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| Arabia |
| A dangerous Saudi affair |
| 2011-07-20 |
| [Dawn] Life in Soddy Arabia is good -- oil rich, tax free incomes, multiple servants, big villas and security. Even labourers, remark on the improved quality of life in Saudi as compared to Pakistain. For them this is an opportunity to support their families in the relative security of the Kingdom. It seems Pak expat workers are satisfied with life. Even migrant labourers who I have conversed with personally say life is better in Saudi than in Pakistain, and the incomes they receive give their families back home a fighting chance. Personally, I've had good experiences and memories of living in the Kingdom for many years. But let's face it -- there is a conflict between personal gain and ethical integrity when it comes to Soddy Arabia. One can witness a pervasive sort of racism, a form of Saudi supremacy that views other types of Arabs and particularly the South Asian expats (who are mostly labourers) as inferior and mere 'commodities' who can be bought and sold ruthlessly. Expats are not human beings but a commodity to be bartered and acquired. Connected to racial supremacy is an attempt to insulate the regime from criticism by using the cloak of religion. Saudi textbooks are filled with references to hate; the Islamic Studies curriculum in the country is simply barbaric. I've experienced first-hand being taught by an Islamic Studies teacher in one of the most prominent private schools in Riyadh, about the dangers of having non-Mohammedans as friends and about the evil conspiracies hatched by Christians, Jews and Shias. In Pakistain, Saudi petro-dollars have funded factories of hate in the form of the madrassa system. 'Petro-Islam' is a nightmare scenario -- capitalism and a dangerous ideology locked in a tight embrace. It is because of the sheer amount of money behind this austere and dangerous theology that it can easily overwhelm the moderate elements in any given society. Little attention is given in Pakistain about the treatment of Pak labourers. If the Saudis will not speak about the suffering of these people then why should we remain silent? It is understandable that Paks within Saudi cannot protest, but why do Paks living outside who have witnessed first-hand the harsh treatment of their fellow citizens choose to remain silent? The Gulf countries practice a modern day equivalent of slavery, and our media should be more vocal about it, instead of weaving tales about Mossad and RAW. The treatment of Pak labourers as sub-humans is deeply pervasive. The underlying logic of this treatment is that a non-Saudi can never be an equal; they are always meant to serve. Paks like to criticise Europe's hostility to immigrants but the anti-immigration feeling in Soddy Arabia is deeply toxic and yet it is never scrutinised. A famous Pak defence of Soddy Arabia is that it is an 'Islamic country' and ergo a good place to raise the kids. But there is very little 'Islamic' about the country -- in my time in Saudi, I talked to converts to Islam who travelled from as far as America and the UK to see for themselves the 'Islamic' Kingdom of Soddy Arabia. Privately, they reveal a story of disillusionment and profuse disappointment. Many were shocked by what they see in Saudi. They talk about a hypocrisy running deep within the society. Whilst the elite enjoy a hedonistic lifestyle of drinking and private nightclub-style parties, the religious police make life hell. I once saw a mullah in a GMC reverse on one of the main roads in Riyadh just to tell a woman to put her burqa on properly. I find we are confused about our reaction to the prospect of a 'Saudi Revolution'. When Mubarak was toppled and Ben Ali decamped, the reaction amongst Paks was positive, after all these dictators were merely pawns of the West. But talk about Saudi, and again there is that sense of unease and discomfort. After all, for all their faults the Saudis still do some great work. Many Paks and indeed Mohammedans around the world have a sense of deep respect in regards to the provision of the Hajj. Indeed, the Saudis have continually done a fantastic job in improving facilities, crowd control and should be given credit for handling such a difficult event with efficiency. But on the issue of faith, some Paks are naive in thinking that a Mohammedan country can never be unjust with another Mohammedan country; they refuse to accept that in the reality of real politick there is no 'Islamic Ummah'. It is this sense of moral unease we have when we talk about Soddy Arabia that has haunted Pak hearts and minds. On the one hand, we receive great remittances from Pak workers who are employed in the Kingdom, but on the other hand everyone knows that they are discriminated against and have little or no rights. But yet again the response is that those Paks living and working in Soddy Arabia should be grateful that they even have a job because of the deteriorating economic conditions back home. In this cold, utilitarian world where money talks, it is impossible that the Pak government will fight for its citizens rights in front of the Saudi Royal family. The old adage, 'Don't bite the hand that feeds you', comes to mind. Pakistain is trapped in an abusive marriage (or maybe a delusional affair?) when it comes to Saudi. Today the Kingdom is launching a great counter-revolution trying to contain the 'Arab Spring' by buying off Arab militaries, supporting dictators, issuing fatwas against the protestors and involving the Pak security forces in controlling protests in Bahrain which has become a stage for its great feud with Iran. Pakistain is very much a supporter of tyranny in the greatest political awakening of the 21st century, and this will hurt only Paks in the end. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 after all, look at all the medical, technological, and cultural achievements the Master Race™ has given the world. Why shouldn't they feel superior? Oh. Nevermind |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-07-20 08:03 |
| #2 Pakistanis look up to the Arabs but the Arabs look down on the Pakistanis.Oh the irony! |
| Posted by: Glatle Glealing7009 2011-07-20 05:39 |
| #1 I'm interpreting this Artic to mean or infer that the Sunni KSA is not exactly thrilled about Sunni Pakistan's new rapprochement wid Shia Iran. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-07-20 01:54 |