudi society? I can't say for sure, but I didn't notice any beneficial results. However, I do know they changed their lives.
Regards,
John |
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mr fred
Joined: 30 Oct 2012
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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This has turned interesting.
I'll try to log in on my computer later so I give full reply.
Not an easy thing to do on this mobile touch screen. |
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