Job Discussion Forums

Cuffs · Joined: 10 Feb 2009 Posts: 77

From an email sent by my future paymasters...

Western employees have to stay in secured residential compounds as per law here.

Doesn't this seem plainly wrong?

They kindly suggest I might like to rent in their own compound, 80km from my place of work, and commute using a car rented by them, the cost of which will be deducted from my salary paid by...um...them.

It all smells a bit funny to me.

Cleopatra · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:56 pm Post subject:

eclectic · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 1122

western employees means non-Muslims, I am imagining with a certain degree of certainty, and that is no oxymoron.

johnslat · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:47 pm Post subject:

Dear eclectic,

" . . . western employees means non-Muslims . . ."

If so, that seems to be a poor way of phrasing it since there have been (and I'm sure still are) a fair number of "western employees" who ARE Muslims.

Regards,
John

Cuffs · Joined: 10 Feb 2009 Posts: 77

I thought as much - though they are making money for themselves, not saving it, as I have a housing allowance as a percentage of my basic and so they are under no obligation whatsoever to provide me with housing. Although it is nice of them to offer.

Cleopatra · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:55 pm Post subject:

... not to mention very many 'non western' employees who are NOT Muslim.

Though it's interesting to observe how their religious affiliation often causes them to become 'honourary westerners' in the eyes of many 'expats.'

johnslat · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject:

Dear Cleopatra,

Granfalloons abound, especially among ex-pats:

"A granfalloon is a proud and meaningless association of human beings, that is, it is a group of people who outwardly choose or claim to have a shared identity or purpose, but whose mutual association is actually meaningless. As examples, Vonnegut cites: "the Communist Party, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the General Electric Company, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows�and any nation, anytime, anywhere."

Thank you, Kurt Vonnegut,

Regards,
John

omerta777 · Joined: 06 Nov 2009 Posts: 16

Who made this comment "western employees means non-Muslims"

Wow some people have a lot to learn. Why cant there be western teachers who ARE muslims????? Im working with two very cool Muslim teachers...one who is an American Muslim and the other is a British Muslim. What does religion have to do with being a western teacher???

007 · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:55 pm Post subject: Re: Lock 'em up

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Well of course. Can you be a Saudi non-Muslim ?

Cuffs · Joined: 10 Feb 2009 Posts: 77

Order! Order!

Why do my posts always attract the foamy of mouth?

So we're all agreed, then - that line from the email is, factually, a load of old bollocks. That's all I wanted to know.

You may now continue throwing handfuls of digital donkey dung at each other.

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:40 am Post subject:

I do remember hearing chatter on the bus regarding "regulations" that stipulate that so-called Westerners must live in places that can be provided with a certain degree of security. The place where I worked had a very loose interpretation of "security", but there were issues with Western expats being housed in large numbers in apartment buildings for that very reason.

Your future paymasters (like that wording, BTW) may indeed be trying to take advantage of you, but it is possible that there is some legal backing to their insistence on putting you in a compound.

Citizenkane · Joined: 14 Jun 2009 Posts: 234 Location: Xanadu

eclectic · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 1122

I'm thinking they were thinking to corral onto a compound as many non-Muslims as they could with the excuse of them being westerners. That's all I'm saying. Of course I know there are western Muslims! I am one. Hamdullilah.

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:50 pm Post subject: