| Submit your comments on this article |
| Middle East |
| Only non-Muslims can apply for US base job: Advertisement |
| 2003-03-26 |
| Tucked in the classifieds of national Indian dailies on Wednesday was an advertisement that could further alienate the Muslim community from the United States. The advertisement calls for applications from "non-Muslims only" for sundry jobs at the US base in northern Kuwait. The US base "urgently requires" lift operators, store keepers, clerks, typists, security guards and drivers. The advertisement insists that the applicants, besides being non-Muslims, should speak English and be below 35. The advertisement was issued by Indian head-hunters Rehman Enterprises and Continental Mercantile. Executives of these firms said they were representing a Kuwaiti company, Marafi, which has a "maintenance contract" with the US army. "The Americans are strict that we should only process applications sent in by non-Muslims," Rehman Enterprises' head Abdul Rehman told the Hindustan Times on Wednesday. "What to do? They probably don't want to take chances with Muslims," said Continental Mercantile's manager in Kochi TS Jairaj. There is an unmistakable sense of urgency in the advertisement which asks applicants to "contact immediately with relevant documents". "The response has been very bad," said Jairaj. "We are getting very few calls." The head-hunters are in a fix since the executives of Marafi are flying to India to interview and shortlist candidates on March 31 for a final selection by the US army. "The poor response is not just because of the war situation," Jairaj explained. "The age limit and the condition on English speaking ability are also problems." The recruitment effort could be an indication of the US intention of digging its heels in for a long time in the Middle East. |
| Posted by:rg117 |
| #3 "Executives of these firms said they were representing a Kuwaiti company, Marafi, which has a "maintenance contract" with the US army." How could a Kuwaiti company refuse to hire Muslims???? |
| Posted by: Michael Levy 2003-03-26 21:39:58 |
| #2 This leaves a bad taste in my mouth. |
| Posted by: Crescend 2003-03-26 19:37:33 |
| #1 Dagnabbit! I meet every qualification except for the 'under 35' thing. Ageism! |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2003-03-26 18:38:33 |