Notes From Saudi Arabia

“Saudi Economy Is Much Bigger Than Our Population, and To Fulfill the Requirements of the Economy We Will Still Need to Hire People From Outside”

2012-01-19T01:17:00.000-08:00

Asharqia Chamber Chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed

“But I want to reiterate that this illegal expatriate business should stop ... We can’t accept this distortion in our labor market,” says well-known Saudi businessman Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed in this exclusive interview to Arab News.

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012

Bold, articulate, media savvy and modest, 49-year-old Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed comes from one of the Kingdom’s major business families. The popularity of this Seattle University finance graduate in the Eastern Province business community can be gauged from the comfortable margins by which he has won the Asharqia Chamber elections.

Al-Rashed was first elected as a board member in 1998 and — after winning subsequent elections — went on to become the chairman of the chamber’s board of directors. This is his third consecutive term as the chamber chief. His success at the chamber is rated next only to the respected businessman, the late Sheikh Saad Al-Moajil.

Since he comes from a reputable business conglomerate — Rashed Al-Rashed & Sons Group — and sits on the board of over a dozen key business organizations, Al-Rashed is fully in sync with the needs of the business community. Under his leadership, the chamber has embarked on a series of programs, seminars and exhibitions to keep the business community informed of opportunities, challenges and regulations. He is particularly keen to help young Saudis launch businesses.

In this exclusive wide-ranging interview with Arab News, Al-Rashed makes a convincing case for helping young Saudi entrepreneurs. He is totally against those expatriates who have “distorted the labor market” by their illegal activities. “Ours is a land of opportunity, not a land of charity,” he insists. “Let the expatriates come up with good ideas and start their own businesses; we are fine with them, but they should do it through legal channels … They should go through the same procedure that a young Saudi goes through to start up a business.”

Below are some of the main points from the interview:

Q: You have been associated with the Eastern Province chamber for a long time. You have won all the elections that you have contested. What is behind your success?

A: I have always wanted to serve people. I believe that if one has the ability and the capability to serve society, then one should not hesitate to take the lead. My father (may Allah be pleased with him) and my mother (may God grant her good health) taught me that we should not be selfish in our approach. Society is always in need of people who can contribute toward its general progress. It is not just the uplifting of one’s home and family that should be of concern to us; it is the uplifting of the entire society that should be important to all of us. This is always at the back of my mind. The private sector and the business community have a lot of requirements. I have many friends who faced enormous challenges in starting up businesses. They were not as fortunate as I have been; I had my father’s established business. These friends had to start from scratch. I have seen and felt their pain when they went through the difficult processes of acquiring business licenses and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles. Since then, it has become my mission not to let young Saudis go through such agony. So here at the chamber we are always trying to look for solutions.

Q: You seem to be an ardent admirer and advocate of the free market economy. Is there a particular reason for this?

A: We are a nation of entrepreneurs. Ever since King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud first founded the Kingdom, the notion of an open economy and entrepreneurship has been embedded in our culture. Throughout history Arabs have been known for their trading activity and entrepreneurial skills. More important, Islam also promotes an open economy and free trade. Arab traders have a legendary history; they spread the message of Islam to the remote corners of the globe. The free economy is a major pillar of our nation’s success. We need to maintain and promote this heritage. In order to do so, we need to make sure our legislations and laws are geared to promoting a thriving free market economy.

Q: After graduating from the United States you returned to join Samba and not the family business.

A: I finished my schooling in Alkhobar and went to Seattle University and received a finance degree in 1985. When I returned, I joined Samba and stayed with them for a few years. My father wanted us all to understand the difficult and gradual process that one has to go through before rising to the top. His view was: You cannot be a boss if you are not bossed. Having a thriving family business does not mean that you automatically become the boss. I acquired considerable knowledge and experience at Samba and then, at the request of my father, joined the family business.

Q: So when did your long relationship with the chamber of commerce begin?

A: My association with the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce (now known simply as the Asharqia Chamber) began in 1998 when I joined it as a board member. I went with a group of people led by prominent businessman Engineer Khalid Al-Zamil. He was then the chamber vice-chairman while the late Sheikh Saad Al-Moajil was chairman. It was Al-Zamil who brought me into the chamber. I learned a lot from him, he was a mentor to me and I owe much to him. This is my 10th year as the chamber chairman; I first headed it in 2002. Here at the chamber, you can survive only if you earn people’s trust. I know full well that if the members do not support me, then I will not be chairman. It is not an easy job. It entails a lot of work, hard work. You have to listen to all kinds of complaints from all kinds of members. The success of this prestigious chamber did not emerge from a vacuum; it is a product of all the processes that it has gone through in the 60 years of its existence under various founders and leaders. Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed did not do anything spectacular; he merely continued the good work of his predecessors.

Q: You are being modest, Ustaz Abdul Rahman.

A: No, this is a fact. I have learned from what my predecessors did. At the end of the day, this is an organization and like all organizations it evolved and will continue to evolve. The one who comes after me will Insha’Allah do an even better job.

Q: What are the chamber’s major tasks?

A: To market the Eastern Province as a major investment hub — something that it is. To achieve this goal, we work closely with all government entities to make it even more investor-friendly by cutting down red-tape. We are in constant touch with foreign missions. We share information with them and provide answers and data in response to their specific enquiries. We maintain excellent rapport with the offices of Eastern Province Governor Prince Mohammad bin Fahd and Deputy Governor Prince Jiluwi. They are very supportive. They play a very important role and are always focused on how to improve the business environment.

Q: Businesses in the Eastern Province have long been tied to the petroleum industry which has expanded now to include petrochemicals. Do you see that trend continuing or do you see more economic diversification coming in the Eastern Province?

A: Diversifying our economy has always been the main goal. Oil and gas are our natural resources, our natural wealth. We want to expand our economy and we have succeeded in doing just that. Oil and gas mean many things: Petrochemicals, power generation, mining, the service industry, etc. These are the areas we can — and are — diversifying into. The most important thing is to focus on the localization of these industries. For example, take the service industry, it is huge. Servicing the oil and gas industry, the petrochemical industry, the water and power generation industry will lead to enormous quantities of business. Also, remember that we are a vibrant and young nation. Sixty-five percent of our population is below the age of 25; this in itself is a huge asset and a wealth. Look at some of the nations around the world, they do not have the natural resources, yet they are leaders because their real wealth is their people, their talented people. We need to develop this talent.

Q: So is the Kingdom succeeding in developing the talent of its people?

A: No, not to the extent we want to. Take the oil and gas industry. We have been producing oil for more than seven decades now and we control 25 percent of the world’s oil reserves. We should not have been only exporting oil and the byproducts of oil, but we should also have been exporting oil extraction and oil exploration expertise and techniques. There is something seriously wrong when we do not see our petroleum engineers working across the globe. They should have been everywhere. At least all the petroleum engineers in the Gulf region should have come from Saudi Arabia. Saudis should have been developing oil fields, managing rigs, doing drilling and all that. Unfortunately, that has not happened.

Q: Let us go back to your statement about the huge service industry. How big is it? Can you please elaborate on that?

A: Look, we are still a net importer of services. If you take the money that we have already spent and committed for infrastructural projects between 2005 and 2015, it totals $100 billion. This is a massive investment.

Q: $100 billion between 2005 and 2015?

A: Yes, a $100 billion investment. If you take oil and gas projects, and petrochemical, mining, power generation, water production projects. Think of the headline projects by Saudi Aramco (SATORP, Sadara), SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corp.), SWCC (Saline Water Conversion Corp.), Maa’den (Saudi Arabian Mining Co.). Yes, they add up to $100 billion which is SR375 billion. After all these massive projects are complete, we will be spending at least 5 percent of the total value of these investments in maintenance. That gives you a service industry that is worth roughly around $7 billion to $8 billion. Is that not a robust industry? You are talking here about a huge economic mass. So what are we going to do to localize these services? Are we still going to hire all the expertise from outside? Shouldn’t we direct our youngsters to perform these jobs, make sure they are up to the task and train them to acquire the required skills for the maintenance of these huge investments? This is one way of diversifying our economy.

Q: Jubail is seeing a remarkable period of growth and development. Do you expect an increase in retail businesses and more residential development in support of this growing population?

A: If you go to Jubail and take a good look at the housing projects being constructed by private investors and the General Organization for Social Insurance, you will realize their great size. There has been a phenomenal increase in the housing sector to cope with the rising demand. Jubail is expanding like never before. Jubail 1 and Jubail 2 are almost full, and the day is not far off when we may be talking about Jubail 3 and Jubail 4. Jubail’s population is set to rise because of the massive upcoming projects such as the Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co. (SATORP) and Sadara (Saudi Aramco’s joint venture with Dow Chemical). Then we have the expansion of the current petrochemical plants that are doubling and trebling and, in many cases, even quadrupling their capacities. We will need housing for thousands and thousands of people who will be working in these companies and plants.

Q: There is also development of an aluminum operation planned for Ras Al-Khair using bauxite brought by rail from the Central Region. Do you have any comments about its significance?

A: Yes, Ras Al-Khair (Ras Al-Zour) is undergoing massive development, and it is only 80 km from Jubail. It is going to be linked by rail to Jubail and Dammam. We all know Ras Al-Khair is set to become a major export hub for aluminum products and ammonium phosphate. The Ras Al-Khair-Jubail-Dammam rail link means a lot of people working in Ras Al-Khair will be living mostly in Jubail or on the outskirts of Dammam in view of better living environments and better schooling facilities for their children. Since it will be a mere 25-minute train ride to Ras Al-Khair from Jubail, people will not mind commuting between the two cities. I believe not many people will take up residence in Ras Al-Khair after rail links are fully established.

Q: So the Ras Al-Khair-Jubail-Dammam rail link is set to change the face of the Eastern Province?

A: Absolutely. It will lead to a number of positive changes. There will be heavy transport of cargo and people back and forth. This will lead to huge demographic changes. People will become more mobile. Those who are in Dammam will find it easy to work in Jubail. They will just take a 40-minute train ride to Jubail; the connectivity will be like what we see in Europe. New districts and new clusters of industries will develop along the train route and new highways.

Q: You talked about localization before. The latest Saudization effort has been in effect for a few months now. Are most businesses able to comply with the new regulations?

A: I want to make one thing very clear. We respect all expatriates. They have done a good job and we thank them for that. Yes, we still require expertise from the outside. That is not something exclusive to us. Even the United States and Germany have to hire people from outside their borders. However, there is one thing about our labor market, it is distorted. Foreigners are carrying on a lot of illegal economic activity here. We want expatriates to work legally. Ours is a land of opportunity, not a land of charity. Let the expatriates come up with good ideas and start their own businesses, we are fine with them, but they should do it through the legal channels. They should go through the same procedure that a young Saudi goes through to start up a business. Pay your dues. You cannot come in here illegally and compete with Saudis, young Saudis, to open businesses. Young Saudis have to pay more; they suffer more because they work legally. Since they work legally, it is much more expensive for them compared to the unlicensed illegal expatriates working in the gray market. This is not fair. This is unacceptable. Because of this gray market and illegal work, we are being made to compromise on quality. It is reflecting badly on the quality of services that our society is getting. This lousy and low quality service is a direct result of the black market. We deserve better and so we need to rectify this situation. We are a young nation. We have a young population. Our youngsters need jobs. We need to make our economy vibrant so that we can absorb these youngsters into various jobs.

Q: Are the Saudization efforts succeeding and how do you see the way out?

A: Of course there are difficulties. When we have such efforts, what happens is that it becomes difficult to differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys. Therefore, you have do a delicate balancing act. The labor minister (may God help him) is doing the real balancing act. His is a very tough job because he does not want to sacrifice what is good while punishing the bad. Sometimes he brings in legislation to tackle the black-market guys and the good guys become the unintended victims. He does not want to victimize the good guy. He wants to maintain our economic gains. At the same time, he wants to make sure that every job created by this economy goes to Saudis first. If we don’t find Saudis, then he wants to make sure that our schools and colleges and universities are geared toward providing Saudis to fill those jobs and acquire the needed expertise. Having said all this, let me also state that our economy is much bigger than our population, and to fulfill the requirements of the burgeoning economy we will still need to hire people from outside. Say we have a million or two unemployed Saudi men and women … Even if we employ all of them, then we will still leave a gap of two to three million in the market. But again I want to reiterate that this illegal expatriate business should stop. We can’t accept this distortion in our labor market. Saudis should — and must — come first.

'PMU Aims to Remove the Barrier Between Saudi Academic and Business Communities'

2011-12-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

Exclusive Interview With PMU Rector Dr. Issa Al-Ansari

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011

Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University, located on a sprawling campus along Alkhobar’s picturesque Half Moon Beach, is no ordinary institution. As one of the key initiatives of Eastern Province Gov. Prince Mohammad bin Fahd, the primary idea behind creating this excellent and modern seat of learning was to prepare future leaders in various fields of knowledge and to remove the barrier between the academic and business communities.

The move to create this one-of-its-kind university was first proposed in 2002, but it took four years of hard work, many feasibility studies and numerous contacts with the world of academia across the globe before the dream became a reality. When 500 men and women graduated from the university recently, there were many happy faces. Among them was that of the 52-year-old erudite gentleman Dr. Issa Al-Ansari who is the university’s rector.

A veteran educator who has been involved in many educational projects since graduating from Riyadh’s King Saud University, he was at the center of the creation of the new university. “The mandate from Prince Mohammad bin Fahd was very clear – to create a world-class university that can contribute to the real development of Saudis and Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News in an exclusive interview in his office. “The quest for excellence was and is at the heart of PMU’s existence.”

A cursory look at Al-Ansari’s achievements reveals the much-accomplished administrator and academic that he is. After his graduation in English Language Studies from King Saud University, he obtained his master’s degree from Pittsburgh University in the United States and his PhD from Southampton University in England. Before becoming PMU’s rector, Al-Ansari was dean of the College of Technology in Dammam. He has made many invaluable contributions by serving the local community as supervisor general of the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd Program for Youth Development, and as chairman of the Council of Educational and Social Committee in the Eastern Province. He is a key member of the Committee of the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd Prize for Scientific Distinction and the popular governor’s close adviser.

According to Al-Ansari, the continuing rapid development of Saudi Arabia and the growth of various new sectors of the Kingdom’s economy call for a substantial number of university graduates capable of leadership in diverse fields such as business, engineering, information technology, cultural studies, education, community development and public administration.

He says one of the objectives of the university is to link academic programs and specializations with the actual requirements of the surrounding work environment. “This is undertaken by maintaining effective participation and cooperation between the university and local business firms.”

“Prince Mohammad greatly believes that the challenges of the modern workplace could be met only through high-quality education. To make this dream come true, he took the initiative in 2002 to help establish this university with unique characteristics and distinctive mission-vision statements,” Al-Ansari said. The university has 3,500 students, both men and women on its rolls.

Following are the excerpts from the interview:

Q: So what is unique about the university?

A: Ours is not a traditional way of teaching. We have adapted what we call the learning environment, meaning our students can learn everywhere on the campus — not just in the classroom — that is the last place where learning takes place. As soon as our students enter the campus the learning process begins, whether at the library, in the corridor, the coffee-shops or here in my office, everything is Wi-Fi connected and is geared toward creating a learning environment. The moment our students switch on their laptops, they have their own learning portfolio; this is just like any financial portfolio. We have invested heavily in information technology. The other most important aspect is our faculty. Ninety percent or more than 90 percent of our faculty members come from abroad — from some of the finest institutions of learning in the world. They come from 26 different nations. The idea behind having this incredibly international faculty is to promote what we call a multicultural society. Here at PMU we are trying to encourage our students and their instructors to live with each other and to learn from each other. We are providing them with the right environment for learning. We want to instill in them what we call the global competencies — critical thinking, self-development, IT, teamwork and English language. Before placing a single brick, Prince Mohammad’s mandate was clear: He wanted something unique. He wanted a university that offered quality education. And so the first thing we did was to sign on with Texas International Educational Consortium (TIEC). It is a group of 32 American universities. We sent the university designer Zuhair Fayez to the United States to meet with TIEC with a view to adapting the learning-environment philosophy while he built the university. That is why if you notice you will see from inside and outside an extraordinarily long corridor; it has a philosophy behind it. That is to encourage our students to learn from each other. You will see so many groups of students in clusters talking together, engaged in discussions. This guy, a senior from engineering; another one a business management junior; yet another a sophomore … they are talking together, sharing their experiences. This is the idea. We are not a traditional university.

Q: What about curriculum design? Is it always evolving to suit the local needs?

A: Let me clarify: We are not designing our curriculum on the basis of the local marketplace. We design our curriculum on the basis of the needs of the global marketplace because we expect our graduates to compete with the best in the world. Our graduates might and do compete in the Gulf marketplace; they might go to Europe; they might go to the United States. We are preparing our graduates to be capable of meeting global needs — not just with the needs of the Saudi market. The Saudi market needs are only a part of global needs. Let me also state that even when our graduates work in the Saudi marketplace, they face competition from a multinational work force. There are so many expatriates in this country, so our graduates have to know the culture of others; they need to know how to communicate with others; they have to be fluent in English in order to communicate with the expatriates. We are preparing our graduates for the global marketplace. That is why when we designed the curriculum, we did what we call “the needs assessment.” Right in the beginning we invited big companies such as Saudi Aramco, SABIC, SCECO and others. We conducted many workshops. They told us about their wants. We invited TIEC to understand the global wants. And then we mixed the local wants and the global wants with what we want as a nation, as a society and as a university … all of these were formulated into what we called the needs, and then we designed our curriculum on that basis. It was a very, very long journey. From 2002 until 2006 we were working merely on theoretical aspects. We wanted to get the fundamentals right.

Q: Does the university have a focus on humanities?

A: Recently we have established the college of humanities. We now offer a degree in human resources management; we offer a degree in law as well. We have some graduate studies. We started the executive MBA degree three years ago. This year we are offering another graduate program in education. Next year we will have a graduate program in engineering and IT as well. We have very good relationship with industry. We have, for example, two endowed chairs with Saudi Aramco, one in supply chain and the other one in environmental studies.

Q. What role does higher education and specifically your university play in transforming Saudi Arabia into a knowledge-based economy?

A: Higher education plays a pivotal role in realizing the development plans of Saudi Arabia and in transforming it into a knowledge-based economy. The visionary steps of Prince Mohammad paved the way for the establishment of this university. As I said in the beginning, the aim was to provide quality, modern education with international standards in the Kingdom itself, so that Saudi youth wouldn’t have to seek it abroad. I believe that Saudi Arabia is rapidly becoming a knowledge-based economy. Its businesses and industries are adopting the latest technologies and establishing strong ties with international markets. Universities in the Kingdom are trying to provide the required expertise, undertake research and graduate studies in the different academic fields in order to face the challenges imposed by a knowledge-based economy. It is within the mission of PMU to break all barriers between academia and the business world, disseminate knowledge and perform applied research to help and support enterprises to perform as efficiently as possible and attain the economic growth they are targeting.

Q: Does your university work together with its foreign counterparts? Can you give us some details?

A: Over the past few years PMU has succeeded in establishing a number of memoranda of understanding with international universities and institutions. These MOUs provide valuable opportunities for PMU to work with counterparts that represent a diversity of backgrounds since the universities and institutions are located in different countries around the world. These countries include the United States, Britain, Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, Japan, China, India and Australia. PMU adopts the North American model of education, and, as I mentioned right at the beginning, our system and academic programs have been designed by TIEC (Texas International Educational Consortium).

Q: It would seem that university officials would have to seek a near-perfect balance between the capabilities of Saudi students entering the job market and international standards for education. Has this been a challenge?

A: Since Day 1, PMU had decided on certain objectives that became guidelines for all future projects. The founders of PMU decided that it would be a Saudi university with international standards and also decided the profile of the graduates. Graduates of PMU must possess six competences, and these are communication, technology, professional competence, critical thinking and problem solving, teamwork and leadership. Of course there is a challenge to prepare entering students and graduate them with the required profile; however, PMU has succeeded in doing that. This is still a big challenge facing many traditional universities, but PMU succeeded in creating a student-based learning environment and equipped it with all the necessary supporting facilities including the most modern and effective instructional technology.

Q: In an earlier interview regarding preparing students for overseas study, you mentioned a set of skills those students needed for academic success abroad. It would appear the university is focused to a large extent on technical and engineering degrees but still immersed in the humanities.

A: PMU started with three colleges: College of Engineering, College of Computer Engineering and Science and the College of Business Administration. Recently, a fourth college was established, and that is the College of Arts and Sciences. Also, the university is considering the establishment of a college of medicine. All these colleges have been established based on the results of feasibility studies. Thus PMU does not focus on technical and engineering studies only but caters to all academic fields. The most important objectives are to fulfill the needs of its surrounding community. PMU considers certain aspects of humanities are important for building the knowledge base of all students. Therefore, PMU designed and delivers a core curriculum to all its students in the freshman year. All students learn basic language skills. For students planning to study abroad, language skills are of paramount importance. In addition students must be aware of a number of cultural issues, so they can connect to their new environments and communities.

Q: Do you see the further expansion of university programs occurring with a broader field of majors in different disciplines or do you expect the institution to retain its initial character for some time to come?

A: University leadership has envisioned a broader perspective that PMU is striving to achieve in the next few years through both short- and long-term plans. There are plans to establish new majors within the existing colleges and also to establish new colleges. The aim is to increase the capacity of higher-education venues. PMU will establish joint programs through expanding its partnerships with academic institutions and corporations in the coming years.

Q: How do you view the government’s support for higher education? How does this reflect the development of higher education?

A: The government’s support is remarkable to say the least. The number of public universities has quadrupled in a few years’ time. Universities are spread throughout all the provinces of the Kingdom. In parallel, private universities have been established in major cities to provide an extra venue for higher education. The increase in the number of higher-education institutions brings with it a strong drive among universities to attain high quality in all their activities. This will definitely lead to the development of higher education in the Kingdom and make it more compliant with international standards.

Q: Over the years, studies and surveys have recommended careers for young students to consider that often result in gluts of trained people competing for a limited number of positions. Is this a concern for the university, and if so, what are the measures taken to prevent such oversupplies?

A: The world is a global village today. Saudi Arabia is definitely not in seclusion as there is rapid progress in industrialization, trade opportunities and global tie-ups, which necessarily demand a maximum number of professionals from various disciplines to come together and join hands in nation-building attempts. PMU envisions such demands through evaluating the present and future needs and hence offers courses that are perfectly aligned with the identified needs.

Q: Private-sector employers say that graduates still have to undergo some kind of training before they are absorbed in the job market. What is your experience in that regard?

A: No university can prepare students and graduate them to fit into every available job in the workplace. For example, graduates from the mechanical engineering program cannot possess all skills required by the multitude of jobs that relate to mechanical engineering. Graduates need some specialized training before they are able to perform as required by their employees. This kind of job-specific training must be provided by employers and is not the responsibility of universities. However, universities must make students acquire the competencies that will enable them to quickly adapt to their work environments and acquire the skills required by their jobs. PMU has made the acquisition of such competences central to its academic mission and has designed all its academic programs and activities on campus to make students acquire them.

Q: Do you have any advice for parents of young students who hope to gain entrance to universities instead of telling them only to study hard? How can parents best help their young people achieve their educational goals?

A: Parents must understand that the new generation has to compete with the changing trends in the world to succeed in the present knowledge-based society. Parents must act as motivators for young students and help them grow as whole persons. Just memorizing what they are taught in schools is not enough. They must get engaged in other activities to sharpen their skills and be able to compete and succeed.

Q: Where would you like to see the university in 10-years’ time and are you on the right track to get there?

A: PMU started its first academic year in 2006, and ever since it has been operating according to a well-defined implementation plan. During the first five years the university had a set of strategic goals. We believe that PMU has accomplished almost all its strategic objectives and has successfully graduated its first batch of students. In 10 years, I would like to see PMU fulfilling international standards in all its endeavors, and the base for accomplishing this is already there.

Q: Any closing thoughts you would like to share?

A: PMU is a realization of an ambitious idea conceived by Prince Mohammad. It is an institution of higher education dedicated to providing educational opportunities to both men and women. Prince Mohammad has also launched a new initiative under the umbrella of PMU to cater to the needs of a precious part of the community and that is the visually impaired. A new college called Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz for the Visually Impaired is being established and will soon start its first academic year. Also, PMU hosts the Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Chair for Youth Development, which has already started functioning to fulfill its objectives.

Q: Thank you, Dr. Al-Ansari. One last question: You have had such a long and illustrious career in the field of education. What gives you immense satisfaction as an educator?

A: When you start something from scratch, and you see this thing growing and serving the community — in one way or another, that is the happiest moment. We were very happy at the graduation ceremony. There were 500 students — men and women. We played our role in making them what they are, for shaping their minds — making them good human beings, good leaders. You are dealing with human beings. You are not constructing a building or building a car; you are building people. That is what is immensely gratifying to me and to all those who have been involved in the creation of this university from the ground up.

From Haj 2011

2011-11-13T03:28:00.000-08:00

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Dies After Prolonged Illness: Funeral on Tuesday

2011-10-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

“May Allah bless the soul of Crown Prince Sultan and grant him the best reward for his services for his religion and homeland.” He died on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011.

By Siraj Wahab

sirajwahab@arabnews.com

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud died in the United States on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency announced. He was 83. His debilitating health problems had kept him out of the public eye for quite some time.

“May Allah bless his soul and grant him the best reward for his services for his religion and homeland,” said a statement from the Royal Court. As crown prince, he was first in the line of succession.

He will be buried in Riyadh on Tuesday, Saudi TV’s Channel 2 announced in its 10:00 a.m. bulletin. The funeral prayers will be held at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque after Asr prayers.

Born in Riyadh in 1928, Crown Prince Sultan was the half-brother of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. He was Saudi Arabia’s deputy prime minister and the minister of defense and aviation, and was a central figure in Saudi decision-making.

He is survived by a number of children; they include Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former ambassador to the United States who now heads the National Security Council, and Prince Khaled bin Sultan, the deputy defense minister.

King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud founded the Kingdom more than 70 years ago. Since his death in 1953, Saudi Arabia has been unified, stabilized and modernized by his illustrious sons. The founder had over 40 sons. So far five brothers have become kings and around 20 are serving the land of the Two Holy Mosques in various key capacities.

Like the late King Fahd, Crown Prince Sultan was born to King Abdul Aziz by his favorite wife Hessa bint Ahmad Al-Sudairy. Among her other famous children are Interior Minister Prince Naif, who will now become the new crown prince, and Prince Salman, the far-sighted governor of Riyadh.

Crown Prince Sultan was the defense minister in 1990 when the First Gulf War took place to check the onward march of Saddam Hussein’s rampaging men. His son, Prince Khaled bin Sultan, served as the top commander in Operation Desert Storm, in which Saudi and international forces drove Saddam's forces out of Kuwait.

He was appointed governor of Riyadh in 1947. He was simultaneously assisting his father in the setting up of a national administrative system based on the implementation of Shariah (the Islamic law). In 1953, he became Saudi Arabia’s first minister of agriculture.

Two years later, Sultan became minister of transportation, supervising the development of Saudi Arabia’s massive roads and telecommunications network, and the construction of the railway system connecting the eastern city of Dammam with the central city Riyadh, the capital.

Unlike in other parts of the world, the line of succession in Saudi Arabia does not move directly from father to eldest son, but passes down a line of brothers born to the founder.

'Arabia' Dazzles Princes and Diplomats at Grand Saudi Premiere

2011-10-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab
sirajwahab@arabnews.com

Published in Arab News on Oct. 3, 2011

A number of high-ranking Saudis and foreign diplomats led by Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Fahd and prominent Jeddah businessman Khaled Alireza traveled through space and time on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, at the premiere of the spectacular new 3D film called "Arabia" at the Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Science and Technology Center's IMAX theater in Alkhobar.

The 45-minute feature is the first to be entirely shot in Saudi Arabia, and it spans 2,000 years of history in the Arabian Peninsula. Presented in the impressive IMAX surround film format, viewers enjoyed a mix of stunning photography, interesting history and contemporary commentary. It is produced and distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films and presented in association with the Royal Geographical Society, the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Well-known Saudi companies such as Xenel Group, Safra Co. Ltd., Flour Corp., Saudi Cable Co., Zahid Group, Alujain Corp., Hidada Ltd., and Tareq Taher provided major funding for the film.

As the only IMAX theater in Saudi Arabia, it was appropriate to present "Arabia" at Alkhobar's popular Scitech Center. Princes, bureaucrats, diplomats, academics, writers and other notable persons from across the Kingdom turned out for the screening. They included former Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani, film director Greg MacGillivray, his wife Barbara MacGillivray, Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena, historian and best-selling author Robert Lacey, Scitech Director General Muhammad A. Garwan and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Rector Khaled S. Al-Sultan.

"It is a fantastic movie," said Prince Muhammad after the premiere. "The film highlights the true spirit of Saudi Arabia."

"Arabia" is the realization of MacGillivray's vision as told through the eyes of 26-year-old Saudi film student Hamzah Jamjoom, who sets out across the country to explore its history and cultural and geographic diversity. Jamjoom is working on a master's degree in cinematography at DePaul University in Chicago, and his role in this film certainly will bolster the student's career.

The film spans 2,000 years of history and the three "golden ages" of Arabia -- the Nabatean Empire, the Islamic Age, and the current era of oil wealth and technological development.

Jamjoom travels to Riyadh, to the ancient tombs of Madain Saleh, and to the holy city of Makkah. There are some spectacular scenes, especially the aerial views of the Grand Mosque during the Haj, where the sight and sound of thousands of worshippers praying together is akin to a gentle ocean tide.

Although the film is intended for a global audience, Saudis were amazed by their nation's incredible geographic and cultural diversity when seen through the giant-screen views of the exotic peninsula's wilderness and vast cities. The IMAX camera in a helicopter drifts over these landscapes, and then maneuvers through traffic and crowds of people.

"It is dramatic," said Almaeena. "It is to be seen to be believed; there is no doubt that this producer (Greg MacGillivray) is a genius. Saudi Arabia needs a couple of such films to dispel all the wrong notions that people in the outside world have about us."

The film's magic carpet touches down in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Along the way viewers experience giant dunes larger than the Eiffel Tower, pyramidal skyscrapers, Bedouin tribesmen, and other details of the fastest modernizing nation on earth. Well-staged scenes and even brief animation ably filled viewers in on the region's 2,000-year history.

From the earliest days of the Nabatean frankincense traders to the rise of Islam and the region's intellectual flowering, Arabia has twice risen to global prominence in what scholars say are two distinct Golden Eras: the Nabatean Era (100BCE to 400CE) and the Islamic Golden Era (700CE to 1400CE). During this period of "lost history," Arabian scholarship led to unprecedented advances in science, medicine, mathematics and the arts.

The film takes viewers to the ancient tombs of the lost city of Madain Saleh, where early Nabatean nomads established the region's first camel way station along the frankincense trade route more than 2,000 years ago. They visit the refreshing oasis village of Al-Ula where camel caravans sold their wares in the historic Bedouin markets and souks. They share the legendary hospitality of a Bedouin family and the warmth and glow of their lamp-lit tent. And they explore ancient shipwrecks beneath the Red Sea where today's archaeologists are searching through this sunken museum for clues to the secrets of the ancient past.

"Arabia" offers its audience an opportunity to travel to a distant land, see a country largely hidden from view, and experience a culture people know little about. The aim of the film is to educate, entertain and encourage understanding at a time when it is urgently needed. On a spectacular visual journey across this desert nation, the film portrays the people, religion, and geography of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"Arabia" includes amazing aerials, historical imagery and reenactments, as well as heartfelt scenes of ordinary life among people living in exotic, sometimes surprising, locations. The climax of the film takes place at Makkah's Grand Mosque, where 3 million pilgrims gather each year for the Haj. As pilgrims from all over the globe go around the Holy Kaaba in peace and goodwill, viewers have an opportunity to glimpse the spirit of Islam during the largest international gathering in the world. A spirit without which Saudi Arabia would not exist as it does today.

OIC, West Pledge to Combat Intolerance

2011-07-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

OIC, West pledge to combat intolerance

By SIRAJ WAHAB

Published in Arab News on July 17, 2011

ISTANBUL: In what can rightly be described as a seminal step in relations between the Muslim world and the Western world, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the leading nations of the Western world led by the United States and the European Union agreed Friday to take concrete steps to combat intolerance, negative stereotyping and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion or belief.

The high-level meeting was held at the historic Yildiz Palace in Istanbul. It was attended by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Cathrine Ashton along with foreign ministers and officials from France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Poland, Romania, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal, Sudan, the Vatican, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Arab League and African Union. The meeting was co-chaired by OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Ever since he took office, the OIC secretary-general has been working on formulating ways and means to stop acts of religious intolerance.

“It was during my address to the 15th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that I outlined a new approach toward evolving a consensus against incitement to violence and intolerance on religious grounds that could endanger peaceful coexistence and must be viewed as a direct contrast to the very notion of a globalized world,” said Ihsanoglu. “I am glad that the eight points in the proposed approach found resonance with all the negotiating partners. They formed the basis of the consensus reflected in Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18. The importance of the consensual adoption of this resolution should be duly recognized.”

He said challenges remain.

“However, the test would lie in the implementation. Having been successful at consensus building, we must now act in concert to build on the consensus. The adoption of the resolution does not mark the end of the road. It rather signifies a beginning based on a new approach to deal with the whole set of interrelated issues,” said Ihsanoglu. “Resolution 16/18 provides a good basis for concerted action by states, at both national and international levels and must be utilized accordingly. Otherwise, we would be faced with the unaffordable risk of the agenda being hijacked and set by radicals and non-state actors.”

Ihsanoglu said there was a delicate balance between freedom of expression and incendiary speech.

“We continue to be particularly disturbed by attitudes of certain individuals or groups exploiting the freedom of expression to incite hatred by demonizing purposefully the religions and their followers. Though we respect their freedom of opinion and expression, we find these attitudes politically and ethically incorrect and insensitive.”

At the meeting, Clinton discussed how to build on a UN Human Rights Council resolution passed on March 24 that calls for promoting tolerance and respect for diversity of beliefs, without restricting legitimate free speech.

Clinton agreed to pursue a new religious tolerance agreement, which respects free expression of religious beliefs in order to resolve debates over religion between the West and the Islamic world.

“Together we have begun to overcome the false divide that pits religious sensitivities against freedom of religion,” Clinton said. “We are pursuing a new approach based on concrete steps to fight intolerance wherever it occurs.”

Speaking of the United States, Clinton said: “We have seen in the United States how the incendiary actions of just a very few people can create wide ripples of intolerance, so we are focused on promoting interfaith education and collaboration, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, protecting the rights of all people to worship as they choose, and to use some old-fashioned techniques of peer pressure and shaming so that people don’t feel that they have the support to do what we abhor.”

She recalled a dialogue with Ihsanoglu and leaders of Istanbul’s diverse religious communities 15 years ago.

“That conversation took place just a few months after the signing of the Dayton Accords. We were all deeply concerned about the sectarian tensions and violence, and we were all troubled by what we had seen happen in the Balkans," she said. “I had come from Sarajevo and Tuzla, where I had met with Bosnians, Serbs, Croats, and Muslims all together, and I will never forget one woman saying that neighbor began turning on neighbor because of religious and ethnic differences. And this woman asked a friend from another religious background, ‘We’ve known each other for so long; we have celebrated each other’s weddings; we’ve buried each other’s family; why is this happening?’ And her friend replied: ‘We were told that if we did not do this to you, you would do it to us.’ And it was as clear a statement of what incitement to violence and hatred can lead to as any that I have heard. And the conflict proved so costly, we are still living with the consequences today.”

She commended the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for its work securing the passage of Resolution 16/18 at the Human Rights Council.

“Resolution 16/18 calls upon states to protect freedom of religion, to counter offensive expression through education, interfaith dialogue, and public debate, and to prohibit discrimination, profiling, and hate crimes, but not to criminalize speech unless there is an incitement to imminent violence. We will be looking to all countries to hold themselves accountable and to join us in reporting to the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights on their progress in taking these steps.”

Snapshots From Kazakhstan (June-July 2011)

2011-07-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

World's Largest University Gives Saudi Women Hope for Change

2011-05-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article406052.ece

Saudi women educators and professionals were upbeat about the opening on Sunday, May 15, of Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) in Riyadh and took it as a sign that women may start to assume a more active role in the Kingdom’s development.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah inaugurated the SR20 billion university, 25 km east of the Saudi capital, amid cheers of over 2,000 students and faculty members. With a capacity to enroll about 50,000 students, the PNU is the largest women-only university in the world and part of an ambitious education plan of the Saudi government. The university's residential area has about 1,400 villas and its massive hostel facilities to accommodate 12,000 students. The sprawling campus sits on a site that exceeds 800 hectares.

“I hope it will lead to a massive turnaround in the fortunes of Saudi women,” said Dr. Aisha Almana, founder of Alkhobar’s Mohammed Almana College of Health Sciences. “However, universities of the world are not known by their physical structure — they attain status and credibility by what they produce. I mean a university is known by the quality of its graduates. I hope the new university will be a trendsetter. We all know that women constitute 50 percent of the Saudi population. Recent statistics, at least those from University of Dammam, indicate that there are more women graduates than men. Meaning women are more aware of the need for education. They are equal partners in the development and progress of this great nation.”

Almana said Saudi Arabia should concentrate on making its people productive. “Oil is here today, and it may not be here tomorrow. Look at Japan; they had no natural resources, but it is one of most robust economies in the world — just by the sheer power of their people. We should focus on investing in human capital. It is our people who will take us far. We should concentrate on creating excellent human resources. People are our greatest asset, and we should nurture them.”

Jeddah broadcaster and newspaper columnist Samar Fatany said the new university should be a source of pride for the Kingdom.

“It has bright prospects,” Fatany told Arab News. “It will inspire the young generation of Saudi women. Hopefully it will bring in a new trend of positive thinking and produce a new group of educated women who will eventually assume leadership positions in their respective fields. We need such universities to help us excel. The new university will help our women to compete with the best women in the world and create healthy competition within the various universities in the Kingdom. It will raise the benchmark of education.”

“First and foremost it indicates Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s support for women,” said writer and physician Dr. Samia Amoudi. “This is a big step in the empowerment of Saudi women. It is also significant that it is named after Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman who is the sister of the king. “For such a large, prestigious project to be named after a woman is an honor for all of us. It will have a great impact on society and how it perceives us women. I am very happy that our leadership is aware of our needs. They have placed their trust in us.”

“Now it’s the turn and the responsibility of the women of our Kingdom to ensure that this university attains a high rank in the world and the Middle East in particular,” said Jubail teacher Huda Al-Shehri. “This university is the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to women. It offers courses that are not traditional or conventional in nature. These courses are more in line with the needs of the job market.”

Almana agreed.

“It is my conviction that we should follow the India model. Immediately after attaining independence, they concentrated on professional courses rather than humanities and arts,” she said. “The recent turnaround in India is a result of that paradigm shift in education. I recently came back from Bangalore and saw the transformation myself. We should similarly focus on professional studies.”

Civil Breakdown, Conspiracy Fears Worry Pakistani Expats in Saudi Arabia

2011-05-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

http://arabnews.com/world/article400993.ece

As the Pakistani Taleban took credit for the murder on Friday, May 13, of 80 Pakistanis in retaliation for the raid 10 days ago in which Osama Bil Laden was killed, the reaction from Pakistani nationals in Saudi Arabia ranged from disgust and disdain to conspiracy theories and blame for the United States.

“The United States is playing a very dangerous game in our country,” said a senior Alkhobar-based Pakistani executive who requested anonymity. “While the bombers may have been Pakistanis, the command and control is in the hands of those who are miles away from our country.”

Others put the blame a little closer to home.

“I condemn the blasts. There is no doubt they have been carried out the Pakistani Taleban,” said Jeddah-based engineer Syed Mutahir Rizvi. “They have claimed responsibility for the blasts. There is no reason for us to say that someone else is involved. I can understand the anger of some Pakistanis at what has happened, but this is no way of expressing their anger. Why should innocent people be made to suffer for something they have nothing to do with?”

Well-known writer and poet Habib Siddiqui presented a dismal appraisal of the breakdown of civil society in Pakistan after a recent visit.

“I see no hope,” Siddiqui told Arab News. “I have just come back from Karachi — there is not a single home that has not been burgled. There is total chaos and lawlessness. There is no rule of law; no one is safe. Those who have survived Friday’s attacks should count themselves lucky. Those who died leave behind widows and children. No one will take care of them. They are mere statistics in a long and dirty war,” he said. “The worst part about this war is that nobody knows who is on whose side and who is killing whom?”

Anjum Dar, the Alkhobar-based president of the Ideological Forum for Pakistan Studies, said innocent people have been caught in a crossfire between two equally entrenched adversaries. “Ordinary Pakistanis are confused and rattled by the developments that have turned their country upside down,” he said. “The reins of power are in the hands of a select group of nine or 10 people, who do not belong to any political party, who have pledged to do whatever is asked of them by foreign countries. They are dutifully following and carrying the foreign agenda,” he said rather ruefully.

Dar said the militants try to justify such acts because of the alliance between Pakistan and the United States.

“They are convinced that the political establishment and the army are not there to defend the people of Pakistan, that they are in league with the US and that the drone attacks are being carried out with active help from the army and the intelligence agencies,” he said. “That is what people think. When our government started taking the American line that is when things deteriorated and here we are today — in total chaos.”

Some Pakistanis are convinced that all of it is a sinister American plot.

“All this is very well scripted. More blasts will follow and we will have the same explanation: that Taleban carried them out,” said the anonymous executive. “I don't believe anything that is coming out in the press. Our current rulers have sold their souls to the United States. That is it.”

Mohammad Azharuddin Wows Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni in Riyadh

2011-05-07T01:44:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article386959.ece

RIYADH: A onetime cricket star and current member of India’s Parliament told the Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association it was time for Indian Muslims to stand together for the common good and educational advancement of the community.

Mohammad Azharuddin made the comments Friday (May 6, 2011) at the Riyadh Palace Hotel where alumni were marking the Muslim university’s 90th anniversary.

Azharuddin noted the significance of the minority institution status granted by Indian government that allows the university to reserve up to 50 percent seats for Muslims. “I congratulate Jamia Millia Islamia, its administration, its faculty, its illustrious alumni here in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries and all those associated with this great institution of learning for having being formally and legally recognized as a minority institution. This is a victory for all,” he said.

“We have no hesitation in holding that Jamia was founded by the Muslims for the benefit of the Muslims and it never lost its identity as a Muslim minority educational institution,” National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Chairman Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui ruled when granting the special status.

“This was a long-pending demand, and if it had been conceded earlier it would have resulted in the university going far ahead,” said Azharuddin. “It is a historic university, and it has played a pivotal role in India’s struggle for independence; the university had the greatest support from the country’s independence hero Gandhiji, and despite all the challenges that it has faced in all these 90 years it has done very well,” he said.

As a member of Parliament, Azharuddin said he would lend full support for a similar status for Aligarh Muslim University. “These universities are among the oldest and most reputable universities. Efforts should be made to ensure that they remain committed to the vision with which they were created. I am very happy to note the prominent positions that Jamia alumni occupy in Saudi Arabia. This is a source of strength for the Indian community,” he said.

Drawing a parallel from the game of cricket, he said many of the problems the Indian Muslim community faces are a result of the serious lack of team effort. “We are ready to take up your cases, and we are ready to fight, but the community needs to be united. If the team is not united, you don’t win matches. I can’t play on the front foot if I realize that there is not enough support in the back. I am then forced to play on the back foot,” he said much to the laughter of all those who gathered.

He expressed his unhappiness at the turn of events at Aligarh Muslim University. “One gets upset when one keeps hearing about the frequent lockouts at the university. This is not a happy sign. All those who are working for the good of such universities should be supported to the fullest. We should not let our infighting harm the institution,” he said and admitted that “more than the outsiders it is the internal differences that are the greatest challenge to our institutions.”

Prominent educator and industrialist Nadeem Tareen highlighted the good work being done by the Indian expat community on the education front. “There is a new awakening among Indian Muslims. They want to make rapid advancements in the educational field, and they are succeeding, both through individual and collective efforts,” he said and advised his fellow expats to explore more possibilities on how to make education available to those in less-literate areas of the country.

He said differences were not necessarily a bad thing. “The old boys of Aligarh Muslim University disagreed with the university’s approach toward the freedom movement in the 1920s and hence launched Jamia Millia Islamia. It turned out to be a good decision — a blessing in disguise. There are lessons to be learned from how those with differing opinions conducted themselves in those days. For them the community’s interest was paramount, and that is how it should be even now.”

JMI Alumni Association President Murshid Kamal recalled the circumstances through which the university came into existence and said the granting of the new status calls for greater effort to turn it into one of India’s Top 10 universities. “If we fail then our adversaries will have a reason to mock us. We should not provide them with a reason to say, ‘Look, didn’t we say they will make a mess out of themselves, and they did’ ... That should not happen.”

The evening saw the presence of the who’s who of the Indian community in Riyadh. The evening was anchored with panache by M. Shahabuddin. Aftab Nizami thanked all those who turned up at the event. All the previous presidents of the alumni association were honored on the occasion, including its popular founder Shafaatullah Khan.

Azharuddin was later mobbed by fans who took his autographs on every imaginable article including cricket bats, balls and T-shirts.

Prince Turki Al-Faisal Explains Kingdom’s Bond With Its People

2011-04-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

sirajwahab@arabnews.com

Former Saudi Ambassador to Washington and London Prince Turki Al-Faisal highlighted Saudi Arabia’s national unity and its long march toward development recently in a speech delivered to the Middle East Association (MEA) at The Dorchester Hotel in London.

Prince Turki, who now heads the Riyadh-based King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, detailed the Kingdom’s progress since 1925 and the institution of the Shoura Council through the present day. He explained the differences between the governments that have drawn sharp criticism from their citizens and Saudi Arabia.

“Despite the turmoil taking place in so many Middle Eastern nations, as well as predictions among some pundits that such turmoil is bound to find its way into the Kingdom, the history of the Saudi State is in fact the history of a government that has developed over time in response to the needs of its people, and it is a progressive, active, modern political entity that due to its past actions is uniquely secure in its future,” said Prince Turki.

He noted that the Kingdom has long battled extremism masquerading as religious fervor and that the terror attacks actually have brought the Saudi people together.

“Saudi Arabia began experiencing an assertive Saudi nationalism that fully transcends tribal and regional allegiances,” he said. “While it has many causes, a few of the most important are the first Iraq War of 1990, from which we emerged victorious over an odious and malignant Saddam Hussein, the attacks of Al-Qaeda on the United States and the Kingdom in 2001 and 2003 respectively, which led to an introspective revaluation of our values and beliefs, and the rise of an aggressive Iran over the last 10 years. These events brought about a strong sense of national unity in the Saudi people, and we are still seeing the ripple effects of this assertive nationalism today.”

The Kingdom has continued to develop both global and regional roles, and Prince Turki spoke of an era of internationalism through which Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is guiding the country.

“We have seen the Saudi State progress in its sophistication through such policy institutions as the Supreme Economic Council, the National Dialogue Center, and the Council for Succession ... but we have also seen the Saudi State looking outward in an ever-more focused and responsible manner, attempting to bring stability to the region of which it is such a vital member,” he said. “It is important to note that internal and external progress is linked closely together. A nation cannot be a strong and respected international player unless it is strong domestically, and this fact has guided the actions of the Saudi government.”

Empowering Saudi women continues to be a priority as is evidenced through continuing changes in the national perspective.

“To honor King Fahd’s belief that women and men should have equal roles in the development of the Kingdom, as stated in his previously mentioned speech to the Majlis Al-Shura in 2003, King Abdullah expanded women’s education to all fields of knowledge and built the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,” said Prince Turki. “He introduced the National Dialogue in which Saudis of both sexes and from a variety of socio-economic categories discuss controversial issues such as terrorism, women’s role in society, educational reform, religious speech, and many others. In its eighth year now, the dialogue moves from town to town, province to province, holding public meetings in which anyone can say whatever he or she wishes, and all the sessions are televised so that the public can follow along. It is a very Saudi way of soul-searching and engaging in participatory discussion, and we strongly believe that it is the right direction for our country to take as we look for newer and more innovative ways to involve all Saudis in the discourse about the direction their country should take.”

Prince Turki said King Abdullah places high importance on providing the best education possible for future generations of Saudi citizens.

“He expanded the scholarship program for Saudi students to study abroad and we now have more than 100,000 young people attending the finest academic institutions in more than 50 countries. He also quadrupled the number of Saudi universities to meet the demands of a growing number of Saudi youngsters who want to acquire the skills to meet the complex demands of the future while remaining in their home country.”

Prince Turki said the king considers the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as the jewel in the Kingdom’s educational crown and evidence of its commitment to diversity.

“It is a postgraduate research university where the student population is more than 65 percent non-Saudi, where the president is a Singaporean Chinese scientist, and where the board of trustees is composed of distinguished academics and civic leaders from all over the world,” he said. “This is a truly remarkable achievement that not only helps the Kingdom open up its intellectual horizons to the rest of the world, but it also stands as a strong statement against those nihilistic and xenophobic forces that seek to destroy the Kingdom in the name of radical extremism rather than build it up in the name of Islam.”

He said the Saudi people are aware of their government’s efforts on their behalf and that this distinguished the Kingdom from those places that have been shaken by dissent.

“The Kingdom is a place of progress and stability, and this progress and stability have been hard won by actions of the past, which continue very much today as the nation strives for a better future,” the prince said. “Unlike so many countries that are now encountering unrest, Saudi Arabia has seen practically no turmoil within its borders, and there is a very simple reason for this. The Saudi people, unlike those in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere, have not been the subjects of neglect and corruption, but instead have been active and valued participants in the creation of a fully progressive, modern, inclusive state. The Kingdom and its people, from the king to the schoolchild, do not have the arrogance to believe that we have reached perfection. We have a long way ahead of us, of turmoil and struggle, of ambition and accomplishments, of tearing down walls of bigotry and hatred. For this reason, the vast majority of the people support their country.”

Prince Turki quoted William Shakespeare to describe the relationship between the government and the people of Saudi Arabia.

“In exchange for this loyalty, the Saudi leadership will tirelessly pursue its agenda of improving the government institutions to better address and improve the lives of its people — an agenda it has been pursuing for more than 80 years, taking to heart Shakespeare’s assessment of the nation’s role in our lives in Titus Andronicus: ‘to heal harms and wipe away woes.’ As you have seen, what was supposed to be and loudly touted by your media organs as a ‘Day of Rage’ (March 11) in the Kingdom turned out to be a ‘Day of Tranquility,’ as any Friday is in the land of Islam.”

Business as Usual in Saudi Arabia as Foreign Correspondents Chase Nonexistent Story

2011-03-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

By Siraj Wahab in the eastern Saudi city of Qatif

Foreign correspondents dispatched to Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province to cover the “Day of Rage” touted on social media websites are reporting there is nothing much to report.

On Thursday, families were making purchases in shops and malls and there was normal traffic flow in Qatif, Dammam and Alkhobar streets as people sat in coffee shops chatting and reading newspapers. Despite all the normality, however, some expatriates, especially the Westerners, did have their apprehensions.

Reporters and correspondents usually assigned to the Eastern Province are primarily concerned with the Saudi Arabia’s energy business; political reporters are based in Riyadh. This week, however, many of the Riyadh-based writers have traveled to the Eastern Province to cover "political unrest" and are finding nothing but business as usual.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal acknowledged on Wednesday (March 9) that there was a protest march last week, but the protesters were invited to share their concerns peacefully and through proper channels.

“When a group of our brothers came out, a police officer asked them whether they see any hindrance before them to present their demands to the Saudi authorities as their offices are open to all,” Prince Saud said. “We have seen Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah receiving groups of citizens from the Eastern Province and other parts of the Kingdom on Tuesday. The officer then told them to give their demands in writing. They then presented their demands and went back to their homes.”

In the nations that have faced protests and unrest, people have complained about unresponsive, corrupt leaders and chronic economic stagnation. In Saudi Arabia, the government has had a national dialogue in progress for several years, continuing multiple investments in employment-boosting industrial projects and economic cities across the Kingdom as well as one of the largest college scholarship programs in the world.

“The irony is that if you ask most people who Saudi Arabia’s lead reformer is they will tell you it is King Abdullah,” said one reporter. “If anything, he is waiting for the country to catch up to him.”

International news agencies went viral with reports about protests in Qatif. To add to the confusion, a Facebook page about planned protests Friday attracted lots of attention and has thousands of members. The Saudi government has made no effort to close it or Facebook. What is unknown is how many page members are actually Saudi.

“Anybody from Tanzania to Timbuktu can join any Facebook page,” said another correspondent. “Since there is a lot of curiosity many people who know nothing about Saudi Arabia seem to have joined this page creating even greater confusion.”

The potential problems arising from such circumstances when international news agencies amplify such social networking pages are obvious.

“I don’t know from where my bosses in the States are getting all kind of weird stories — that tanks are rolling in the Eastern Province, that there is a curfew in many towns,” said one foreign journalist who has been combing the Eastern Province for two days in search of a story. “I am sitting here in one of the best-known hotels in Alkhobar, and everything is so normal. In fact, on the way to this hotel I did not see a single checkpoint. What are these people talking about? Where are they getting their information from? If someone writes something on the blog it becomes viral. If someone posts a video on YouTube it becomes the rage in Western capitals. Nobody has the time to check the veracity and the truthfulness of these videos.”

The "investigative reporting" into civil unrest continues.

“The other day I visited most of the towns and saw nothing,” she said. “That is a story in itself, but my bosses are not interested in a business-as-usual story. They need a sensational story — one that fits whatever negative news they are hearing about Saudi Arabia. They see Saudi Arabia protests as a sexy story — a hot-button story."

On Thursday morning in Alkhobar, shoppers purchased items at malls and grocery stores. Some people went to breakfast and then went onto their next destinations on what appeared to be normally busy streets and highways.

In Qatif, Arab News witnessed more shopping and more coffee drinking. Families were busy enjoying a cool weather. There were no policemen or police cars in sight. However, that is not the impression one gets after watching all those television channels, and in global newsrooms scattered around the world, editors clamor for more details about the nonexistent “tinderbox".

“I don’t know what to do. I simply talk to the local people, compile their quotes and submit it to my bosses,” said another perplexed foreign correspondent. “The next day I find a very wonderfully written and highly sensational story full of spicy details with the quotes interspersed very nicely in between.”

The reporters seem committed to accuracy and factual reporting — at least on their part. As for what their editors do with those reporters’ reports in this case it truly appears to be another story.

“If that is what they want to do, let them do it,” said the correspondent. “This is the hazard of working with international news agencies. You don’t control the story. Your job is merely to provide information. It is the editors in the newsrooms in London, Paris and Washington who decide how to use that information and what angle to take.”

So as an anxious international press corps waits at the ready, it might be a nice day to enjoy the cool weather and a coffee along the beautiful beaches.

King Abdullah Arrives Home Amid Massive Celebrations

2011-02-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

By Siraj Wahab in Riyadh

sirajwahab@arabnews.com

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s return home sparked celebrations among Saudis and expatriates alike. The nation’s capital has become the site of an impromptu festival. King Abdullah arrived in his homeland on Wednesday after three months abroad. He had gone to New York on November 22 and underwent surgery two days later for a debilitating herniated disc complicated by a haematoma.

The iconic Faisaliah Tower on Riyadh's Olaya Street was bathed in green light symbolizing the Saudi flag, and the streets are filled with people carrying Saudi flags along with posters of King Abdullah. As the king's plane touched down, jet fighters of the Saudi Royal Air Force jets took to the sky to perform spectacular aerobatics, forming the Kingdom’s national symbol of crossed swords over a palm tree with their contrails. Men in white garb performed a traditional Saudi dance called "ardha" while well-wishers including women and children waited to see their ruler.

Happy onlookers cheered as the jets performed their aerobatic display. “We are very happy because our leader is back among us,” said an elderly man celebrating near the historic Masmak Fort in the city's old quarters. “My son is even happier because he works for the government, and King Abdullah has announced fabulous pay hikes for government employees,” he said. “I worked in the past for the military as a maintenance technician, and I am told that our king has raised the amount of pension to all retirees. That is an additional reason for me to celebrate,” he said smiling broadly.

Twenty-seven-year-old Mahmoud Fallata who works with Saudi Telecom Co. said he has never seen such happiness in his lifetime. “Everybody is cheering. Everyone at home is glued to television sets watching each and every story about our king. Our company and other telecom companies have announced huge reductions in call rates and text message charges,” he said. “At home and at school children are chanting 'Baba Abdullah, Baba Abdullah'. It’s like an Eid celebration,” he said,

As the evening wore on hundreds of smiling Saudi youths took to the streets, which were filled by 3 p.m. For Saudis, Wednesday is the beginning of the weekend, but the government declaration of a holiday Saturday has given everyone an extended weekend.

Expatriates also were jubilant. “There is something unique about this king. Ever since he took over, the Kingdom has been blessed with great prosperity. Masha-Allah,” said Atta Shukri, a pharmacist from Egypt. “When I landed here nine years ago, the economy seemed in a bad shape. Today,Saudi Arabia has emerged as the most financially stable country in the world ... All this is thanks to the prudent policies of King Abdullah,” he said.

“As an expat who has been given the opportunity to earn a living here, I feel very happy at this moment,” said Pakistani schoolteacher Shakir Moyeen. “It is such a nice feeling to see happiness written large on the faces of our hosts. They are smiling and exchanging greetings. That this king is so popular is evident from the faces and body language of the Saudis.”

For King Saud University student Wael Abdul Rahman, the return of King Abdullah means he has to visit the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to say thanksgiving prayers. “I had taken this vow that I would perform Umrah when our beloved king returned hale and hearty. Today, I have to honor that pledge. I am leaving Wednesday night to Makkah. I can’t describe my happiness,” he said.

In sharp contrast to some countries where young people have taken to the streets calling on unresponsive governments for needed reforms, many young Saudis hold that King Abdullah is the leader of the Kingdom’s reform movement.

“For us young Saudis, this king has meant a lot. He has taken special care of us. He announced so many scholarships — sent so many students abroad to study, and more importantly he restored the image of Saudis in the eyes of the world,” he said. “After 9/11 we were seen with lot of suspicion. He gave us confidence and taught us the values of moderation and won the respect of the world with his interfaith dialogue and national dialogue initiatives."

'Modi Is the Worst of the Worst ... Wo Zaalim Hai'

2011-02-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

Exclusive Interview With Maulana Ghulam Ahmad Vastanwi

By Siraj Wahab in Makkah

Published on Feb. 22, 2011

MAULANA Ghulam Ahmad Vastanwi was in Saudi Arabia last week. During his stay in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah, he met a number of high-ranking officials associated with the Saudi government and such prestigious institutions as the Muslim World League and the World Association of Muslim Youth. Dozens of students who graduated from his seminary and are now studying at the Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah and the Islamic University of Madinah also came to visit and felicitate him.

The maulana was thrust into international limelight following his recent appointment as the rector or muhtamim of South Asia's most prestigious Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband. More than his appointment, it was his reported remarks about Narendra Modi, the man who led the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat, which led to an uproar in India and abroad, and calls for his resignation in some quarters.

The Majlis-e-Shoura of Darul Uloom Deoband is meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 23, to discuss his fate. It might rule in his favor or it may ask him to step aside in view of the raging controversy. Maulana Vastanwi spoke to this correspondent at the Marwa Towers in Makkah, a few steps from the Grand Mosque. As I tap on the iPad to record the maulana's interview I notice the impressive Kaaba from the glass window of his room. Sitting next to him is his youngest son Uwais Vastanwi. Following are the excerpts from the interview:

Q: How long have you been associated with Darul Uloom Deoband?

A: Darul Uloom Deoband is the oldest Muslim religious institution in Asia. It has played a key role in South Asia's history. It was established by some of the greatest Muslim leaders. It was started to preserve our religion in South Asia and its founders succeeded in their mission. Any order issued by Deoband is followed by the community in letter and spirit. It is the most important center of religious learning in India and also the most prestigious.

I have been a member of the Deoband Shoura for the last 12 years. The Shoura has 17 members. These 17 members come from all states of India. I represent Maharashtra in the Shoura. All of the Shoura members come from excellent backgrounds. They are chosen on the basis of their work for Islam in their respective regions. All of these members have contributed immensely to the promotion of Islam.

Maulana Marghubur Rahman, who died a few months ago, was the ninth rector of Deoband. He was a great man. He was widely respected by the ulama. Such was his selflessness and devotion to Deoband that he did not take a single penny from the institution that he ran. In fact, he even paid rent for the room in which he stayed. It was Maulana Marghubur Rahman who made me the member of the Shoura 12 years ago. He loved me and I respected him immensely. When he died, it was suggested that I become the acting rector. I did not see myself fit for the post and I politely declined. The Shoura members then persuaded Maulana Abul Qasim Banarasi to become the acting rector. It was a unanimous decision.

A month-and-a-half later the Shoura was convened to elect a new rector. Of the 17 members, four members suggested the name of Maulana Arshad Madani. Two were in favor of the acting rector Maulana Abul Qasim Banarasi. Eight members proposed my name. Three members did not turn up. So it was announced that since eight members are in favor of Maulana Vastanwi he should be made the rector. I objected and said no. I said that if the other members who supported Maulana Arshad Madani and Maulana Abul Qasim Banarasi change their opinion in my favor … only then will I accept this post. I wanted unanimity. They all said yes and added that since most members have now reposed confidence in Vastanwi we too are with him. Everything was settled. A formal announcement was made by the Shoura. There were celebrations. I met with the teachers and other administrative officials and briefed them about various issues concerning the seminary. Students were happy too. I addressed them in the evening. The next day I left for Akkalkuwa where we run a number of madaris and degree colleges.

Q: When did the trouble begin then?

A: As soon as I left Deoband, I got a call that some students were unhappy with my appointment. I was told that they were very few in numbers. Now I don't know who instigated them or who was behind this campaign against me. It came as a shock to me. Just a day earlier everything seemed perfect. The students were happy, the teachers were happy, all Shoura members were happy.

A little later I got a call from the Times of India's Gujarat correspondent. The news was out in the media that I had become the rector of Deoband. He asked me about the Gujarat riots and I told him why was he asking my opinion on something that happened eight years ago. And then I suggested that for us Muslims now education is the most important thing. Our community's focus is education. The report that appeared in the newspaper next day gave an impression that I was supporting Modi and that I gave a clean chit to him. I had told The Times correspondent that cases relating to the 2002 riots are before the courts and it is the duty of the courts to provide justice to the riot victims. I also said that those who are being illegally detained should be released.

Q: But the impression one got from the report was that you have some kind of a soft spot for Modi...

A: Modi is the worst of the worst. Wo zaalim hai ... aur zaalim ki taareef bhi nahin ki ja sakti (he is a cruel man and one is not allowed to appreciate a cruel man). Whatever he did to Muslims we will and we cannot forget that (zaalim ke zulm ko ham maaf bhi nahi kar sakte). Nor can we give him a clean chit. Some people in the media, especially a particular section of the Urdu media, have twisted my statements to create mischief. If you go back to the original report in The Times of India, it is very clearly mentioned that "Vastanwi did not give Modi a clean chit".

Q: There were also reports that Modi invited you as a special guest for Republic Day celebrations in Gujarat?

A: This again was media mischief. Nobody invited me and nor did I go there. This bit of news was absolutely nonsensical. When I first heard it, I immediately issued a clarification. I was in Deoband on Jan. 26.

Q: Those who launched an attack on you are part of our community. They do not belong to other communities. What do you think was their motive? What is your assessment?

A: Whoever has done this mischief of maligning me and whoever is behind this mudslinging campaign ... let me tell them I am not a political man. My work is confined to promoting education. Taalim, taalim aur taalim -- that is my motto and mission. Those who have made an issue out of my reported remarks ... for them, this is a political issue.

Some people took my comments as supporting Modi. Some people saw those statements as anti-Congress. I am not favoring Modi nor am I against Congress. I only say that Muslims work hard in the field of education (musalman apne aap ko taalim me aage laaye). Muslim youngsters are facing unemployment. Our community members are suffering because of stark poverty. I think unless and until we work in the field of education we will not be able to tackle these two major problems facing our community in India: unemployment and poverty.

Q: Can your tell us about your institutions in Akkalkuwa?

A: I completed my early Islamic education at Darul Uloom Falah-e-Darain Tadkeshwar (district Surat, Gujarat). I then worked as an Arabic teacher at Darul Uloom Kantharia (district Bharuch, Gujarat). In 1979 when I was teaching there, we had two students who were from Akkalkuwa, a small hamlet in Maharashtra. At that time, the population of Akkalkuwa may have been 5,000. I am talking about 1980. Muslims were about 50 percent so there were around 2,500 Muslims. At the invitation of those two students (both are now teaching at our institutions) I went to Akkalkuwa in 1980. Wahan kuch nahi tha ... Sirf jahalat thi. There was total ignorance. Muslims were unaware of the teachings of Islam. They were extremely poor. Mosques lay abandoned. No one took care of them. There was no library, no school. So when I visited Akkalkuwa, this thought crossed my mind that I should do something here. Remember, this was just a thought not a dream. Then I wrote to my elders about the situation in Akkalkuwa. They said "baith jaao," start working there. So in 1980 I built a shed that cost us 18,000 rupees. That shed or "jhonpda" still exists today. We started with six students and two teachers -- Maulana Ishaq and Maulana Yaqoob.

Then two residents of Akkalkuwa -- Salman Havaldar and Yaqoob Dada -- each gave us 3 acres of land. So we had six acres. On this six-acre plot we started work in 1983. In two years we got a building constructed. Around this time, in 1986 to be precise, I went to South Africa. There I met Abdullah Omar Naseef who was visiting that country. He was at that time the chief of the World Muslim League. I immediately extended an invitation to him to visit our madrasa. He accepted our invitation. It became big news in India. Omar Naseef was riding the crest of popularity in the Muslim world with his dynamism. The popular reaction in India was "Such a big man, coming to Akkalkuwa!" Omar Naseef is a great man. May Allah bless him. He always thought big. I never heard him saying no. Anybody who went to him, he would say "yes" and "done".

His arrival in Akkalkuwa in 1987 proved to be a turning point in the history of the Muslims of Akkalkuwa. It was a big program from our point of view. However, it was a small program looking at the stature of Omar Naseef. He faced a lot of difficulties reaching Akkalkuwa. There were no paved roads. The best car available then was the Ambassador. And we did not have enough resources. In his speech, however, he said he was overwhelmed by the love of the Muslims of India. "This will remain my most memorable visit." That is what he said. Then Omar Naseef invited us to the Muslim World League and introduced us to people in Kuwait. I always visit him when I visit Saudi Arabia.

So our Jamia Akkalkuwa continued to make steady progress in 1980s and 1990s. The strength rose from six students to 500, 700, 1,000. Today our Jaamia is the biggest madrasa for memorizing the Qur'an in Asia. We have 10,000 students who are currently memorizing the Qur'an in Jamia and other Jamia affiliates. We have more than 100 branches. Every year, 1,500 students graduate from the Jamia after having memorized the Holy Qur'an. At other madaris there are only 200-300 students. In Deoband itself there are only 250 students in the memorizing Qur’an section (tahfeez al-Qur’an). So far, 15,000 students are already hafiz and are working in various parts of the country. In Deoband, the memorizing Qur’an section is not big. There the focus is on the alim studies (alamiyyat). Every year Deoband produces 800 to 900 alims.

Then we realized that in Akkalkuwa there were no opportunities for mainstream worldly education. So we helped the villagers start a high school. We constructed the building for them. At that time it cost us 2.5 million rupees. Then we started our own high school. Then a junior college. The students from the local high school had no opportunity to continue higher studies so they started coming to our junior college. Then we launched a Unani medical college (BUMS). Then we launched ITIs. So far, nearly 2,000 students have benefited from these technical institutes. Since there is a certain criteria set by the government to enlist students, our huffaz did secondary education after completing their memorization courses and got into these technical institutes. But most of the students who came to join our technical institutes were from regular schools, but once they joined the technical institutes run by us we provided them with religious education. That was an incentive for them. They got an Islamic way of life. So a Muslim student at our ITI did not just become a technical expert but a good Muslim too. And those Hindus who enroll in our technical institutes become sympathetic to the Muslim issues.

So now we have a Unani medical college, technical institutes, B.Ed. colleges, D.Ed colleges, polytechnic colleges, D. Pharm College, B. Pharm College and a B.E. engineering college. The most important point in our colleges is that there is no concept of donation. There are hundreds of students to whom we provide free education in our colleges. All this has improved the economy of Akkalkuwa. Akkalkuwa is not what it was when we first visited in 1980. Akkalkuwa has become a proper town. I have now spent 30 years there. I have never faced any difficulty from our Hindu brothers in Akkalkuwa. They have been very helpful. In fact, their students are enrolled in our institutes as well.

I can safely say that after Aligarh this is the largest chain of institutions. [It is worth pointing out that Maulana Vastanwi has helped construct 5,000 mosques in Maharashtra's remote districts. Many of these mosques have cost 5 million rupees and some even 10 million rupees. He has helped dig 4,000 bore wells for drinking water and set up hundreds of primary schools. To date he has set up 2,500 primary Islamic centers]. So far, the Akkalkuwa campus is far bigger than Deoband. But Deoband is prestigious. There is no doubt about that. We have 12,500 students with lodging and boarding facilities. Deoband has only 3,000 students.

Q: What will you say to your adversaries?

A: Let me clarify here, I don't call them adversaries. What I say is that we have to take everybody along -- Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Christians. We have to work together to build the nation. We have to be big-hearted. If we take a communal stand, it will not produce good results for us. We have to cleanse our heart and mind and join the march for the moral and industrial progress of our country. Similarly, I appeal to non-Muslim Indians to provide Muslims with the space they deserve to prosper. Both need each other. And for this attitudinal change we need education.

Q: There is a perception among some people that maulana is being opposed because he belongs to the south.

A: I disagree with that assessment. That is not correct. Members of the Deoband Shoura belong to all parts of India. As I mentioned before, I have been a member of the Shoura for the last 12 years. If they were prejudiced against anybody from the south, then I would not have been made the rector in the first place. They made me the rector. If they had in their minds that they should not make a Gujarati as the head, then they would not have appointed me. So how can they be biased? My appointment as Deoband rector is proof that there is no regionalism there.

Q: It seems you are very upset with the Urdu media?

A: No, I am not upset with them. We need the Urdu media. We need to promote Urdu. We are fighting for Urdu and the government is also working on it. Sahara newspaper is counted among the best Urdu newspapers in India. Then there are Inquilab and Urdu Times from Bombay; Siasat, Etemad and Munsif from Hyderabad. We need good journalists. But it is the responsibility of the newspaper owners to maintain their standards and earn credibility.

Q: There was some controversy about your resignation as well. It was reported that you resigned and then there reports that you did not?

A: Again it was media manipulation. When I heard that some students were agitating against my appointment, I told them that if they did not like me then I will tell the Shoura that since the students do not like me I will resign because a resignation can only be given to those who appointed me. I also said that I will resign if the Shoura is unhappy with me. The media immediately reported that I had resigned. On Feb. 23, when the Shoura meets I will tell them that if my personality leads to problems for Deoband, then they can relieve me. Who wants any harm to come to this great institution? Only Shoura will decide whether I will or will not stay at Deoband. The Shoura's decision will be the final decision. They are the decision-makers.

Q: Some say the current agitation against you is being fanned by the Madani family.

A: Regarding the Madani family, I will not say anything. I respect them. This is a very respectable family. Theirs is a historical contribution. My daughter is married in that family (Maulana Vastanwi's daughter is married to Maulana Arshad Madani's son). My daughter and son-in-law are leading a happy life. I will only repeat that I am not a BJP man. I am a man of education. My only goal is to promote education.

Q: There is also an allegation that you are out to convert Darul Uloom Deoband into a modern institute?

A: Those who are against us allege that we will convert it into a modern institute. Deoband is a religious institution. We cannot and will not deviate from its aims. Though I am the rector of Deoband, I cannot do anything that is not mandated by the Majlis-e-Shoura. It is that simple. At Deoband, I am answerable and accountable to the Shoura for each and every action. These unfounded rumors that are being spread against me that I will dilute the fundamental character of Deoband are baseless. I only have to execute the policies approved by the Shoura. That is the high command. You may not know this, but I cannot even get a student enrolled in Deoband. Those decisions are taken by the Shoura.

Returning Hajis Find Makkah a City Transformed

2010-11-13T01:59:00.000-08:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on November 12, 2010

The first thing that strikes you upon entering the holy city from Jeddah is the number of mighty yellow-and red-colored cranes on the skyline from all the ongoing construction projects in Makkah. Where once stood old buildings, multistory hotels and even hills, there is now leveled land fenced off by metal sheets. Inside, construction workers are busy erecting massive towers that will house pilgrims in the coming years.

One of busiest areas on the Holy Mosque’s western side when you enter from Jeddah used to be the Shamia district. It is completely under construction now. This district used to house hundreds of pilgrims from South Asia and Arab countries. Some of the pilgrims who have been to Makkah in the past look longingly at the area and try to figure out where they had stayed on past visits.

“Everything has changed in five years,” said Mukhtar Nadwi, a pilgrim from Saharanpur, India. “I was here in 2005 along with my wife and my mother. We used to stay at a hotel just opposite Bab Al-Umrah, which is one of the many imposing gates leading into the Holy Mosque. I went there last night to see if I could find the place, but there is no trace of it. The whole area is unrecognizable.” He wondered where the Bangladeshi man who helped his aging mother those days was.

Pakistani national of Yemeni origin Syed Ashfaq Muscati is also amazed by the speed with which Makkah's skyline has changed. “I was here six years ago, and our group of pilgrims was staying in an old building located behind Ibrahim Khalil Road,” he said. “The whole area is now part of the massive Jabal Omar project. I remember the tiny Pakistani eatery where we would go to have our favorite subcontinental food — all that is gone. We are told that huge buildings will be coming up here.”

Both Nadwi and Muscati are this time staying in Makkah's Aziziah district. It is quite a distance from the Holy Mosque, but pilgrim establishments and tour operators are providing shuttle services between Aziziah and the Holy Mosque. The free shuttles operate through the tunnels that have been specifically created for these 40-seat coaches. “It is an excellent service. They drop us at the basement of the Makkah Clock Tower, and in a matter of minutes we are in the courtyard of the Holy Mosque. We take a similar route going back,” Nadwi said.

Aziziah district is one of Makkah’s best-planned areas, featuring comfortable accommodation and a road network leading straight to the Holy Mosque through a tunnel reserved for pilgrims. Since the beginning of the massive construction projects around the holy city, Saudi authorities have been promoting Aziziah as a planned Haj township. Although it is a considerable distance from the Holy Mosque, because of the construction and consequent congestion, it is nonetheless a viable housing alternative. In the past, Aziziah used to be favored by Emiratis, Indonesians and Bahrainis. They would deliberately opt for Aziziah in order to avoid problems associated with buildings closer to the Grand Mosque.

The lack of residential space in the areas in the immediate proximity of the Grand Mosque has forced many private tour operators, especially from India and Pakistan, to cut down on the number of pilgrims they would normally bring in during Haj time. “People back home in Pakistan have now become very conscious of where they will be staying,” said Zahiruddin Jamaluddin Abro from Sukkur in Pakistan’s Sindh province. “They demand that we tell them the name of the hotels we arrange for them to stay in and the areas in which these hotels are located. They then go on Google and find out the exact location and distance between their hotel and the Grand Mosque.”

He added that in the past, Pakistani Haj operators had no such problem, hiring the best possible hotels very close to the Grand Mosque. “People are ready to pay, they need services. Our business runs on word of mouth. If we don’t deliver what we have promised then next year nobody would come to us. The returning pilgrims would approach the media, and then all our credibility would be lost,” he added.

Abro says they now tell would-be pilgrims about the lack of residential space around the holy city. “What we are doing instead is telling those pilgrims staying in Aziziah that they will be shifted to hotels close to the Grand Mosque after Haj,” he said. “After Haj, these nearby hotels will be empty, and most of their current occupants will head to Madinah. Our Haj package is generally 40 days, and so we make sure that our pilgrims pray at ease and in peace after Haj.”

Sri Lankan pilgrim Inayat Mohibullah and his wife have no complaints despite staying quite far from the Grand Mosque. “We are staying in a district that is near the Ruseifah parking lot. Everyday, we walk to this place because we can’t afford the high rates these taxi drivers demand,” Mohibullah told Arab News, while digging into his favorite chicken at Al-Tazaj. “It takes us 40 minutes on foot. We did get into taxis on a couple of occasions, but the road is so crowded with pilgrims that it is better to walk than sit in a vehicle that moves literally at a snail’s pace."

He said Haj was all about endurance and sacrifice. “It is the journey at the end of which one is like a newborn baby,” he said. “For that to happen, one will have to go through small difficulties. What amazes me and touches me, however, is the helping nature of the pilgrims. The other day I saw an old man with a deeply furrowed face pushing a wheelchair with his wife in it. He was having difficulty negotiating a steep incline. There were so many young men who went rushing toward them to help the old man. It is this feeling and these images that keep our spirits and our adrenaline high as we look forward to the five-day rituals that we have to perform beginning Sunday.”

Praying for King Abdullah's Long and Healthy Life

2010-11-13T01:51:00.000-08:00

By Siraj Wahab

Saudi Arabia's 86-year-old king is suffering from slipped disc and has been advised complete rest. He will not be overseeing the Haj this year which begins on Sunday, Nov. 14.

An official Royal Court statement released late on Friday night said: “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud is suffering from back problems which doctors diagnosed as a herniated disc. Doctors have advised him rest.”

According to doctors quoted by news agencies, the slipping or rupturing of one of the discs in the spine, a herniated disc, is not life-threatening and is usually treated by rest, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs.

There were concerns when the king failed to chair the Cabinet meeting on Monday. It was the king's younger brother, Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, who presided over the weekly session. At 76, Prince Naif is No. 3 in the royal hierarchy. The No. 2, 84-year-old Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, is also ostensibly not keeping well. He has been in Morocco since the end of August.

On Saturday, the king officially appointed Prince Naif to oversee the five-day Haj pilgrimage. King Abdullah became the sovereign in 2005 after the death of his brother King Fahd.

King Abdullah's popularity ratings continues to soar because of a series of path-breaking changes that he has helped usher in. He has restored Saudi Arabia's standing in the world after the severe battering it received in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Last week leading American business magazine Forbes ranked him as the third most powerful man in the world after Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama.

Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing a second oil boom and the kingdom has poured billions of dollars in infrastructural projects. Foreign investors too are lining up to have a piece of the pie. Saudi Arabia is among the few nations that came out unscathed after the recent global downturn.

Friday Sermon Stirs Millions in Makkah

2010-11-13T01:32:00.000-08:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Saturday, November 14, 2010

About two million pilgrims listened with rapt attention to Imam Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais’ soul-stirring 40-minute sermon on Friday from the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The sermon was carried live on state television and many Arab, African and Asian television stations. On many occasions during the sermon the congregation was reduced to tears as the imam spoke about the tough times that Muslim world faces in these critical times.

Al-Sudais called for the liberation of Palestine and said now is the time for Palestinian factions to bury their differences. “These differences have only added to the miseries of our brothers and sisters in Palestine. This inhuman blockade has made life hellish for them. Now is the time for Muslim countries to unify their ranks and liberate Palestinians from the shackles of this inhuman bondage,” he said. “All differences among regional countries should be and can be resolved in the true spirit of Islam. The best example of our unity is this congregation in which every Muslim from every corner is united through the love of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Holy Qur’an.”

The imam described Palestine as the single biggest problem confronting the nation of Islam. “Every day brings a new form of misery for them,” he said, breaking down in tears. “O Allah, unite all Muslim nations.” The congregation responded with a vociferous “Aameen.”

Al-Sudais repeatedly stressed the value of unity. “Our divisions have given our adversaries the ruse to exploit us. We are fragmented despite being in such a large number. Unity is the key to our well-being. The message of Haj is unity. Let us pray for the unification of Muslims throughout the planet.”

The imam also stressed the need for hope and optimism with trust in Allah at all times of adversity. He quoted the Holy Qur’an: “And never give up hope in God’s soothing mercy: Truly no one despairs of God’s soothing mercy except those who have no faith.”

Al-Sudais congratulated the pilgrims for undertaking the most important journey of their lives. “This was your lifelong dream. You always wanted to be here. You always wanted to carry out this important task of Haj. Well, here you are in the holy land. You are lucky. It is all due to the blessings of Allah the Almighty. I congratulate you. From here you should take the most important message of Islam and that is tawheed (the oneness of Allah).”

Referring to Iraq, he said the cycle of unending wars has destroyed that nation. “Again, it is the lack of unity and petty issues that have been responsible for the tragedy in Iraq,” he said.

Al-Sudais thanked the Saudi leadership, led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, for landmark projects to provide ease and comfort to the pilgrims during the various rituals of Haj. “The train services for pilgrims that go into operation this year are a remarkable achievement. May Allah protect this leadership, and may He grant them long life,” he said.

The Makkah Metro is ready to service pilgrims during this Haj. Saudi Arabia has poured billions of riyals into various infrastructure projects in Makkah, Mina and Arafat. The cost of such projects has never been passed onto the pilgrims.

Al-Sudais also paid rich tribute to all those Saudis who have dedicated themselves into the service of pilgrims. “You deserve congratulations for helping the guests of God. Allah has bestowed this rare honor on you to help the pilgrims, and you have not let the pilgrims down. May Allah keep you safe.”

“I've never experienced such calmness,” retired Nigerian military officer Salisu Ali said of Al-Sudais’ sermon. “I don’t speak Arabic nor do I understand it, but the verses that he was quoting from the Qur’an are all too familiar to us. And I could understand in what context he was quoting them. I couldn’t control my tears because everyone was crying. The sheikh moved us all.”

An aged Pakistani woman, Begum Jahanara Sarwat, said she never felt such peace. “We keep hearing all these bad stories and depressing events," she said. "However, today I did not feel weak at all. Why should I? We are this many people,” she added as she gestured to the throng of faithful. “Is it possible for our enemies to destroy us? These are momentary setbacks, my son. Don’t lose hope. Allah se acche ki ummeed rakho (Expect good from Allah)."

Every corner of the Grand Mosque was filled by pilgrims as early as 10 a.m. even though the time for Friday prayer was scheduled for 12:05 p.m. The relatively hot weather did not deter the pilgrims from performing the prayer on roads and in alleyways surrounding the mosque. The congregation thinned an hour after the prayer, and outside the mosque pigeons fluttered past the minarets and swooped down on any vacant space available in the mosque’s massive courtyard.

Spirituality combined with anxiety was evident on many pilgrims’ faces. With just 24 hours remaining before pilgrims begin the trek to the valley of Mina in the first leg of the five-day journey, the pilgrims’ minds are clearly focused on the rituals that they will perform in fulfillment of their obligations. “We are a little anxious. Being in Makkah is an overwhelming experience," said Syed Abbas, an elderly Indian man making his first pilgrimage. "There are so many people here. We come from a small town. Even performing circumambulation or tawaf is a big task."

All About Shahryar, the Jnanpith Award Winner

2010-09-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

This photo, provided by Mohammad Moin Khan, shows Shahryar, second from right, being honored in Jeddah immediately after the Jnanpith Award announcement.

By Siraj Wahab

Q: Who is Shahryar?
A: Shahryar is the famous Urdu poet from India who is known in the Urdu and Hindi world for his beautiful songs in the classic Urdu film "Umrao Jaan". Critics rave about his poetry, but unlike his songs, his couplets have not been able to attain mass popularity. Perhaps, they are too refined for popular taste!

Q: What does that last bit mean?
A: Almost all of his songs in "Umrao Jaan" and "Gaman" are on the lips of film and literature lovers. People croon them all the time without realizing that they were written by Shahryar. Each song of his is a literary masterpiece -- Dil Cheez Kya Hai Aap Meri Jaan Lijiye; In Ankhon Ki Masti Me; Juztaju Jiski Thi; Ye Kya Jagah Hai Doston, etc. Look at the beauty of his words in this song from "Gaman". This is my ultimate favorite:

Seene Me Jalan Aankhon Me Toofaan Sa Kyun Hai
Is Shehr Me Har Shaks Pareshaan Saa Kyun Hai

Dil Hai To Dhadakne Ka Bahaana Koyee Dhundhe
Patthar Ki Tarah Behis-o-Bejaan Sa Kyun Hai

Tanhaai Ki Ye Kaun Si Manzil Hai Raqeebon
Taa Hadd-e-Nazar Ek Bayaabaan Saa Kyun Hai

Kya Koi Nayee Baat Nazar Aati Hai Ham Me
Aayeena Hamen Dekh Ke Hairaan Sa Kyun Hai

Or this song from "Umrao Jaan" (also a favorite):

Zindagi Jab Bhi Teri Bazm Me Laati Hai Hamen
Ye Zamin Chand Se Behtar Nazar Aati Hai Hamen

Surkh Phulon Se Mehak Uthti Hain Dil Ki Raahen
Din Dhale Yun Teri Aawaz Bulaati Hai Hamen

Yaad Teri Kabhi Dastak Kabhi Saragoshi Se
Raat Ke Pichhale Pehar Roz Jagaati Hai Hamen

Har Mulaqaat Ka Anjaam Judayee Kyun Hai
Ab To Har Waqt Yahi Baat Satati Hai Hamen

Or this one ...

Dil Cheez Kya Hai Aap Meri Jaan Lijiye
Bas Ek Baar Mera Kaha Maan Lijiye

Is Anjuman Me Aapko Aana Hai Baar Baar
Deewar-o-Dar Ko Ghaur Se Pehchaan Lijiye

Maana Ke Doston Ko Nahin Dosti Ka Paas
Lekin Ye Kya Ke Ghair Ka Ehsan Lijiye

Kahiye To Aasamaa Ko Zamee Par Utaar Laayen
Mushkil Nahi Hai Kuch Bhi Agar Thaan Lijiye

Q: Why is he in the news these days?
A: Because he has been conferred with the Jnanpith, India's topmost award in the field of literature.

Q: Is Shahryar his real name?
A: No. His real name is Kunwar Akhlaq Mohammed Khan.

Q: How old is he?
A: He is 74. He was born on June 16, 1936.

Q: His birthplace?
A: Anwala village in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

Q: Aligarh Muslim University alumni are ecstatic at the honor given to him. Was he associated with the university? In what way?
A: Shahryar is a quintessential AMU alumnus. He was associated with the university's Urdu department for several years and served as lecturer, reader, professor and department chairman. He retired from active service in 1996. It is also worth noting that he spent his formative years at AMU City High School and also completed his graduate studies at AMU. Perhaps his greatest assignment has been editorship of "Fikr-o-Nazar", the university's prestigious research publication. He was also member-in-charge of the university's Public Relations Office for some time.

Q: Is Jnanpith his first award?
A: No. He got the Sahitya Akademy Award in 1987 for his anthology of Urdu poetry titled, "Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai".

Q: Is he the first Urdu litterateur to get the Jnanpith?
A: No. He is the fourth. Firaq Gorakhpuri (1969), Qurratulain Haider (1989) and Ali Sardar Jafri (1997) were the previous recipients of the award.

Q: After attaining stupendous success with "Umrao Jaan," he had a bright career ahead of him as a lyricist in Bollywood. Why did he stop writing lyrics for films?
A: Let me quote from one of his previous interviews for the answer. This is what Shahryar says: "The songs that are being made nowadays — I can't write such songs. It is not that I am against those songs but I know I can't write like that. That is why I am not writing for films anymore ... After 'Umrao Jaan', I did write lyrics for some films. One of them was 'Anjuman' made by Muzaffar Ali and many more that unfortunately could not release due to certain circumstances. Then there was one called 'Habba Khatun Zuni'. All the songs got recorded; in fact the film also was almost complete, but because of the Kashmir issue it got shelved. Another reason for my absence from the Bollywood scene was that I did not consider myself a professional lyricist, plus I don't live in Mumbai."

Q: How is Shahryar related to Moghi Tabassum of Hyderabad, Deccan?
A: The two of them edit the Indian Subcontinent's most prestigious literary journal, "Sher-o-Hikmat". When last heard, the publication was facing a financial crunch. Shahryar was also very close to the late Awaz Sayeed. In fact, there is an interesting essay on Shahryar in Awaz Sayeed's book of sketches called "Khaake".

Q: Your favorite couplets from Shahryar?
A: These two from his ghazal "Zindagi Jaisi Tamanna Thi Nahin Kuch Kam Hai" are my favorite. He read this ghazal at the mushaira in Jeddah on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, a day before the Jnanpith award was announced. This ghazal is perhaps closest to Shahryar's heart as well because he recites this one at all poetry gatherings. He did recite this in the 2005 Jeddah mushaira as well.

Ghar Ki Taameer Tasawwur Hi Me Ho Sakti Hai
Apne Naqshe Ke Mutaabiq Ye Zameen Kuch Kam Hai

Bichde Logon Se Mulaqaat Kabhi Phir Hogi
Dil Me Ummeed To Kaafi Hai Yaqeen Kuch Kam Hai

Q: What is so great about Shahryar's poetry?
A: I put that question to Hifzur Rahman, the Riyadh-based Indian diplomat, who is himself a connoisseur of Urdu poetry and literature. This is what he has to say: "Shahryar's greatest contribution is that he refused to break the mold of ghazal. What he did was to add a dash of modernity to this popular genre without tampering with its traditional structure. This is a particularly tough task, but not for Shahryar. He came out with some of the best lines in Urdu poetry."

Pakistani Poets Delight Captive Jeddah Audience at Aalami Urdu Markaz Mushaira

2010-08-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Pakistani poets proved their prowess at the recent mushaira organized by Jeddah-based Aalami Urdu Markaz at the Pakistan International School in Jeddah’s Aziziya district. With fresh ideas, unique phraseology, superb coinage of metaphors and amazing imagery, these talented literary figures created an evening that will not easily be forgotten.

In attendance were some of Pakistan’s best-known poets. They included Sarshar Siddiqui, Shehzad Ahmed, Khurshid Rizvi, Professor Inayat Ali Khan, Ijaz Rahmani and Dr. Munawwar Hashmi — each highlighting the wonders of Urdu poetry.

It was Munawwar Hashmi who set the tone for a wonderful night with gems like “Hum Tere Shehr Mein Phirte Hain Magar Aise Hi/Hum Pe Pad Jaaye Kabhi Teri Nazar Aise Hi; Dasht Dar Dasht Safar Karke Jo Us Tak Pahonche/Usne Bas Itna Kaha Aaj Kidhar Aise Hi; Jaane Manzil Thi Kahan Aur Kahan Jaana Tha/Umr Bhar Karte Rahe Hum To Safar Aise Hi.” The audience responded with thunderous applause for Hashmi who lived in Jeddah for a long time before returning to Pakistan.

Ijaz Rahmani was next in line to wow the audience with simple, yet amazing lines. His first two couplets — “Jitne Afraad Khandaan Mein Hain, Utni Deewarein Darmiyaan Mein Hain” and “Apne Dushman Ko De Diye Humne, Teer Hi Ab Kahan Kamaan Mein Hain” — literally cast a spell on the audience. They listened to him with rapt attention; the silence was only broken by a crescendo of “wah-wahs” at the end of each couplet.

Ijaz Rahmani then recited two beautiful ghazals that brought the house down. “Hawa Ke Waste Ek Kaam Chhod Aaaya Hoon/Diya Jala Ke Sar-e-Shaam Chhod Aaya Hoon; Kabhi Naseeb Ho Fursat to Usko Pad Lena/Wo Ek Khat Jo Tere Naam Chhod Aaya Hoon; Abhi To Aur Bahot Us Pa Tabsare Honge/Main Guftagu Me Jo Ibhaam Chhod Aaya Hoon.”

The other ghazal was: “Kis Ne Kaha Main Aag Lagane Me Jal Gaya/Main To Padosiyon Ko Bachane Me Jal Gaya; Jhulsa Diya Tha Logon Ko Nafrat Ki Aag Ne/Jo Bach Gaya Wo Jashn Manane Me Jal Gaya.” Ijaz Rahmani’s velvety voice and lively delivery only added to his appeal.

Inayat Ali Khan’s couplets shared tinges of spirituality, humor and gravity. “Inayat Maine Likhi Thi Sana-e-Kibria Ek Din/Usi Din Se Mera Aajiz Qalam Mojiz Raqam Thehra.” His style was hilarious, and his one particular poem was a takeoff on legendary Urdu poet Ghalib’s popular ghazal called “Ye Na Thi Hamaari Qismet Ke Wisale Yaar Hota.” Wondering how a Pathan might recite a ghazal on similar lines, he said: “Khoche Kis Ko Bole Ke Kya Hai, Kho Begum Buri Bala Hai/Walla Tum Ko Bhi Dikhati Jo Na Pardadaar Hoti.”

What really struck a chord with the audience were Inayat Ali Khan’s four lines: “Pet Khali Ho To Kab Sar Pair Ka Rehta Hai Hosh/Ab Na Tonti Chahiye Humko Na Bata Chahiye//Muflisi Me Aata Gila Hona Sunte Aaye Hain/Gila Karne Ke Liye Thodasa Aata Chahiye.”

His satire was reflected in his intelligent compositions. He made the audience laugh out loud at each couplet. This one, in particular, “Azmat Se Apne Mulk Ke Haakim Hain Sag Pasand/Dar Hai Ye Khoon Na Aaye Kahin Apni Paud Me; Kutton Se Inke Ishq Ka Aalam Na Puchiye/Kutte Hain Gode Mein, Kabhi Khud Unki Gode Mein” had everybody in splits.

Dr. Khurshid Rizvi demonstrated his literary weight through couplets replete with meaning. He was inimitable and a treat to hear. “Usi Ek Pal Ki Talash Hai Shab-o-Roz Me Mah-o-Saal Me/Wo Kahin Bhi Mujh Ko Mila Nahin, Na Firaq Me Na Wisaal Me; Jo Kaho To Jaal Samet Loon, Faqat Ek Mauj Hai Jaal Me/Use Kya Khabar Ke Main Khwab Hoon, Wo Jo Gum Hai Mere Khayal Me//Main Tarashta To Raha Sanam, Ke Rahun Jahan-e-Misaal Me/ Wo Jo Patharon Me Namak Sa Tha, Nahi Aa Saka Khad-o-Khal Me.”

His poem on Sir Muhammad Iqbal, titled “Ekkees April,” was touching and held the audience captive. His last ghazal was equally appreciated: “Sab Kahe Deti Hain Ashkon Ki Rawaani Afsos/Raaz Dil Me Hai Ke Chhalni Me Hai Paani Afsos; Subh Hote Hame Dekha To Bhala Kya Dekha/Ab Kahan Aakhir-e-Shab Ki Wo Rawaani Afsos.”

The night then took an even more romantic turn with Shahzad Ahmad taking over the microphone. “Haal Uska Tere Chehre Pe Likha Lagta Hai/Wo Jo Chup Chaap Khada Hai Tera Kya Lagta Hai.” His play of words was masterly, and his couplets had a scholarly air. “Yun Naqsh Huwa Aankh Ki Putli Pe Wo Chehra/Phir Humne Kisi Aur Ki Surat Nahi Dekhi; Shayed Isi Baayes Wo Farozan Hai Abhi Tak/Suraj Ne Kabhi Raat Ki Zulmat Nahi Dekhi; Sab Ki Tarah Toone Bhi Mere Aib Nikale/Toone Bhi Khudaya Meri Niyat Nahi Dekhi.”

The president of the poetry reading session was the erudite poet Sarshar Siddiqui. He wowed the audience with excellent and meaningful poems in a refreshing idiom and took the mushaira to a high level. “Doston Se Ye Mili Daad Wafadaari Ki/Tohmaten Sar Pe Liye Phirte Hain Ghaddari Ki; Sirf Ek Shaksh Tha Jisne Mera Dil Toda Tha/Maine Kyun Saare Zamaane Ki Dil Azaari Ki; Kuchh Munafiq Bhi Mere Halqa-e-Ahbaab Me The/So Maine Bhi Unse Mohabbat Ki Adakari Ki.”

Indeed, Sarshar Siddiqui is one of the best exponents of Urdu poetry in all its forms, gifted as he is with a rare mode of thought and feeling about love and rebellion. He has given a new meaning to the craft of Urdu poetry. He proved that with a repertoire of classic couplets at the Mehfil-e-Mushaira.

Among the local Pakistani poets who presented their compositions were Naseem Sahar, Qamar Haider Qamar, Habib Siddiqui, Shaukat Jamal and Mohsin Alvi.

Jeddah-based Ashfaq Badayuni anchored the evening. Earlier, Pakistani Consul General Zaigham Uddin Azam congratulated Aalami Urdu Markaz President Athar Abbasi, Syed Mahtab Ahmad, Amer Khurshid, Hamid Islam Khan and Irfan Hashmi for organizing a successful mushaira and promised that the Pakistani mission would lend full support to Urdu literary events.

The one couplet that everybody was crooning about long after the evening was over was Sarshar Siddiqui’s “Maine Phir Usse Kabhi Ishq Ka Daawa Na Kiya/Usne Ek Shart Lagadi Thi Wafadaari Ki.”

Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi's Passing Leaves a Literary Void

2010-08-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on August 16, 2010

Saudi Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, known for his poetic talents, died Sunday at 70, the Royal Court announced. He died at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh following a prolonged illness. He was buried Sunday evening after funeral prayers at Riyadh's Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque.

"Al-Gosaibi was a prominent government official who served the country sincerely with dedication. He had held several important positions and the last position was the minister of labor," the Royal Court said.

Acting Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam attended the prayers along with a large number of citizens and expatriates, many of whom recalled with fondness the impact the minister made on so many lives and his efforts to promote the employment of Saudis in all levels of employment. The minister was well-known for maintaining high spirits even when addressing heady issues.

"I barely remember a time when Al-Gosaibi was not in some form or other a part of the government, impacting many of the decisions that we are living with - from health clinics, water consumption to issues of unemployment and work visas," said celebrity and popular talk-show host Muna AbuSulayman. "His death has touched so many people, not just because of his multifaceted talents and literary work but also because of his legendary dry wit and sense of humor."

Al-Gosaibi served as Saudi ambassador to Bahrain from 1984 to 1992, and then to the UK from 1992 to 2002. He served as minister of industry and electricity from 1975 to 1982 before becoming minister of health (1982-1984) and minister of water (2002-2005).

He was also known as a prolific Saudi literary talent who published dozens of books, including essays, poetry, and love stories, some of which were banned in the Kingdom. Before a recent decision by Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja to lift the ban on his works, these books were available in neighboring Arab countries such as Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt. Among his controversial works is a collection of poetry called "A Battle Without a Flag" and a novel called "An Apartment Called Freedom."

"The irony was he was representing the government as the labor minister, and it was this same government that banned his works," said AbuSulayman. "It only symbolizes the contradictory world we live in."

"He was a pioneer of Saudi literature," said Qassim-based novelist Khaled Al-Awadh. "When he wrote "Shuggat Al-Hurriya" ("An Apartment Called Freedom") years ago, it inspired many Saudis to try their hand at novels. That was the first Saudi novel in strict literary terms. His style was matchless. He was endowed with so many characteristics. He was our literary icon, our cultural ambassador, a great administrator, all rolled into one. It is a big, big loss."

In 2002 he published a controversial poem titled "You are the Martyrs," an ode to Palestinian teenager Ayat Akhras, who blew herself up two weeks earlier in a Jerusalem supermarket, killing two Israelis. He praised Akhras as the "bride of the heavens" who "stands up to the criminal" and "kisses death with a smile."

"He appealed to people of all ages," said journalist Wajdi Sindi. "Elders, youngsters, women, children — everybody was under the magical spell of his words."

Dr. Majid Kazi, personal physician to the late King Fahd, described Al-Gosaibi as a great human being and an outstanding poet on the world stage.

"It was heartbreaking for me to learn about his departure," he said. "May God shower His blessings on this great thinker of his time and on his family. I have seen him time and again at close quarters as minister of health, as a bubbly friend and, above all, as an inspiring poet whose lyrical philosophical lines will continue to echo in the minds even far beyond our familiar sand dunes."

Dr. Kazi recalled how his late brother Qazi Saleem, the famous Urdu poet from India, was enchanted by Al-Gosaibi and his poetry. “My brother could not help but translate some of Al-Gosaibi’s poems in English and Urdu poetry, and the collection, entitled ‘Lyrics From Saudi Arabia’, was published by an American publishing house in late 1980s.”

Jeddah-based diplomat and analyst Isam Shanti said he was the most recognized Arab litterateur. "When I was in Syria in the 1980s, his novels and poems were the rage. As a politician, he also made a huge impact on the psyche of Arabs with his thoughts and actions."

Shanti said he was referred to as the Second Mutanabbi. "Mutanabbi was the greatest Arab poet. He was known for his classical lines. Al-Gosaibi came very close to Mutanabbi in the craft of poetry."

As a minister charged with boosting employment among Saudis who he said were only interested in high-paying, easy jobs, Al-Gosaibi served hamburgers in 2008 for three hours at a Jeddah fast food restaurant - a job usually filled by foreign workers. Later in a press event, Al-Gosaibi's photo appeared in the country's newspapers showing him prepping food in a restaurant kitchen; he was telling the nation's youth that there was nothing dishonorable about this type of work.

Al-Gosaibi told the collected audience at the 2008 Jeddah Economic Forum that he looked for Aladdin's Lamp every day. "Should I get one, and if the genie appears, I will ask for two wishes. My first wish will be to have 100 businessmen like Muhammad Jameel, the chief of ALJ Co. He has single-handedly provided thousands of jobs to Saudi youngsters." He paused and then said: "You want to know my second wish, don't you? Take this ministry away from me."

Al-Gosaibi was born in the eastern Saudi city of Hufuf on March 3, 1940 to a prominent business family. He earned a degree in law at the University of Cairo in 1961, a master's degree in international relations at the University of Southern California in 1964, and a doctorate in law at the University of London in 1970.

Other important posts held by Al-Gosaibi were: Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and head of the department of political science at King Saud University; director of the Saudi Railways Organization, chairman of Jubail Petrochemical Company (Sadaf) and Yanbu Petrochemical Company (Yanpet). He also served on Public Investment Fund, Supreme Manpower Council, and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. He was instrumental in setting up Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).

He authored more than 60 books including "Shuggat Al-Hurriya" (1994), "Al-Asfooriyah" (1996), "Denesco" (2002), "Hekayat Hub" (2004), "Abu Shalakh Al-Barmai" (2006) and "Al-Jeneyyah" (2006). In "Hayatum Fil Idara" he explained his administrative experiences until he became ambassador to the UK.

Despite his formal status, Al-Gosaibi's poetry, written with clear language and an eloquent style, reveals a deep involvement in Arab life and political experience, and reflects great love for simple beauty, innocence, and uncomplicated human relations in contrast to the pomp and flourish of the high life around him.

"He passed away leaving behind a highly creative output spanning many genres of writing," said poet Nimah Nawwab. "His poetry, ground-breaking novels, outspokenness and sharp wit marked him in numerous ways. He was unafraid of backlashes and lived a life full of remarkable events."

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan Narrates the History of Pakistan's Nuclear Bomb in ARY Interview

2010-08-01T17:42:00.001-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, or simply Dr. A.Q. Khan, is known as the father of Pakistan’s atomic bomb. This Bhopal-born Pakistani physicist and metallurgist is seen as a role model and hero in the Islamic world for having given his country the ultimate weapon to defend itself against archrival India.

He faced a particularly harrowing and humiliating time during the military regime of Pervez Musharraf to the extent that in February 2004 he was forced to admit on national television that he was involved in proliferating nuclear know-how to Iran and North Korea.

In an in-depth interview in Urdu with veteran Pakistani journalist Mazhar Abbas, which was broadcast on the Dubai-based ARY Television in two parts in July 2010, the 74-year-old Dr. Khan talked in detail about the history of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, the trials and tribulations that he and his family endured and his relationships with various civilian leaders and military generals over the three decades that he has been at the helm of Pakistan’s atomic program.

He appeared relaxed and did not sound bitter. In fact, he was rather forthcoming in bringing interesting mysteries of the past into the light of the day. The interview was titled, Pakistan Ke Aetami Program Ki Kahani Us Ke Khaaliq Ki Zabani (“The History of Pakistan’s Atomic Program in the Words of Its Architect”).

In his introduction, Mazhar Abbas said though Dr. Khan is supposedly a free man as per the Pakistani court’s orders, there is still a huge security blanket around his residence in Islamabad. This prompted him to quote a meaningful couplet from a famous Pakistani poet Jaun Elia:

Ab Jo Rishton Me Bandha Hun To Khula Hai Mujh Par

Kab Parind Ud Nahi Sakte Hain Paron Ke Hote

Following are the excerpts from the interview:

Q: When did Pakistan’s atomic program start?

A: Pakistan’s quest for a nuclear weapon started on May 18, 1974. If you want to go a little further back, then it was Dec. 16, 1971. That was the darkest day in Pakistan’s history. Our forces had surrendered before the Indians in Dhaka. I was in Belgium in those days. I had completed my doctoral thesis and was waiting to defend my research before the team of scholars. It was a very, very sad day. I cried a lot that night. I didn’t eat for many days. I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that our army, in which we had so much faith, could be defeated and surrender in such a humiliating manner. However, as with all wounds, this wound too was healed but only physically. The mental scar remained forever, and the pain of that wound could never subside. When I got my PhD, I left Belgium for The Netherlands. There I got a job at one of the best companies that was involved in helping another firm enriching uranium through centrifuges. It was a dream job. At the time I never thought I would ever work on a project as prestigious as that in Pakistan. I always gave my best to whatever I did. I worked very hard on such projects. I did my homework diligently. I would make lots of notes. I used to study a lot. I was a happy man. Then suddenly, out of the blue, India conducted a nuclear test on May 18, 1974. The world was shaken. Pakistan was all the more shaken because we had not even recovered from the tragedy of 1971.

Q: What happened next?

A: I wrote a letter to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. ‘Our goose has literally been cooked,’ I wrote to the prime minister. ‘If we do not take appropriate steps, it is my fear that after 10 years Pakistan will not remain in whatever shape it has been left after 1971.’ I warned him that our country will be dismembered again and again. All the smaller states will become India’s satellites. ‘Please do something,’ I wrote and offered my services in exploring the nuclear option. ‘I have some experience in this field, and I can be of help.’ Bhutto immediately asked me to come down to Pakistan. In those years I would come to Pakistan every year during Christmas holidays to see my mother and my siblings in Karachi. I came down in December 1974 and met Bhutto. He told me about his government’s contact with a French company for the setting up of a fuel reprocessing plant. I told him frankly that whoever had given him the idea about the French plant was actually misleading him. ‘These people are trying to fool you,’ I told him. ‘If you are going to buy such a plant from France then all engineers working on the plant will be French nationals; they will be posted right here; and the plant will be under the constant supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.’

Q: What was Bhutto’s reaction?

A: He was aghast. ‘I was given a different impression,’ he told me. ‘What is the way out?’ I, therefore, gave him an alternate blueprint to work on and assured him that I would be visiting Pakistan frequently to help out on the nuclear research. The next day he called Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Munir Ahmad Khan and asked me to meet him. I met him and explained to him what all I had in my mind. However, very soon I realized that this task was beyond him. Munir Ahmad Khan was a mediocre electrical engineer from Lahore’s University of Engineering and Technology (UET). He had done a nine-month diploma course from North Carolina State Polytechnic. It was on the basis of this diploma that he became the chairman of PAEC. Moreover, he was the brother of one of Bhutto’s close political supporters. Anyway, I explained everything to Munir Ahmad Khan and then left Pakistan at the end of my vacation.

Q: When did you come back next?

A: I came back the next year. That was December 1975. I called on Bhutto, and he asked me to check out the nuclear program’s progress. I went to the PAEC field office in Rawalpindi. There was just one engineer. He was also like Munir Ahmad Khan and then there were some 10-12 technicians. They all seemed like working on a road construction project. I went back and told Bhutto what all I saw.

Q: What did Bhutto say?

A: He asked me about my itinerary. ‘I will back in The Netherlands in a couple of days at the end of my annual vacation.’ ‘No, you are not going back,’ Bhutto told me. My first reaction was one of shock. I was staying in Europe for 15 years. I had a very good and steady job. My employers had given me a cozy place in Amsterdam. I used to travel a lot for company work. I used to represent The Netherlands at the European Economic Community (EEC) meetings in Brussels. I also had huge offers of professorship from prestigious European universities. Since my father was a headmaster, I always had this fascination and desire to become a teacher. I seriously thought of becoming a professor. When Bhutto told me I am not going back, I was a little reluctant. I told Bhutto about my reluctance. ‘No, no, no, please, don’t go back. Our country is facing a grave crisis. You yourself have admitted this in your letter to me. It is a matter of our country’s survival,’ he told me. I said, ‘Let me go and seek my wife’s opinion.’

Q: What did she say?

A: She was shocked. She is Dutch herself, and her aging parents were in The Netherlands. She was the only child of her parents. ‘What are you saying?’ she exclaimed rather agitatedly. ‘We are only here to spend our vacation. You have got such a nice job. There are excellent educational facilities for our children.’ I listened to her persistent reasoning and at the end of the conversation, I told her, ‘OK, we are not staying here; we are going back.’ At that moment, she stopped me and said: ‘Hold on, let me get over this shock and let me swallow it and rethink about the whole proposal.’ Then came the key question. ‘Listen, you have never lied to me. You are an honest man, and I am proud of you. Tell me, if you stay back, will you be able to do anything good for Pakistan?’ I told her, ‘Honestly, nobody other than yours truly can do this job for Pakistan.’ ‘All right then, we are not going back.’ She has always been a great support. Even now during our worst phase during the Musharraf regime, she was there for me. Going back to 1975, it was decided that my wife would go back to The Netherlands and convince her parents about our decision to stay back in Pakistan and to bring back the school leaving certificates of our children.

Q: So you remained in Pakistan and she went back ….?

A: Yes. She came back two months later. That was a very difficult time for us. Far from the comforts of Europe, we had no decent place to live. Nor did we ask Bhutto out of modesty. I got down to work. There was one particular mechanical engineer. His name was Khokhar. He was a crackpot. He would fight with people. He, however, respected me, and I realized that he was very talented in his job. The two of us got down and started doing the blueprints. I got my first salary after six months. It was 3,000 rupees.

Q: Did you face any obstacles in between? There were reports that you and PAEC Chairman Munir Ahmad Khan had frequent run-ins?

A: I am a go-getter. I wasn’t used to paperwork and bureaucracy. The person I was reporting to, Munir Ahmad Khan, was not a scientist. He had a clerical mentality. I was getting frustrated, so I shot off a letter to Bhutto, saying: ‘I have come here to carry out a certain task. I cannot work with this man. Let me go back.’ I remember using very harsh language in that particular letter. I was angry. The very next day I got a phone call to meet Bhutto and his advisers in Lahore. ‘OK, we will remove Munir Ahmad Khan and make you the chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission,’ they suggested. ‘No,’ I said. ‘That would be a disaster; people in Europe know full well that I have worked on uranium enrichment in their countries, and my becoming PAEC chief will ring alarm bells in the corridors of power in Europe, and then they will create all kinds of obstacles.’ I told them to make anybody the PAEC chief, but let me have a free hand. They acceded to my request.

Q: Did anybody get wind of the project in the initial stages?

A: The Europeans got some hint. I will tell you how. In 1979, we placed an order for 100 inverters from a British firm called Emerson Electric. Just after we placed the order, the company’s employees went on strike demanding a pay hike. The member of Parliament who went to sort out the problem was told by the employees that the company had a huge order from Pakistan for inverters, and yet it was not giving them bonuses. The MP also happened to be a member of the British Atomic Energy Authority. He knew all the uses of inverters. He was the one who blew the whistle. And so there was a ban on the sale of inverters to Pakistan, but by then I had made alternate arrangements.

Q: When did the enrichment actually took place?

A: The big breakthrough came on April 6, 1978. That was the day we succeeded in running a centrifuge at almost 65,000 revolutions per minute (rpm), which is nearly 1,050 revolutions per second. To put gas into the centrifuge at that speed was a big achievement. I wrote to Ghulam Ishaq Khan, the close confidant of Gen. Ziaul Haq, that we tested the machine and that it was successful. ‘It is a first step on a long way,’ I wrote to him. ‘But it is a successful step.’ He immediately informed Gen. Zia who in turn wrote a letter to me, which I treasure even to this day. ‘Heartiest congratulations,’ it said. ‘See me immediately.’ I went to see him. He was delighted. ‘This is the greatest breakthrough,’ I repeated. By 1981, we started high enrichment. By 1982, we were enriching 50 percent. A little later, we started producing 90 percent enriched uranium. You need 90 percent enrichment for the bomb.

Q: It was during this time that you met Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar. There was a lot of controversy. Some said there was a slip of the tongue on your part? Was the meeting with Nayar designed to convey a message to the world that Pakistan had arrived on the world nuclear stage?

A: Kuldip Nayar was a friend of Mushahid Hussain, and Mushahid was a good friend of mine. Mushahid called me from the airport saying that a friend of his (he mentioned Kuldip Nayar’s name) had come from India and that the two of them were coming to see me. Mushahid said he wanted to drop his wedding invitation, as well. So he came along with Nayar. It was evening time ... a time when there is no domestic help at our home. So my wife made tea and prepared some snacks herself. We were having tea when Kuldip Nayar, a typical Indian sly fox, said, ‘I am from Sialkot and living on the other side, and you are from Bhopal and living on this side ... Partition was meaningless.’ ‘Hold on,’ I told him: ‘If Nehru and Gandhi had agreed then Quaid-e-Azam was the biggest backer of India’s unity. Shortsightedness and narrow-mindedness was from your side. This is the truth. You can read all the books in the world on the issue.’ ‘India is such a big country,’ said Nayar. ‘It is 10 times bigger than Pakistan. If you make 10 bombs, India will make 100 ….’ So I cut him short. ‘Don’t be under any illusion. There will now be no repeat of 1971. We have ensured 1971 will never happen to Pakistan again … By the way, you don’t need 100 bombs. You just need five bombs that you can use against our big cities, and they are not more than five. And even for us not more than five are required. We will break your back with them. If you can make 100, then we too are in a position to make five. Ye hamari chutki ka khel hai (It is very easy for us).’ He went back and made a lot of fuss about our conversation. There was no indiscretion on my part. I wanted to send across a message. I am aware of the Hindu mentality. I wanted to make it very plain to them. (The Khan-Nayar meeting took place on Jan. 27, 1987, and India carried out Operation Brasstacks exercises right on the Pakistani border in March that year.)

Q: Was there any pressure on you afterward suggesting that you should not have said what you said?

A: No, no, there was no pressure.

Q: When was Pakistan in a position to conduct a nuclear test?

A: By the end of 1984, we were in full position to conduct a proper test. On Dec. 10, 1984, I wrote a letter to Gen. Zia stating our preparedness to conduct a test. ‘This is a great piece of news,’ Gen. Zia told me after reading the letter. He hugged me and kissed me on the forehead. ‘There is nothing to worry anymore. I will let you know when to conduct the test.’

Q: Then why did it take so long to conduct it? From 1984 to 1998 is a long time, isn’t it?

A: We had the full intention of conducting a test in 1984. Our closest friends too suggested that we do it. Gen. Zia too was in full favor. As promised, Gen. Zia called me after two weeks for a meeting. ‘Our ties with America are good now. America is providing us with arms. Our army needs these weapons, and we are getting them. We have the bomb. We don’t really need to test it right way, do we?’ Those were Gen. Zia’s words. We agreed. So that is how we did not conduct the test then.

Q: You were closely associated with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Did you try to intervene on his behalf with Gen. Zia to save him from the gallows?

A: Yes, we did our best. Thanks to my close relationship with Gen. Zia, I would take a lot of liberty with him. Let me narrate one incident to indicate our close relationship. Once in his presidential office he was munching on almonds in our presence. ‘You are eating all the almonds and getting all the strength ... We too are working hard, let us also have some,’ I told him in jest. He laughed out loud, pushing the silvery almond tray toward me. We were on very good terms. However, whenever I would talk about Bhutto’s case he would skillfully avoid the issue. He would just smile. I remember telling him about the repercussions of hanging Bhutto. I would cite the example of Turkey. ‘Look what happened in Turkey after the hanging of the deposed Prime Minister Adnan Menderes ... Such things lead to a vertical split in society.’ Gen. Zia would say nothing. Having drawn a blank from him, I took up the issue with UAE Foreign Minister Ahmad Al-Suwaidi. Our ambassador in the UAE then was Jamiluddin Hassan. He was an old friend of mine. He was the one who solemnized our marriage ceremony in the Pakistani Embassy in The Hague. Famous bureaucrat and writer Qudratullah Shahab was the ambassador at the time, and he was one of the witnesses to my marriage. Qudratullah Shahab was a very nice man. He was a gentleman; may God bless his soul. My friend Jamiluddin Hassan told me that the UAE ambassador was going to London and that it would be advisable for me to meet him there. I went to London. He told me Sheikh Zayed is Bhutto’s friend, and that he is doing his best. Then I thought maybe Turkey will be able to help us save Bhutto. Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit was a strong man. He was a friend of Pakistan, and so I went to Istanbul from London. From Istanbul I went to Ankara and went straight to the prime minister’s office. There was no appointment. At his office, I met a very senior officer and told him that it was very important for me to meet the prime minister. I showed him my diplomatic passport. He took me to Ecevit’s principal secretary. He told me Ecevit was very busy. ‘I need only four minutes with him,’ I told the principal secretary. I did meet Ecevit. He told me he was very worried for Pakistan. ‘We hanged Adnan Menderes, and we are still suffering. We are sending a parliamentary delegation in the next few days to Pakistan. It will do its best to save Bhutto from the gallows,’ he told me. However, Gen. Zia would tell everybody, ‘OK, we will look into it. We will reconsider.’ The truth, however, was he had decided much in advance to finish Bhutto. When Bhutto was hanged on April 4, 1979, it was a sad moment. It was not a good thing. We are still paying the price for that. If Gen. Zia had sent him into exile it would not have been such a festering wound.

Q: Gen. Zia died in plane crash in 1988. What was the nuclear scene during Benazir Bhutto’s first term as prime minister?

A: When Benazir came into power, things went on as they were. Americans were still clueless. Let me narrate an interesting incident. One of the top generals that I knew very well met me at the GHQ and said, ‘Doctor Sahab there is something important to discuss. Come over for a cup of tea.’ I went to him. He told me that the CIA station head in Islamabad had sent us a letter. He showed me the letter. ‘You had a major breakthrough,’ it said. ‘You think you could trick us. We have found out. Now you have started crossing the red lines. You are producing weapons grade uranium.’ This was in 1990-1991. I smiled sarcastically and told the general, ‘Mashallah, the American intelligence is very good! They didn’t know that we were doing this in 1980-1981, a full ten years earlier. We were already producing the core in 1983. If they knew that seven years later then all this means that all their intelligence is hoax. It is all cooked up.’

Q: There is this charge that the civilian leadership was not taken into confidence and that the nuclear program was strictly a military enterprise?

A: This is a totally baseless allegation. When Benazir took over, we met in the presence of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. It was Benazir herself who said Ghulam Ishaq Khan should look after the nuclear program. But whenever the meeting on nuclear program would take place, Benazir used to be part of it. When the first meeting took place, Ghulam Ishaq Khan was there; Benazir was there; Army chief Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg was there. ‘What is the current position?’ Gen. Beg asked me. I told them all. This is the inventory. We made this many bombs; this many are under production — everything. Benazir looked at the details, and then wondered if whatever we had at the moment was enough for the purposes of deterrence. She said she wanted to apply the brakes on the nuclear enrichment for some time. ‘I am going to see the Americans soon, and I want to ask for aid,’ she said. ‘If we stop this then it will strengthen our case.’ Gen. Beg said, ‘Yes, it is OK. Our capability is fine at the moment. We can stop for some time. There is no problem.’ At the end of that meeting, Benazir suggested that we hold the enrichment to 5 percent. And so it was decided in principle to scale down the enrichment process. However, we, the nuclear scientists, were worried that if we stop the enrichment then restarting the whole process would be extremely difficult. I told my colleagues, ‘Listen, let us continue our work ... because if we stop now restarting this will be a gargantuan task. Let us just keep quiet. Nobody will ask us and we need not tell anybody. We will continue to enrich at our 90 percent capacity.’ And that is exactly what happened.

Q: Was there any personal conflict between you and Musharraf?

A: No, nothing. He is a very haughty man. Since he was a commando he was known for his brazen and brash style. You must have seen him the way he would talk and stand up with his hands on his hips and chest all pumped up ... Nobody around him had the guts to speak the truth to him. They were all hangers-on. The moment he took over, he called me and said: 'Nobody will go outside the country without my permission.' I told him: 'This has never happened before. From Day 1, we maintained a register. Every single detail was recorded: Where were we going? Who were we meeting? Why were we meeting? Where will we be staying? Who all would be going? And our contact numbers during our stay abroad. After coming back, I would always give a briefing.' The thing is before he usurped power, Musharraf had already sold his soul to the Americans. They had brainwashed him and asked him to check the nuclear program. Musharraf created a lot of obstacles for us. He held back crucial funds. He asked us to sever our ties with North Korea and Iran.

Q: Is it true that North Korea provided missiles to Pakistan during the war with India in Kargil in 1999?

A: Yes, I myself went to North Korea. They provided 200 shoulder-fired missiles. They didn’t even ask for money.

Q: What all was behind your televised confession during the proliferation crisis in February 2004?

A: Musharraf told me, ‘You are our hero. Just apologize. We will reinstate you immediately. If you don’t take this blame on yourself, this country will be destroyed. The UN Security Council will impose sanctions on us.’ I told them my appearance on television would only aggravate the situation. They thought otherwise; they thought it prudent to make an individual the sacrificial lamb. To me the whole thing was like lodging an FIR against your own self. I reminded them that we had not signed the nonproliferation treaty and therefore we were not bound to disclose anything ... I tried my best to make them see reason and to understand the folly of their idiocy, but everybody was power drunk. Us waqt har ek masti me tha.

Q: Did you consult your wife before going on television to read that confession?

A: No. They just took me from my home. I didn’t even know where they were taking me. A brigadier took me to Camp House which was Musharraf’s residence. Musharraf spoke to me for five-ten minutes. ‘This issue has become very complicated for us. The Americans are very upset. They will impose sanctions on us. You are our hero. We will rehabilitate you. Admit that you were responsible for all this proliferation.’ A couple of minutes later Makhdoom Ali Khan, the attorney general, took me aside and handed over a text. ‘This is what you have to read on television,’ he told me.

Q: What was your reaction?

A: After going through the text I told them you are blaming me for everything. ‘Ye to pura ka pura gandh mere upar hi daal rahen hain.’ There was stuff that did not happen at all. ‘This is not the truth,’ I protested. ‘Facts are quite the opposite.’ Anyway, I told Makhdoom Ali Khan, ‘OK, if you want me to read this, I will. However, I want you to insert one particular line: That my colleagues and I did all this in good faith.’ I wanted to convey a subtle message to the people through that ‘good faith’ line.

Q: What were your feelings then?

A: At the time, there was not much reaction. However, now I feel very angry thinking how low Musharraf could go in his dirty quest to retain power. He was sacrificing the hero of the nation to hold on to power. He was humiliating the savior of Pakistan. I literally saved Pakistan. When I reached home after the TV appearance, there were guards all around. Overnight they turned me into a prisoner. People will remember the incalculable damage Musharraf did to Pakistan. History will judge me and my contribution.

Q: You are every Pakistani’s hero. Who in Pakistan is or was your biggest hero?

A: The best ruler whose integrity and whose love for Pakistan could never be questioned was President Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Q: And the biggest villain ...?

A: Pervez Musharraf.

Dr. Shahid Masood Returns to ARY With 'Views on News'

2010-07-16T04:19:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on July 16, 2010

Well-known Pakistani broadcast journalist and current affairs talk show host Dr. Shahid Masood has returned to the Dubai-based ARY Television channel to again host his once-popular "Views on News" program.

His success as a fearless and honest commentator in the post-9/11 Urdu-speaking world spawned a new generation of broadcast journalists. His documentary "Hidden Truth" was the most talked about program when it was first aired on ARY. He became an instant hit — so much so that the pirated versions of the documentary sold like hot cakes on the streets of Jeddah, Dubai, Doha and Dammam. Urdu-loving expatriates from Pakistan and India became his diehard fans.

Masood, who spent his early childhood in Taif and Riyadh, then left ARY at the peak of his popularity and joined Pakistan's premier 24-hour new channel Geo TV in January 2007. Through his "Mere Mutabiq" program, he did trendsetting interviews with Pakistani politicians, opposition leaders, generals, bureaucrats, lawyers, litterateurs and judges and rode the crest of a new popularity wave.

His popularity and cutting remarks against military dictator Pervez Musharraf on his programs during the pro-democracy movement led by Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party did not go down well with the establishment, and he became a target of frequent attacks by government ministers. He did top-notch reporting during the siege of Lal Masjid in Islamabad and had access to the two Ghazi brothers in those crucial moments in July 2007. "Mere Mutabiq" was taken off the air, and he faced immense difficulties producing his show in Dubai, which has always been his base. Musharraf's anger at Masood's interview with Lt. Gen. Jamshed Gulzar Kiani only added to the popularity of Masood.

However, Masood's popularity took a nosedive in May 2008 when he accepted Asif Ali Zardari's offer of becoming the chairman and managing director of the government-run Pakistan Television Corp. (PTV). Many saw his move as opportunistic and castigated him for not living up to the high standards of journalism and compromising his status by joining the government of the unpopular Zardari. Masood defended himself saying his aim was to infuse a degree of professionalism in the state-run media arm. In fact, he did try to clean the Augean stables at PTV, but in the process he ruffled the feathers of many powerful ministers and close aides of Zardari, forcing his resignation.

Masood discussed his ride to stardom and the rough patches in his career on the program's first show Monday night. His guests on the talk show, including Hamid Gul, Mujeeb ur Rahman Shami, Mushahid Hussain Syed and Javed Chaudhry advised him to steer clear of political posts and to concentrate on what he does best — broadcast journalism. "Shahid Masood has ruled the hearts of the people with his analysis and we wish him all the best once again," said Shami. "He gave a voice to the Ummah in the most difficult of times during the wars in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan."

On Tuesday, Masood was back as an ace commentator discussing the role of foreign slush money in subverting the various arms of the state, including the media. The captivating 45-minute discussion had former Pakistani bureaucrat Roedad Khan, former minister Sheikh Rasheed and prominent journalists Mazhar Abbas and Saleem Bokhari.

Despite a plethora of new channels — such as Aaj TV, Waqt TV, Dunya TV, Express News, Dawn TV, Samaa TV — ARY and Geo TV still remain the two most popular news channels reporting on Pakistani political and social scene.

Geo TV is owned by the Jang Group, the largest Urdu media house in Pakistan, while ARY is owned by Dubai-based successful Pakistani businessman Abdul Razzak Yaqoob (ARY). Both the channels have a huge following among the Pakistani diaspora in the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Indian expatriates in the Gulf too are avid watchers of the Pakistani channels.

Saudi Support for Spain Is Rooted in History

2010-07-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on July 10, 2010

An overwhelming majority of Saudi football fans will be rooting for Spain on Sunday night when it tangles with the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup 2010 final at the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.

There are a variety of reasons — some predictable and some bizarre — as to why the men and women of this nation of 28 million people are supporting the men in red.

For Jasim M. Al-Yaqout, the Eastern Province general manager of the Ministry of Culture and Information, it is the happy memories of Spain and Spaniards that makes him back the Spanish team.

"They are a very friendly people. I know this firsthand having visited Spain four times. Once I spent nearly six months in Seville in connection with the Saudi Expo there. I was also there during the opening of the Islamic center in Madrid years ago. They are a lovely people. Tonight my prayers are with them," said Al-Yaqout.

Riyadh-based columnist Suraya Al-Shehry is so excited about Spain that she thinks it will beat the Netherlands 3-1.

"I can even tell you who is going to score those three goals for Spain: David Villa, Sergio Ramos and Fernando Torres," she said.

She described the Spanish footballers as musicians. "There is so much symphony and rhythm in the way they play. They are not just musicians — they are magicians. Their wizardry with the ball in their semifinal against the Germans was magnificent. The moment they have the ball ... whirrrrrrr, they go."

Such is her and her daughters' passion for Spain that Al-Shehry has painted her TV lounge red to go with the Spanish team color. "Even the food that we will serve tonight will have a Spanish theme, and there will be strawberry juice to celebrate the color of our team."

And if all that is not enough, Al-Shehry also has a vuvuzela. "We will blow this plastic horn every time Spanish players take control of the ball," she said while laughing gregariously over the phone during the interview.

Abdul Aziz Arrubkan, the UN secretary-general's special envoy for humanitarian affairs, told Arab News from New York that he also is rooting for Spain. "Football aficionados dutifully follow the Spanish leagues in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona, Real Madrid, to name just two Spanish clubs, are household names in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Therefore, there is a sense of familiarity toward Spain," he explained.

Arrubkan also liked the shape 2010 World Cup has taken in the last four games. "Spain has never been in the finals. The Netherlands has been, but they've never won the cup. All this is good for the game. Nobody likes to see the same countries winning four years after four years. This is welcome relief."

Jeddah-based businessman Muhammad Al-Adel is not much of a football fanatic, yet he will be in front of his large flat-screen home television tonight watching the game closely in the company of his friends and rooting for Spain. The reason? "One particular incident has changed my perception of the Dutch people forever. Once when I was traveling to Amsterdam, the Dutch woman at the airport had some kind of conniption when she looked at my Saudi passport. This was long before Sept. 11, 2001. She made faces and was very condescending. Ever since I have been with all those who are against that country," said Al-Adel. "Tonight I will hopefully have my revenge."

Former Saudi Aramco executive Bidah Mejdal Al-Gahtani will be in Barcelona tonight to watch the all-important game. Who is he supporting? "Spain," comes the instant reply. "Because they have taken what we call the sporting spirit to a whole new level. This is the team that has got the least number of cards. You can check that out. They play a fair game. They enjoy their game, and they ensure that those who are watching them are enjoying, as well. It is so much fun watching them in action."

Al-Gahtani said one big advantage for Spain is the lack of over-hyped and over-rated players. "This tournament has demonstrated that individuals do not matter. Look at how the top players have fallen by the wayside. It is all teamwork. Spain is the best example of that. Tonight will be their night."

"Spain, Spain, Spain," said Lina Almaeena, the Jeddah United executive director and captain of the Women's Basketball Division. "There are many reasons why I am supporting Spain, but the most important of them is the cultural affinity that we share with Spain. This is the country that was under Muslim rule for 800 years. And because of that there are so many things that are common between us and the Spaniards. They have similar family values as we do. They are very protective of their families just as we are. We have known Spain as Al-Andalus. That word creates some kind of an aura in our minds ... I know it is a bit philosophical, but that is the primary reason I am cheering for Spain."

Most Saudis referred to what Lina Almaeena described as the aura of Al-Andalus.

"It is natural for Saudis to support Spain," explained Riyadh-based historian Hatoon Al-Fassi, who herself is no fan of the game. "There is this nostalgia about Spain, and why should there not be? We have had 800 years of relationship with that country. We are historically and geographically closer to Spain than other European countries," Al-Fassi said. "No wonder, we have streets, districts and towns named after Al-Andalus."

According to her, when it comes to favoring one or the other country in such high-profile tournaments, the sense of history and current affairs do play a part in the choices people make. "Arabs and Muslims are politically conscious people. They will always try to find out who is on their side and who is not in the political arena. Then there is the Palestinian issue. People here are aware that most of the European countries are pro-Israel and that they indulge in promoting Islamophobia. For Spain, there is some kind of sympathy because its current government is seen as rational, balanced and Arab-friendly."

Among the tiny minority that is supporting the Netherlands is Jubail-based chemical engineer Dhafir Al-Shehri. "Yes, I am supporting the Netherlands because they are very dedicated and have given their all in their quest for the Cup. They have come this far despite the fact that they do not have very many stars in their side."

According to Al-Shehri's reasoning, many Saudis are supporting Spain because Spain demolished Germany in the semi-final. "Ever since Germany defeated Saudi Arabia 8-0 in the 2002 World Cup, many Saudis have been baying for Germany's defeat. Saudis were also very upset with Germany for eliminating their initial favorite Argentina from this tournament. When Spain defeated Germany in the semi-final there was a collective sigh of relief."

While some have political reasons, some cultural, some historical, and some sporting abilities for supporting Spain, Jeddah-based medical doctor Zeid Alsharif has only this to say: "I am supporting Spain because Paul the octopus has picked it up as a favorite to win the final tonight. I am with the four-year-old tentacled tipster!"

McChrystal Interview: Media Missed the Larger Point

2010-07-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Thursday, July 1, 2010

While the US media and world news agencies are focusing on the now-sacked Gen. Stanley McChrystal's contempt for his civilian bosses, what comes out starkly in the Rolling Stone article is the frank assessment about the war in Afghanistan.

What is significant in the 8,000-word piece on McChrystal by Michael Hastings are the references to the quagmire that Afghanistan has become for the US. In paragraph after paragraph, Hastings reminds readers of the chaos in Afghanistan and the war that has swayed decisively in favor of the Taleban.

"After nine years of war, the Taleban simply remain too strongly entrenched for the US military to openly attack," he writes, referring to the recent postponement of a long-planned push into Taleban stronghold Kandahar.

For quite some time now, people have been asking the all-important question: What is happening in Afghanistan? In the absence of any independent journalists in that war-torn country, there has been no clear idea. What has appeared in the American and Western press was misleading simply because those reports were based entirely on US Army handouts or guided tours. There are no embedded journalists on the other side and unless reporters and columnists gain access to sources in the Taleban, no clear picture will or can emerge.

Those who are following reports in Pakistan's Urdu media have a substantial idea of what is happening beyond the North West Frontier Province. However, the Urdu media sometimes resorts to hyperbole and exaggerates Taleban gains. But certainly they are closer to the truth than their American and Western counterparts.

From a layman's point of view, things are crystal clear (or "Chrystal" clear, as one American journal put it). How could an irregular army of 30,000-40,000 men sustain the war against the world's only superpower for nine long years, especially when they are faced with a coalition of the best armies in the world? The Taleban have no drones, no aircraft, no fighter jets, no Stinger missiles — nothing, yet they have been able to turn the tables on the mighty US Army.

So in the absence of any credible and objective reporting from the war front, the Rolling Stone interview at least provides a ringside view of what is actually happening in Afghanistan.

"Since McChrystal took over a year ago, the Afghan war became the exclusive property of the US ... with the opposition to the war already toppling the Dutch government, forcing the resignation of Germany's president and sparking both Canada and The Netherlands to announce the withdrawal of their 4,500 troops ... and now the French are going all wobbly," writes Hastings.

It was in March 2009 that US President Barack Obama ordered another 21,000 troops to Kabul. "We have a clear and focused goal: To disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan," he said at the time. He appointed McChrystal as the US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, replacing Gen. David McKiernan.

According to Hastings, McChrystal was from the start determined to place his personal stamp on Afghanistan — to use it as a laboratory for a controversial military strategy known as counterinsurgency.

"COIN, as the theory is known, is the new gospel of the Pentagon brass, a doctrine that attempts to square the military's preference for high-tech violence with the demands of fighting protracted wars in failed states. COIN calls for sending huge numbers of ground troops to not only destroy the enemy but to live among the civilian population and slowly rebuild, or build from scratch, another nation's government."

It was US Vice President Joe Biden who argued against a prolonged counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan, saying it would plunge America into a military quagmire without weakening international terrorist networks.

Hastings quotes Douglas Macgregor, a retired colonel and leading critic of counterinsurgency, as saying that the entire COIN strategy was a fraud inflicted on the American people. "The idea that the United States is going to spend a trillion dollars to reshape the culture of the Islamic world is utter nonsense," Macgregor is quoted as saying in the article.

Hastings points out that the prospect for any kind of success in Afghanistan looks bleak and then reels off a startling statistic.

"In June, the death toll for US troops passed 1,000, and the number of improvised explosive devices has doubled. Spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the fifth-poorest country on earth has failed to win over the civilian population, whose attitude toward US troops ranges from intensely wary to openly hostile."

Also this month, Afghanistan officially outpaced Vietnam as the longest war in American history. "And Obama has now quietly begun to back away from the deadline he set for withdrawing US troops in July of next year. The president finds himself stuck in something even more insane than a quagmire," observes Hastings.

It is now official that the number of innocent people killed by US-led coalition forces is in the hundreds.

"In the first four months of this year, US and NATO troops killed some 90 civilians, up 76 percent from the same period in 2009 — a record that has created tremendous resentment among the very population that counterinsurgency theory is intent on winning over. In February, a US Special Forces night raid ended in the deaths of two pregnant Afghan women and allegations of a cover-up, and in April protests erupted in Kandahar after US forces accidentally shot up a bus, killing five Afghans," writes Hastings and then quotes McChrystal as saying: "We've shot an amazing number of people."

A few lines later, McChrystal goes on to confess that you can't kill your way out of Afghanistan. "The Russians killed one million Afghans, and that didn't work," he is quoted as telling Hastings.

Despite all this bad news, the Rolling Stone article indicates that facts on the ground offer little deterrent to a military determined to stay the course. "Even those closest to McChrystal knew that the rising anti-war sentiment at home doesn't begin to reflect how deeply (messed) up things are in Afghanistan. If Americans pulled back and started paying attention to this war, it would become even less popular," a senior adviser to McChrystal tells the interviewer.

"Winning, it would seem, is not really possible in Afghanistan," concludes Hastings.

Death of Kindergartners Shocks Indians

2010-07-01T08:09:00.001-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Monday, June 14, 2010

The death of two kindergartners, one in Saudi Arabia and one in Qatar, has upset the huge Indian diaspora in the Gulf. In both cases, the little ones were left locked inside their minibuses in the blazing sun. The Gulf states are currently experiencing extremely harsh weather with temperatures shooting up to 50 degrees Celsius every other day.

The two separate but similar tragedies, occurring in a space of three weeks, have resulted in an outpouring of grief from the entire community. Such is the fear and trepidation among Indian expatriates that some parents have stopped their little ones from going to school altogether.

In the first case on May 17, four-and-a-half-year-old Sarah Mohammad Gazdhar, a KG-1 student of DPS-MIS (Delhi Public School - Modern Indian School) in the Qatari capital Doha, died because of heat and asphyxiation after she failed to disembark from the minibus when it reached her school. She was left in the vehicle for more than four hours under the baking sun. Sarah, whose family is from Jodhpur, had enrolled in the school only in April.

According to reports in the Qatari newspapers, Sarah had boarded the bus belonging to a transport company from her house in the Wakrah district of Doha. Unfortunately, a teacher, who frequently traveled on the same bus and who used to help her get off the bus, was absent on that fateful Monday.

After dropping the children, the driver took the minibus back to his accommodation, without realizing that the girl had not disembarked at the school. Usually, the child returned home in another bus which takes nursery and kindergarten children back from the school around 12 noon. The bus which she takes to reach the school in the morning returns to the school around 2 p.m. to take children of Classes I to XII back home.

When the child did not return home at noon, Sarah’s panic-stricken mother rang up the school, only to be told that she had not come to the school. When the mother insisted that her child had boarded the bus to school, transportation section personnel from the school, accompanied by the Qatari police, went in search of the driver, who had parked the 15-seater bus out in the sun before going to sleep. Sarah was rushed to the hospital where she was declared “brought dead.” The bus driver was put behind bars.

Three weeks later, on June 13, Saudi Arabia was rocked by a similar and equally horrific tragedy when a five-year-old girl, Fida Haris, was left unattended for five hours in a school bus in the full glare of the sun outside the International Indian School in Dammam’s Al-Raka district.

Like Sarah, Fida too had started attending the school only two months ago. School officials said the driver forgot to ensure she came off the 15-seater minibus when he dropped off other children at the school in the morning. Ostensibly the child dozed off and remained inside the minibus, which had tinted windows.

On a day when the mercury reached 50 degrees Celsius, Fida apparently suffocated inside the minibus. “Her body had turned pale because of a lack of oxygen and the intensity of the heat,” said her class teacher Gita Radhakrishnan. “It was a horrible sight.”

As was the routine, the driver of the school bus picked up the child and a dozen other children from their homes in downtown Dammam between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. He then dropped some of the children off at the school’s girls section and brought the boys and kindergarten children to the school’s main building. It was here that he forgot to take Fida off. All the other children got off and went to their classes. The driver assumed Fida also went to her KG-2 section.

As is the practice in Dammam, the 2,000-odd Indian school bus drivers park their vehicles near the school itself and then travel back together in their friends' smaller vehicles returning later when it is time to transport the children home. Fida was left in a parked minibus near the school's deserted side gates. The Indian school, which has 16,000 students, is located in a sparsely populated area of Al-Raka district. The building has multiple entrances, but once the children arrive, only the main gate remains open. If a child cried for help in a bus near the side gates, there would be little chance of anybody noticing.

“A five-year-old is capable of knocking on the van doors. She must have done that but there was nobody to hear her cries nor was there anybody to notice the struggle for life inside the minibus,” explained Fida’s class teacher.

The driver, Naushad from Kerala, returned with the other drivers at 12 noon to pick up the kindergarten children. He realized what had happened only when he unlocked the van’s doors. He panicked and called one of his driver friends, Satish Chandran, and explained what had happened.

Satish found the lifeless child in her red-and-white uniform and called in the senior teacher. She immediately identified her as Fida. “It came as a shock to me. In the class register she was listed as absent that day,” said Radhakrishnan. They took Fida to the school’s first-aid room and later transported her to the nearby hospital. She was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver was arrested and put behind bars.

Fida’s grief-stricken parents, Muhammad Haris and Sajana Haris, also from Kerala, were consoled by school officials, teachers and members of the large Saudi Indian community.

For Indians with children at the school, the tragedies were far too close to home.

“The first thing I did after hearing the news was to hold my four-year-old daughter tightly and cry out loud. In my mind’s eye I was trying to imagine the situation little Fida and Sarah were in. Little angels -- they must have tried so hard to escape that situation. There was nobody to listen to them. What a painful death it must have been,” said Sameena Sajid, whose two daughters are enrolled at the same Indian school in Dammam. “My children refused to say anything or eat anything after they came back from school. They are in shock.”

For Indian business executive Yunus Raheem coming to terms with the tragedy is well nigh impossible. “Wherever you go and whoever you talk to, at home, at work, people are only talking about Sarah and Fida. They keep asking the same questions again and again, ‘What must it have been like for them inside the locked-up school buses? What must they have endured as they tried to get out of the hell they were in? What did they experience in those terrible hours leading up to their deaths?’”

Rehman Akhtar's Pursuit of Funniness in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Dubai

2010-07-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Comedians find what is ironic in life and make it comical. If the true artist is one who can bridge cultures in a way that audiences respond with laughter rather than by taking offense, then Rehman Akhtar is a true artist.

The Pakistani-born, British-educated comedian is 46 years old and performs his comedy wherever and whenever he can — which has recently included Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Dubai. He has been honing his art for a decade and has performed on BBC Television several times with such notables as Russell Peters. In 2008, he was chosen to be one of the opening acts at the “Axis of Evil” comedy show in Bahrain by Arab-American comedians, Ahmed Ahmed and Maz Jobrani.

Akhtar uses his acting, mimicry and linguistic skills to bring a wide range of characters to life on stage and has become a firm favorite with audiences all over the Gulf. Arab News caught up with him recently to find out his views on life, love and the pursuit of funniness.

“For creative people there are no boundaries, but then this is Saudi Arabia, and one has to be politically correct,” said Akhtar. “In any case, an artist has to respect his audience. This is challenging, and it makes me that much sharper. It would be stupid of me to stand in front of the audience and start doing vulgar stuff and the kind of comedy that is, perhaps, acceptable in the West. This is Saudi Arabia. I live here. I respect this country. I want to introduce a form of entertainment that does not exist at the moment and it is just kind of lifting off the ground.”

By day, Akhtar is a communications team leader at Saudi Aramco in Dhahran. He met a kindred spirit in another company employee, Fahad Albutairi. Together, the two men resolved to get the Gulf region chuckling. Soon they found they were not alone.

“I feel this whole movement that you see began only a few months ago,” Akhtar said. “One of the kickstarts for interest in comedy was the ‘Axis of Evil’ show in Bahrain. Suddenly people saw Fahad Albutairi and me in action. Using standup comedy to shed light on the main stereotypes the world has about Arabs and Muslims in this day and age, ‘Axis of Evil’ brought together the talents of first-generation Arab-American comedians, Maz Jobrani, Ahmed Ahmed and Aron Kader, in an authentic humorous take on Middle Eastern culture. This ‘Axis of Evil’ grew out of the whole post-9/11 period when former US President George W. Bush named certain countries as the ‘axis of evil.’”

He said in this case comedy was not simply a laughing matter. “The show really aimed at building bridges. When Ahmed Ahmed and Maz Jobrani came to Bahrain, the organizers decided not just to put these two guys up on the pedestal. They decided to have local artists performing with them on stage,” Akhtar said. “The idea was to demonstrate that we too have local talent. That comedy tour in Bahrain was in a sense the mood shifter — it was like a tipping point. It was a huge success. Over two nights, more than 5,000 enjoyed the event at the Al-Ahli Club Sports Center. A lot of them were from Saudi Arabia. That gave us a lot of exposure. People said, ‘Wow, we have people like Fahad Albutairi and Rehman Akhtar among us.’ It opened up a whole new avenue for us.”

When you talk to people in show business, they dread a cold audience. Akhtar explained how he used comedy in his formative years to break the ice — and break down barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding. “I grew up in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s, which in some ways was a pretty depressing time,” he said. “There was a lot of racism around in those days. Those were the days I was in school and college. We happened to live on a housing estate where we were initially the only brown family. So it kind of exacerbated the whole thing. I used to get picked on the most. I used to be bullied a lot. I hope it does not sound too arrogant but I was a fairly bright child, and this made things even more difficult for me. So not only was I a ‘brown Paki’ but I was also a ‘brown Paki with great grades.’ That made me a huge target in many, many senses.”

Akhtar is not sure if it was infernal optimism or eternal optimism that made the difference for him. “I could have reacted to the situation in many ways,” he said. “I could have become a mass murderer or something; however, I really wanted to find a humorous side and give a positive slant to this victimization. On the housing estate where we lived, there was a youth club that announced a talent contest. I said, ‘I am going to take part in this talent contest.’ Everybody was aghast. ‘What are you going to do on stage?’ What I did was put on this mask ... a mask that I could hide behind. And then I put on my father’s big overcoat, and I became this character called ‘Professor Potty.’ I was 11 at the time. There were around 350 people in the audience. All of them were white, and there I was standing — a little brown kid. I went up on stage with a microphone and started telling jokes. I immediately felt a sense of relief coursing through my veins. Here I was making fun of them and not being the kid being beaten up anymore. The whole exercise was pretty cathartic for me. I felt out of this world that night. To be in control of that entire audience was a great feeling. These people were eating out of my hands. They were laughing their heads off. All six judges gave me 10 out of 10. “Raymond Akhtar Wins First Prize,” screamed the local newspapers the next day. They could never pronounce Rehman, so I became Raymond for them. I won 10 pounds that night — it was a fortune in those days. I was in tears because neither of my parents was there to witness my moment of glory. My father was doing the night shift; my mother was in Pakistan. When I remember that night, I still get very emotional. It was a pinnacle in my life.”

Akhtar paid rich tributes to earlier funnymen who used wit and slapstick to get people through the Great Depression of the 1930s. “I had lot of comedy influences in my early years. Those were not the days of Nintendo and PlayStation. Our only form of entertainment was television,” he said. “I grew up watching diverse comedy, from Laurel & Hardy and The Three Stooges to Billy Connelly and Monty Python classics. Comedy has always been a part of my life. In retrospect, I think all that helped me in my later life.”

They say that next to most successful men there is a good woman, and Akhtar is no exception. “I got married to Shaafia at 27,” he said. “We would go to comedy shows, and I would tell her, ‘I can be funnier than that guy.’ At one such show, she threw a challenge at me, ‘Why don’t you go up there and do it and prove yourself?’ I took up the challenge and approached one of the organizers of comedy shows in London. He was Hardayal, an Asian. He liked my demo and told me, ‘I am going to give you an open mic slot’ — which means a slot meant for someone who just wants to try comedy for the first time. When the veteran comedians turned up for the show and asked me, ‘How long do you intend to be on stage?’ I said 20 minutes. They laughed with a smirk, ‘If you last more than 5 minutes, consider yourself lucky.’ I did not know what they meant. I was an instant hit and lasted much more than five minutes. My journey as a standup comedian had well and truly begun.”

So how does a standup comedian find material? “I get my ideas from life. I collect the nuggets of life rather like a poet,” Akhtar said. “I read a lot. I have always been a very observant person. Just like poets, I keep Post-It notes. I am never without a pen. If something triggers a thought and makes me laugh I immediately make a note of it.”

Having given great thought to the greatest question all funnymen must answer for themselves, Akhtar graciously shared the secret of comedy. “Making people laugh is always a challenge,” he said. “The secret is you do not focus on one person. I laugh at myself. If you indulge in bashing a particular community, naturally it will get offended. The art is to make fun of your victims without making them feel victimized. To point out a cultural difference is not victimizing someone. The challenge is to make someone laugh without making them feel offended.”

— Rehman Akhtar can be contacted via info@smileksa.com.

Western Media Opts for Israeli Handouts on Deadly Assault

2010-05-31T14:47:00.001-07:00

Al Jazeera English Coverage Was the Best

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The people of the Western world have been given a jaded perspective on Monday's unprovoked Israeli attack on an unarmed, six-ship relief flotilla on the high seas. The assault by marauding commandos has drawn condemnation from the United Nations, the European Union and NATO-member Turkey, but major US and British media outlets for the most part have opted to broadcast the Israeli government's official line, branding the foreign nationals as terrorists.

The Israeli naval forces disrupted maritime communication from the flotilla before the combined air-and-sea assault, and the less critical newsgathering organizations settled for handouts from the Israeli government. "They wanted to make a political statement," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said in a statement aired by American news media. "They wanted violence."

A good comparison is the coverage between the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) and Qatar-based Al-Jazeera English.

At the Monday noon bulletin BBC ran the story as its lead and continued to air Israeli version of the gruesome attack. Not just that, it gave precious airtime to the Israeli spokespersons with little interruption or questioning from the anchor. One missed Nik Gowing in the newsroom. The Israeli spokesperson and Israeli sympathizers waxed eloquent on how the organizers of the flotilla were responsible for bringing the tragedy upon themselves. There was little or no mention about the fact that the attack had taken place in international waters.

Al Jazeera English brought in everything. In its 1 p.m. bulletin, the anchor led the story by mentioning that 14 people had died in the Israeli attack on the lead ship called Mavi Marmara. It then showed dramatic footage right from the ship that was under attack. Al Jazeera's Jamal El-Shayyal was on board the main ship — a sharp contrast to Tia Goldenberg of The Associated Press filing her reports from the Israeli missile boat INS Kidon, which took part in the attack.

"Two people have been confirmed dead," El-Shayyal reported. "The organizers of the aid flotilla have now asked all passengers to go inside. Israeli commandoes have descended upon the ship. The ship is still in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The Marmara has been surrounded on all sides by armed boats. We can still hear shots being fired — even after the white flag has been raised. There are all civilians on this ship. They include women, children and the elderly."

El-Shayyal's reports and the dramatic, shipboard footage explained it all. It was there in images. Al Jazeera then took the viewers to Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon who was reading a statement.

"We were attacked by those on board the ship. We regret the loss of life but the responsibility for this tragedy lies with the organizers of the flotilla. We told them not to enter Gaza. We told them to deliver the aid through appropriate channels. The organizers of the aid flotilla are the supporters of Al-Qaeda and Hamas. They were armed and trying to lynch our soldiers, and that is why we acted in self defense," he said.

Al Jazeera then brought in Murat Mercan, chairman of the Turkish Parliament's Commission of Foreign Affairs. "Ayalon is a liar," he said. "The ships were cleared by the Turkish authorities. There were no arms on board. Only people. There were so many ways of stopping the ship. Obviously, Israel wasn't interested in merely stopping the ship. This will have consequences. No country has the right to attack any ship, armed or unarmed, in the international waters. This is a serious violation. In the coming days, you will see how Turkey will respond," he said.

Back in Palestine, Al Jazeera took the viewers to Ayman Mohyeldin in Umm Al-Fahm which is where Sheikh Raed Salah, a prominent theologian, came from. He was also on the ship and was shot in the head by the Israeli commandoes. Mohyeldin also gave a sense of the people's feeling saying, "All the images being shown from the activists on board those ships show clearly that they were civilians and peaceful in nature, with medical supplies on board. So it will surprise many in the international community to learn what could have possibly led to this type of confrontation."

Anita McNaught, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Istanbul, was out in the streets of Istanbul gathering people's reactions. Turkish protestors carrying Palestinian and Hamas flags were swelling up in the town square to register their protest. "The Turks had a constructive military alliance with Israel and for many years they saw the issue of domestic terrorism as one they had to share information about," she said. "But since the Gaza war relations have nose-dived and it would be absolutely fair to say that this attack is the lowest point."

The best part of Al Jazeera coverage were the soundbytes from the erudite Palestinian leader Nabil Shaath. Very methodically, he called the Israeli bluff. "This is a murderous attack," he said. "All this talk about there being arms on the ship is absolute nonsense. One is reminded of the American drugs police who sometimes plant drugs on somebody just so they can arrest him. Nobody is going to believe Israel. Such excessive use of force indicates their nefarious designs. They went in to kill, and they did."

So far, mainstream American and British news outlets seem content to take statements and press releases from the Israelis; the rest of the story remains unreported.

Shah Faesal Tops Indian Civil Service Exam

2010-05-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on May 6, 2010

A Kashmiri Muslim has topped the prestigious civil services examinations in India this year sparking celebrations across the country. The Indian Muslim community, which has always found itself in the mainstream media for all the wrong reasons, is particularly delighted at the good news.

Physician Shah Faesal stood first among 875 candidates who qualified for the demanding Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations. The results were announced Thursday, May 5, 2010, in New Delhi. Faesal took Urdu and Public Administration as his main subjects and cleared the examination in his first attempt. Each candidate can appear three times for the key examination provided they meet the age criterion.

Faesal hails from Lawlab Valley in Kashmir near the Line of Control dividing India and Pakistan. The area is known as the birthplace of famous Islamic scholar Anwar Shah Kashmiri.

Speaking to Arab News from Srinagar, columnist and political analyst Zahid G. Muhammad said Faesal’s success sparked celebrations in the state. “Faesal is in Delhi, and his relatives are being interviewed on various television channels. This is one happy moment in the life of Kashmiris. I am very happy for him,” he said. “Without a doubt his success will inspire others to follow in his footsteps.”

According to Zahid Muhammad, Faesal was among one of very few Kashmiris who make it to the Indian civil services. “There may have been hardly three or four Kashmiris to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in the last couple of decades. The last Kashmiri success in the civil services examinations was in 1984-1985. Faesal’s success is coming after a gap of almost 25 years,” he noted.

One major reason for the lack of Kashmiris in the civil services was the ban imposed on young and educated Kashmiris by militants who see any association with anything Indian as “a betrayal of the Kashmiri cause.”

Faesal was coached by Saiyid Hamid, a retired officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and former vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. Hamid now is secretary of the New Delhi-based Hamdard Education Society, which runs the Hamdard Study Circle. It was there that Faesal received his coaching.

Hamid was absolutely thrilled by his student’s success.

“The Hamdard Study Circle has been in operation since 1991, and we have had many successes in the past. More than 220 students have qualified from our institute. The best result was when one of our students secured fourth place at the All-India level,” he said. “However, nothing matches Faesal’s success. This is great news for us all,” he told Arab News from his home in New Delhi.

Indians in the Gulf were also excited.

“It is a great moment for all of us. Faesal’s phenomenal success and of other Indian Muslims will sow the seeds of inspiration in our community,” said Zishan Ali Khan, the Dubai-based regional manager for a UK-based oil and gas company. “This will go a long way fighting negative stereotypes of our community.”

A total of 875 candidates — 680 men and 195 women — were recommended for appointment to Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service and other central services. Besides Faesal, there are 20 Muslims on the list of 875 successful candidates. Among them are Mohammed Y. Safeerullah, Mohammed Shahid Alam, Rayees Mohammed Bhat, Muhammad Siddique Alam, Abid Khan, Abu Imran, Ashiquzzaman, Tamanna Alam, Mohammed Yusuf Qureshi, Mir Umair Nabi, Danish Ashraf, K. Asif Hafeez and Rizwan Ahmed.

A total of 409,110 students applied to take the test in 2009. Of those 193,091 appeared for the preliminary examination. Only 12,026 of them qualified for the written test, and then only 2,432 of them were short-listed for the all-important personality test, which was conducted in March and April this year.

Prakash Rajpurohit, a bachelor of technology from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, came second while Iva Sahay, a masters in geography from Jawaharlal Nehru University, secured the third rank.

A Picture Worth More Than a Thousand Words

2010-05-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Monday, May 3, 2010

The old saying goes “one picture is worth a thousand words.” Most of Saudi Arabia’s Arabic newspapers carried a photograph on Friday’s front-page that has become a talking point on blogs, Internet forums, shisha places, newsrooms and the corridors of power.

The photo shows Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan proudly standing among more than 35 Saudi women from across the nation who voiced their views during the April 8-10 National Dialogue Forum in Najran.

Many of the women literally are beaming with pride over the honor of being asked to stand with the Kingdom’s rulers. Many people are saying the photo has a symbolic message for the nation that the time has come for women to be recognized.

The women participants of the forum’s session in Najran traveled to the Royal Court in Riyadh on April 25, 2010, to meet the king and the crown prince to brief them about the discussions. At the end of the meeting, a group picture was taken by the royal photographer. That was that.

Two days ago, all the women in the picture got a pleasant surprise when they received a copy of what has now become a famous picture. It was then that the newspapers printed it and highlighted the reactions of the women.

For women at large, there was no great deal about the photograph. “It was not surprising at all,” said Saudi poet Nimah Nawwab. “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah made women part of the civil society delegation to India during his 2006 visit to that country. Pictures of that delegation were also prominently displayed in our media.”

Manal Faisal Alsharief, who heads the women’s section at the Jeddah-based Okaz newspaper, which also published the photo on its front-page, said the publication of this and other such photographs indicate that women are being recognized as partners in progress of this great nation. “Slowly and surely, their contributions are being recognized. And so naturally, we are happy.”

Economic researcher and writer Abdullah Al-Alami was among those who were extremely delighted with the way newspapers treated the photograph. “I saw it in Okaz first ... I wrote to some of the women in the picture congratulating them. They were obviously very excited about it,” he said. “I was happy for them as Saudi women have been oppressed and humiliated enough in the past, and it is about time to recognize their achievements.”

About the significance of the photo at a time when there is so much talk about gender mixing in the local press, Al-Alami said: “We are going through a critical phase of transformation. Saudi women are becoming more involved in public affairs. The message here is to tell the Saudi woman that you are not helpless and that you are not alone.”

He said this was not the first time such a photograph has been published. “No, there were many other events in the past where King Abdullah’s picture greeting women were published. In fact, I presented a study of King Abdullah’s efforts in the development of Saudi women in my lectures at the Jeddah chamber and in Bahrain a few years ago where I showed the significant relationship between the king and his aim to promote Saudi women.”

The king has always stressed the importance of building a consensus on all issues through the National Dialogue. If the blogs, Internet forums, shisha places and newsrooms are any indication, perhaps the nation already has gotten the message.

35 Years of Arab News — Reflecting the Times With Accuracy, Vision

2010-04-22T03:18:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News 35th Anniversary Supplement (April 20, 2010)

In 1975, when the Green Truth was launched, the Muslim world was seething with anger against the United States. This anger reached its crescendo four years later in 1979 when deviants, a term that was not in vogue then, seized the Grand Mosque and created havoc. Those were not the days of cell phones and the Internet; therefore, people believed rumors. People had heard of Juhayman, the leader of the deviants, but they believed that he was an American agent. The Muslim world from Pakistan to Indonesia was on fire. The sentiment was heavily loaded against the Americans. There were protests in front of American embassies across the Muslim world. All these were recorded in the pages of Arab News during its first four years. Of course, there was not much independent coverage of the siege of Makkah. Information was difficult to come by, and government agencies were very leery of sharing information with the media. This was evident from the stories that we carried in those days about the siege.

As it turned out, all those responsible for the carnage in Makkah were local fanatics who had twisted the ideology of Islam to achieve their own aims. The year 1979 was also when Iran was undergoing cataclysmic changes. The overthrow of the Shah further increased anti-American sentiment in the region. The editorials of those days did talk about the dangers of anti-Americanism, but the Arab street was by and large convinced that America was out to destroy the Muslim world.

However, as we go through the pages of the newspaper from the mid-1980s, one notes a perceptible shift in the mood of the people. The anti-American clouds had by and large cleared. The focus was firmly on the Soviets who were eying Muslim countries. Afghanistan had become the USSR's target, and Arab News' pages were filled with the Russian atrocities in Kabul and the Panjsher Valley. The stark black-and-white photos gave a complete picture of what was happening there. In Pakistan, Gen. Ziaul Haq had firmly taken the country into the American fold. Most Muslim countries were now arrayed against the now-defunct communist Soviet Union. Pakistan became a front-line state. The United States was now the Muslim world's chief ally. Money and arms and fighters flowed into Pakistan. Zia became a hero, and so did President Ronald Reagan. The Arab News front pages bear testimony to what seemed like an unshakable alliance. The back pages of Arab News also had stories about Rambo movies with Afghan themes.

In the mid-1980s Haj reporting was not noteworthy, but one group which found a special place in Arab News pages were the Afghans. Young Saudis who came back from the battlefront told their stories of heroics in combat, and they were prominently featured in Arab News pages. There was euphoria, and it was obvious from the letters to the editor. The end of Communism was being predicted and seemed a near certainty. The inside pages or the international pages had pictures of proud Afghans on the battlefield with American Stinger missiles on their shoulders. When victory came in Afghanistan, there were cheers in the Muslim world. "Kabul has fallen, and so too will Communism," wrote a letter writer.

The victory in Kabul was the high point of American-Muslim ties. But then Zia was assassinated and the Mujahedeen fighters who played a key role in ending the Cold War fell upon each other. Soon Afghanistan was in ruins, and then the tone of Arab News also became glum. There were appeals in the newspaper from various visiting delegates and government ministers to intervene in Afghanistan and to bring about a compromise between the warlords. All of them were invited to Makkah, and all of them signed a peace treaty; however, that treaty was consigned to the dustbin the moment they landed in Peshawar and resumed bitter combat in Afghan cities and villages. The United States, having achieved its objective of dealing a mortal blow to the Communist Soviet Union, left Afghanistan in shambles and never bothered to look back. It was about this time that the late Kahil was at his sarcastic best. His cartoons captured the essence of what was happening. The editorials struck a very somber note and did warn of what was to come.

And then Saddam Hussein marched into Kuwait. The Gulf was on fire. There was uncertainty. The newspapers of that period are full of anxious expatriates streaming out of Kuwait and heading home. There were stories of gas masks being supplied. There was a fear of Saddam using poison gas. The Muslim world, led by Saudi Arabia, launched a massive diplomatic offensive to make Saddam see reason. He wouldn't. His men plundered Kuwait and were issuing inflammatory statements. All these were very ably and aptly covered by Arab News. In the end, the military option remained the only way to liberate Kuwait. An international force led by the US military gathered in Saudi Arabia, and Saddam and his men were driven out of Kuwait. Kuwait was destroyed, and parts of Saudi Arabia weathered Scud-missile attacks. This was the time when Arab News under Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena became the voice of the Muslim world. Arab News stories were regularly quoted by the world media, and the front pages were regularly quoted on world television in prime time. The coverage was impeccable, and almost everybody who visited Saudi Arabia in those days took home a copy of the Green Truth as a souvenir.

Unbeknown to the journalists, there was something rumbling under the desert. The arrival of Americans in Saudi Arabia did not go down well with a tiny group of conservative Muslims, and they used it to create fissures in society. It was this that led to some angry individuals to plot against the United States, and lawless Afghanistan became a refuge for these disgruntled elements. This anger of this tiny minority resulted in Sept. 11, 2001. And then the world was divided into Muslim and non-Muslim. Arab News played its part in trying to bridge the gap but there were fanatics on both sides. And they fed each other.

After 9/11, Arab News pages display a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose about halting the bloodshed. Almaeena, James Zogby, Michael Saba and Robert Fisk were writing on the Opinion and Op-Ed pages about the disastrous consequences of the so-called war on terrorism. "It cannot be fought only militarily," they were suggesting and were denouncing the collective punishment of Muslims. On Sept. 12, 2001 as Arab News condemned the atrocity in the strongest possible words, it expressed full sympathy for the Americans. Writing from Boston, Almaeena wrote a most memorable piece about how the 9/11 bombers had killed humanity by their act.

That widespread sympathy for America and Americans was to dissipate as George W. Bush launched a series of ill-timed and ill-thought out measures. America was again the most hated country, not just by Muslims but by all justice-loving people in the world. One only needs to go through the editorial and Op-Ed pages of Arab News to understand what the people in the Muslim world were going through. The Iraq War only hardened Muslim sentiments against America. While there was little sympathy for Saddam Hussein, the massive killing of Iraqis fueled unprecedented anger in the Muslim world. The coverage of the Iraq War in Arab News shows that to the fullest.

Arab News — a Voice for the Muslim World

2010-04-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News 35th Anniversary Supplement (April 20, 2010)

In its 35 years of relentless and proactive journalism, Arab News has distinguished itself from other newspapers in the region by highlighting issues of concern to the Muslim world. The reason for this was simple. Saudi Arabia is the land of the two holy mosques and the cradle of Islam. The one billion followers of this faith look for direction from the leadership of this holy land. The word of the custodian of the two holy mosques is received with respect, admiration and attention.

In the history of the contemporary Muslim world, 1967 is remembered as a catastrophic year. It was in this year that the Muslim world suffered unimaginable convulsions because of Israel taking control of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

That Muslim defeat led to a rethinking. The idea was to rise from the ashes of defeat. Among the many leaders who were deeply distressed by the turn of events was King Faisal. As custodian of the two holy mosques, the Muslim world was naturally looking to him for direction. That momentous decision came in 1969 with the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Arab News was still six years away from being born. There was not a single Saudi newspaper in English to chronicle the events of those tumultuous years.

However, among the local and international stories concerning the Muslim nation that appeared in the first five years of Arab News’ existence were stories about pan-Islamism and the activities of the OIC. There were many expectations from the organization. Its extraordinary summits in Arab capitals and in Makkah received widespread coverage on the pages of Arab News. Editorial comments of those years bear testimony to the newspaper’s unwavering support to all causes Muslim and to the OIC in particular.

As years passed and Iraq and Iran fell upon each other, the unity that later was to become the hallmark of the Muslim Ummah became a mirage. Euphoria turned to depression, and the headlines were an indicator of what was happening. In the 1990s, OIC became the brunt of many jokes. It was reduced to an exclamation. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called it, “Oh I see!” Nobody took the organization seriously. Its press releases and statements found their way into the pages of Arab News occasionally. It mostly appeared on days when there appeared to be a severe shortage of news.

To make matters worse, the OIC leadership itself had little interest in getting the word out. Its secretaries-general were diplomats who saw their appointments as a last stop before retirement. They never entertained the media; they were bureaucrats first and last, and as most bureaucrats they held media persons in contempt. So much so that one OIC secretary-general in the 1990s ordered his media department to keep away from journalists and not to share stories with them.

During the summits that took place in the decades leading up to 2000, OIC coverage in Arab News was confined to what was released by the Saudi Press Agency. In fact, some important stories about OIC, which has always been headquartered in Jeddah, were datelined Cairo, Rabat or Khartoum.

The scenario changed dramatically with the arrival in Jeddah of Turkish historian and academic Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. A man who had his fingers on the pulse of the Ummah, he understood the importance of Arab News and the English media and most importantly our online edition. He realized how important it was for the OIC to convey its message in English for a global audience. Arab News has had the good fortune of receiving his comments and notes even while he was at the most important of meetings.

He created a media department that focused exclusively on the English media. This was the time that Arab News carried important stories and seminal changes about the OIC. The exclamation mark was gone. People were still cynical about the organization, but they no longer ignored the organization. Western leaders made it a point to visit OIC headquarters in Jeddah and to explain their points of view. Press conferences with world leaders were held at the OIC headquarters, something that was unthinkable. Ihsanoglu actually encouraged media people to ask tough questions.

Arab News was at the forefront of chronicling those changes. Among the most important OIC stories that got front-page play was the organization’s initiative to bring Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites together for a larger cause. This summit was held in Makkah with the Holy Kaaba as a backdrop. Before these meetings was OIC’s relentless but peaceful campaign against Islamophobia in the West. The Danish cartoons that denigrated Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) became the most important issue for the Muslim world. For Denmark, it was merely a freedom-of-expression issue; for Muslims it became a life-and-death issue. Many Muslims were outraged beyond words. Both sides remained firm in their positions. OIC demanded an unqualified apology, and this was on the front page of Arab News. It was then picked up by all Western news agencies. The Danish newspaper that printed the cartoons in the first place started contacting Arab News. It became a global reaction of Muslims.

In his meetings with Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena, the OIC chief acknowledged the immense importance that Arab News held on the world-media scene. Three weeks later, Javier Solana, key Western leader, came calling on the OIC secretary-general and explained his point of view. Arab News dutifully gave prominent space to Solana’s statements in which he explained the European governments’ difficulties in bringing the newspapers under government control. Of course, as an Arab News editorial of those days points out, nobody wanted European governments to take control of their newspapers. Muslims only wanted the newspapers to understand that freedom of expression should come with responsibility.

Over the years Arab News has played a key role in highlighting issues concerning the Muslim world with a sense of purpose. Arab News is conscious of the fact that it is read and is seen by a large number of the people, Muslims and non-Muslims, as a voice for the Muslim world.

The Extraordinary Story of Mohannad Jibreel Abudayyah

2010-04-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Saturday, November 14, 2009

Despite the loss of a leg and his sight, nothing deters young inventor Mohannad Jibreel Abudayyah from pressing on. The 22-year-old space engineering student at Dhahran’s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) continues his quest for knowledge and applies his almost limitless imagination to create practical solutions for everyday problems.

As a youngster, his passion was to take apart electronic toys so that he could understand how they worked. “I was notorious for unraveling all toys — so much so that there was a word in the extended family that I should not be allowed to touch anybody’s toys. Whenever I was around, my cousins and elders would prompt others to hide all their toys. ‘He is coming; remove all the toys,’ they would say,” Abudayyah told Arab News during a recent interview. “My idea was not to break toys per se — I wanted to understand the technology behind them. I would unscrew them and would try to put them back together, sometimes unsuccessfully.”

Something that held his fascination for a long time was the transistor. “I would look at it and wonder for hours how it worked. Such was my passion for understanding the mechanics behind it that I saved every halala that I got as pocket money during my childhood days in Jeddah. When I had enough money, I went out and bought a radio. The idea was to open it and to see what went into that small machine, how it worked, how it managed to bring all those sounds from across the globe into my room? I remember asking a cousin: ‘How does this work?’ He took the new radio and pointed at the on-off button. ‘Just press this one, and it will work ... it is that simple,’ he told me. ‘No, not that. I mean how does it work?’ He excused himself saying he didn’t know and that he didn’t care. ‘In fact,’ he told me, ‘no Saudi will be able to help you. Only the Japanese know all that stuff,’” Abudayyah said.

He recalls vividly that conversation of years ago. “I told my cousin, ‘Why do only the Japanese know? Why do we not know?’ My cousin was plainly irritated by my persistent inquiries. ‘We lead a good life. God has given us the money to buy all the technology in the world. They make; we buy. This is what I call a good life. Alhamdulillah.’ I told him he was wrong. ‘Those who are making the technology have a good life. What if they were not there to invent all these things? What use is our money then?’ I asked my cousin. He couldn’t take it any longer and went away, leaving the conversation in the middle of nowhere.”

To make matters worse, there were no books to guide Abudayyah. “I would spend all my time just thinking about technology. What makes the refrigerator work? How does that clock sound an alarm exactly at the hour it is set to? What technology is at work bringing those images live to our television screen? How does that airplane glide in the sky? They were all simple questions. But nobody had the answer,” he said. “People would get irritated by my questions. When I got no answers from my parents and cousins and friends and uncles and aunts, I decided to search for answers in books. Those were not the days of Google and Wikipedia. Unfortunately, there were no books on science and technology in Arabic, or maybe they were there but not available in Saudi Arabia. I decided to take the time-tested trial-and-error route. I removed one part and then another and used different permutations and combinations till I succeeded in getting the radio circuit right. Since then I have dreamed of nothing else but to be an inventor — to make a qualitative difference in the lives of people through my inventions.”

Abudayyah once convinced his brother to hand over his car to him for certain experiments. “You will not believe it, I told my brother, ‘Give me your car, and I will turn it into an airplane.’ My poor brother — he agreed. The end product was neither a car nor an airplane. It was a piece of junk. That only confirmed the worst idea about me: Mohannad simply destroys things.”

Over the years he has succeeded in turning ordinary toys into useful items. “You must have seen those chimpanzee toys hanging in corner shops. You just clap close to the soft toy and the chimpanzee starts clapping. It is available for SR50. What I did was to use that technology for a different purpose. I made a coffee-and-tea-vending machine. One clap and the machine pours hot coffee; two claps you get a hot cup of tea. It is very simple but interesting. So I am into modifying simple technology to suit our needs,” he said. “I have created or invented many such useful gadgets.”

Beyond the novel inventions of his youth, Abudayyah now is developing new type of deep-diving submarine with a university research grant. “A prototype is ready. I have conducted experiments in the lab in a simulated environment. This involved a lot of money. Initially I used my own money, and then KFUPM helped me. I am using the university lab. I am working out of the university budget. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has complimented me on my work. When I met him in Jeddah sometime back I was delighted beyond words. The king’s words still ring in my ears: ‘You are the Kingdom’s pride.’”

Abudayyah lost his eyesight and one leg in a freak road accident a year ago. “I had a flat tire and was trying to fix it. I had parked my car far off the road but a young, guy slammed into my stationary car. I was fixing the front tire. The whole vehicle fell on top of me. I went unconscious. What happened was I was taken by ambulance to an ill-equipped hospital. There, they wanted permission to operate on me — and they needed the money before they did anything. My father was in the United States at the time, and I was unconscious. They just amputated my leg rather than repairing it. When I woke up several days later, I realized I had not only lost my leg but my eyesight too.”

His whole life changed after the accident, but the passion to invent only got more insistent. “Now I was conscious of the needs of the people with visual impairments. I enrolled at KFUPM and started studying space engineering,” he said.

Abdulrazzak Al-Turki, who suffers from visual problems and who is a successful businessman, has been a mentor to Abudayyah. “He will be the first space engineer with visual impairment,” Al-Turki told Arab News. “I see myself in him. This accident and tragedy has only strengthened his resolve to do better. He has huge potential, and I would urge businesspeople to come forward and help such exceptional young men in realizing their dreams. Corporate houses have a duty toward society. He is a role model for youngsters, and his success will spur a whole new generation of young Saudis.”

Since his accident, Abudayyah has delivered 100 lectures, telling young inventors how to get started and how to keep going in the face of adversity. “I have trained more than 600 people in the process of invention, and I have taught more than 300 engineers and students how to become professional inventors,” he said. “I have got certificates from Europe, and I am doing a book on how to be an inventor. Nothing is impossible in this world. You just require determination to pursue your passion.”

Abudayyah praised Al-Zamil Group and the South Rub Al-Khali Company (SRAK) for their generous monetary assistance to his projects. He thanks his professors and especially KFUPM Rector Dr. Khaled S. Al-Sultan. “He helped me lot and if it were not for him and other professors, I would not be at this university.”

Khaled Almaeena — the Man Behind the Green Truth

2010-04-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Arab News turns 35 on Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A newspaper literally consists of ink and paper; the inks come from dyes and the paper from wood pulp. If a newspaper comes alive for its readers and becomes a trusted friend, it is because there is an editor who understands how to breathe life into it and make it a living, vibrant thing. In my years at Arab News, I have heard many times from many different readers that Arab News is such a creature — more than ink and paper — a trusted friend. We can all thank Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena for bringing Arab News to life. He is a tireless champion for the truth and for Saudi Arabia, a tolerant man who preaches tolerance and loves to debate those with opposing views, a friend to both the poor and the powerful, but, first and foremost, a newspaperman.

To him, each reader is more than a valued customer; each reader is a one-man or one-woman opinion poll, and each reader will get the best possible newspaper seven days a week and 52 weeks a year. His is a tough job that requires a mix of a passion for good writing and photography and a quest for perfection — all for each and every reader of Arab News. He is unsparing in his criticism of editors who commit mistakes and let typos in. Everybody dreads it when he is poring over the pages at 10:30 p.m., not too long before press time.

“His eyes take him straight to the mistake,” rues one senior editor. His command of Urdu stands him in good stead when he is unleashing those four-letter words at the Subcontinentalwallahs who “write in pidgin English and commit horrible mistakes.”

The other thing that is like a red flag to him is bland headlines.

“Don’t write so-and-so visits such and such place... Give me a quote in the headline,” he screams and yells depending on what mood he is in on a particular night. He is a hands-on editor in chief. His is an open-door policy. You can just barge into his room and discuss anything, but he doesn’t suffer fools lightly; though, he has never mustered the courage to say no to anybody. And he always treats his readers as kings. He has never left a reader’s e-mail unanswered, and quite often you will see him picking up a phone to call an odd reader to know about his or her opinion about the newspaper.

On many occasions when he liked a particular article from foreign publications, he will immediately write to them if the e-mail address of the author is available. He loves interaction and is always open to suggestions. He is particularly fascinated by young writers and personally ensures that their stories are there in the newspaper.

For him, Arab News is a passion. He lives it. He breathes it. And he gets mad when anyone messes with it. If you have been an editor in chief for more than 25 years of a newspaper that turns 35 on April 20, 2010, what else could you expect?

Know the Competition

On Jan. 8, 2004, a cool Thursday afternoon, Arab News staffers were greeted with an important e-mail from their editor in chief. It contained a 33-page article titled “The Kingdom of Silence.” On top in a bold font was written: “Interesting and a must-read. — KA.” The word “MUST” was in all capitals for emphasis. Nearly 30,000 words later the editors indeed found it to be a very interesting article written by Lawrence Wright for the prestigious New Yorker magazine. The article dealt with Wright’s three-month experience in early 2003 at our immediate English-language competitor, The Saudi Gazette, where he was hired to train young Saudi reporters.

The job offered him a way of getting into the Kingdom after more than a year of, what he described as, “fruitless attempts to get a visa as a journalist.” Wright described in delightful details about the inner workings of an organization that we take on, day-in and day-out in thousands of newsstands spread across the Kingdom. It gave the editors a valuable insight into how Arab News was being perceived in the opposition camp. This was always a mystery to the editors, and Wright was unraveling it for them.

Later that evening, Almaeena acknowledged The Saudi Gazette is a good newspaper. “Don’t underestimate the competition,” he told his staff. “I want you to know full well who you are dealing with. Wright has given us good clues. This will help us build on the empirical data that we have on our competitor. Newspapers are a 24/7 ball game and a little complacency can prove disastrous,” he said with an air of firm authority.

The next day on the bulletin board, he wrote with his favorite blue marker and in his inimitable long hand: “Let’s push the opposition to No. 3.” The message from the head honcho was clear: We just can’t lower our guard. The leader has to guard the reader.

‘The Green Truth’

He loves corporate battles. And when he is battling for Arab News — “the Green Truth,” as he calls it — he is at his warrior best.

When he came back to Arab News on March 1, 1998, for his second stint as the editor in chief of the newspaper, he had made his intentions loud and clear.

“You will see many changes in the newspaper in the next few years,” he wrote in the front-page editorial that became the guiding light for the new millennium. “There are new parameters of relevance needed, new influences on our lives to be addressed. As readership interests shift, and loyalties fluctuate even faster, we need new tools to track and respond. The print media could very well be one of the losers in the next century if it doesn’t respond to this challenge. It is, therefore, clear to all of us at Arab News: Get with it or get out of it.” That set the tone for his second inning.

If his enduring legacy in the first tenure (1982-1993) was the introduction or expansion of the Letters to the Editor column, his second term will go down in the annals of Arab News history as a period of Glasnost and Perestroika — a period in which he introduced to Arab News readers a combination of brilliant young and old, men and women, Saudi and Arab writers and columnists who discussed issues that were only a few years ago considered taboo.

Bridging the Gap

“In the chaotic world of post-Sept. 11, everything had turned upside down,” he said. “There was ignorance all around. Arab News found itself in a unique position to counter the attack on Islam with a series of brilliant essays by some of the top Saudi writers. We threw our doors open to our counterparts from the United States and all the Western countries. At times, the Arab News newsroom resembled one big railway platform where people alighted and boarded trains at the same time.” He himself wrote extensively in his bid to bridge the gap between Saudi Arabia and the United States. “I love batting for my country,” he would repeat ad nauseam.

Tackling Terrorism

“We all need to get rid of this scourge of terrorism,” Almaeena wrote in one celebrated article. As “we stood together in the fight against Communism and the fight against Saddam’s naked aggression, we need to stand together in this fight against terrorism. The worst thing about terrorism is that you don’t see the enemy: He is invisible. That makes the fight against terror all the more difficult. We need all our wits about us; we need every help we can get. This requires patience and understanding; tanks and machine guns are important but so is the marshaling of human resources against this menace. As somebody rightly pointed out, with extremism, radicalization, terrorism and militancy — as with the Death Star — you have to get straight to the core. And the core is not killing or arresting those terrorists. They are just the leaves on the tree. The core is the hearts and minds of the people of the Muslim world.”

When we were being blasted with hate mail, he immediately set up a task force to reply to those e-mails and to try to convince those people against abusing Islam and Muslims. He himself engaged them in dialogue and, on many occasions, won their hearts with his logic and reason.

Subcontinent Ties

He is also passionate about India and Pakistan, and this is reflected in the newspaper. This passion may be because of his education in India and Pakistan in his early years. When something goes wrong in those two countries, he picks up the pen immediately. In this day and age he still writes in long hand. And he loves cricket. When the two archrivals decided to resume cricketing ties in 2004, he sent our seniormost editor, L. Ramnarayan, to cover the matches in Pakistan. Ram’s selection was not without reason. Ram became the first non-Muslim to represent a Saudi newspaper in Pakistan. That was a coup of sorts and created quite a flutter.

“The idea was to promote ties between the two countries. There was no one better than Ram to do justice to the cricket series,” he recalled later. And Ram lived up to his reputation as a delectable sports writer. His diaries became a rage, and he came back with great memories of Lahore and Multan and Islamabad.

The Leader Guards the Reader

Whether you’re from Makati or Piccadilly, from Bali or Bombay, Sharafiya or Bani Malik, Karachi or Kala Bagh, or Jeddah or Japan makes no difference — they all are important to Arab News. From laborers to business leaders, from housewives to historians, all will always be No. 1 at Arab News. You can thank the editor in chief for that. In his view, his “Green Truth” is your “Green Truth.”

Sania Mania

2010-04-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Thursday, February 24, 2005

Who is Sania Mirza? If you put that question to Indians living abroad, you’ll get a frown because they’ll think you should know all about her. Ask an Indian in India, and after the eyes stop rolling, you’ll be handed just about any newspaper or magazine that’s handy. And there she is, peeking out of every publication and every TV screen as writers and anchors gush “This Lass Has Got Class” or “She’s the Belle of the Ball.” It’s called “Sania Mania,” and advertising agencies are working overtime to cash in on it.

Well, to the answer then. Sania Mirza is an 18-year-old Muslim girl from Hyderabad, India, who has caught the attention of the world of tennis since Feb. 12 when she became the first Indian to win a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title — and the $140,000 prize that went with it. She was given a wild card for the Hyderabad Open event, which she won by beating ninth seed Alyona Bondarenko of the Ukraine. That victory came after her amazing exploits in the Australian Open last month where she became the first Indian to reach the third round of a Grand Slam event. Sania lost to Serena Williams. By her superb display she jumped from a 400 ranking last year into the Top 100 this year. She is on No. 99 in the latest world rankings.

Those are cold statistics and are for the record books. That still doesn’t tell us what sort of person she is and what her background is. “She is a deeply religious girl who prays five times a day and tries hard not to play during the holy month of Ramadan. She reads the Qur’an every day,” her father and coach, Imran Mirza, told Arab News in a telephone interview from Hyderabad this week. “She doesn’t want to miss out on college, so she recently enrolled herself for a bachelor’s degree in mass communications, having completed her higher secondary course (Plus 2) last year. She went to Nasr School, an English-medium school which is a typical Muslim one.”

So she wants to be a journalist? “Having answered hundreds of questions from hundreds of journalists after winning the hearts and minds of a multitude of Indians, she probably knows the right questions to ask,” said the doting father.

Sania had already learned the nuances of journalism when someone asked her what’s it like for a Muslim girl to wear short skirts and slug it out on court. She quickly replied: “I don’t wear miniskirts on the streets.”

Imran Mirza himself was a sports journalist once. He ran his own sports magazine called “Sportscall”. “It folded a long time back,” he said, “but my heart was once into journalism.” The father thinks that the whole family has contributed in a big way to Sania’s rise to sports stardom. “My younger daughter Anam, who is 11, probably missed a lot of time with us because we were busy with Sania so much.”

Here in Saudi Arabia, old-timers recall one of Sania’s great-uncles coming for Haj many times. “He was my Phuppa Al-Haj Mirza Shakoor Beg,” confirmed Imran. “He performed Haj 31 times and died at the age of 96.” Sania’s grandfather was an avid sportsman.

“My father, Muhammad Zafar Mirza, played university-level cricket. He also played club cricket for Middlesex in England. But his first love was hockey. Then he went into academics,” said Imran. Sania’s mother also is a sports lover. “She never played organized sports though, but she played badminton a lot,” said Imran.

How did Sania get into tennis? “It was natural for her to pick up some kind of sport. Cricket was not an option for women, and we discouraged her from getting into swimming so tennis became the best option,” said Imran.

“We knew she had talent when she picked up the racket for the first time at the age of six. We knew then that she was destined for big things, but we didn’t know she’d reach the Top 100 ranking at 18. Now she wants to be in the Top 50 by the end of 2006 and the Top 25 by 2007.”

Imran says finding corporate sponsors initially was tough. “GVK Industries did a lot to promote her. Now we are deluged with offers from sponsors.”

Anirban Das, senior vice president of Globosport, which handles Sania’s commercial work, told Outlook news magazine that he spent the last few months “persuading people, trying to convince them there was something special about this girl.”

Now they have seen the light, and he is flooded with offers since Sania’s appeal extends beyond the demographic of tennis-watchers in that she is an icon for all young people — particularly women. As she was walking back after losing to World No. 7 Serena Williams in that celebrated Australian Open encounter at Melbourne’s Vodafone Arena, Brad Gilbert, coach of the likes of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, told her: “You have a bright future. I would like to see you in the Top 50 in the next 12 months.”

That’s what she’s working on now. Sania Mirza possesses a simple, wholesome charm that comes from sheer earnestness. There is a down-to-earth quality to her which goes beyond the transitory appeal of models. And, unlike actresses, Sania is real.

Sania’s rise to the top also has given a shot in the arm to the morale of the country’s Muslim minority. In his much-acclaimed article, Praful Bidwai hit the nail on the head when he said: “Sania has come to embody a number of aspects of modernity, freedom and rationality — the very opposite of the stereotypes that Indian Muslims are straitjacketed into. Many conservatives, especially Bharatiya Janata Party sympathizers, believe Indian Muslims are irredeemably backward, illiterate, overly religious, bigoted... In their view, Muslims are somewhat inferior, under-socialized human beings who deserve pity or sympathy, not equal treatment or respect. The Hindu nationalist, as well as the middle class pseudo-liberal, is deeply uncomfortable with the modern, liberal, educated, well-informed Indian Muslim who has an open mind and cosmopolitan outlook. The discomfort is all the greater if the person is a woman. Sania Mirza represents all of those modern attributes. And yet, she has become an irresistible, irrepressible icon by dint of her talent and her transparent charm. This is a major transformation of the Indian Muslim stereotype.”

So who is Sania Mirza? If you’re one of the Top 100 in the world of tennis, the answer might be “Trouble.”

Saudi Aramco's Huda Ghoson Says Parental Support Is Key to Success

2010-03-28T01:39:00.001-07:00

By Siraj Wahab

Published in Arab News on Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Most parents hope their children will do better and go further than they did. It is a human response. Hoping and doing, however, can be two different things. Those parents who actively encourage their children’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge give their offspring an edge their contemporaries do not enjoy. For daughters, such support can be the difference between fulfilling their dreams and settling into a mundane life, with the haunting question of what could have been forever hanging over them.

For Huda Ghoson, director of human resources policies and planning at oil giant Saudi Aramco, it was her mother’s determination that made the difference. “My parents, whose education was limited to elementary school, realized that the most important thing in life — that would guarantee a prosperous and successful future — was a good education,” Ghoson says. “My mother was a very active woman around charitable societies in Riyadh, and well known for extending her time and resources to help the needy. She was a very strong woman and determined that we all get a good education, especially the girls. She wanted us to be independent, confident and responsible for our choices in life.”

Born in Iraq to Saudi parents, Ghoson spent her childhood in Kuwait before the family moved back to Riyadh in 1970. She said her mother’s early commitment to her continues to shape her career. “My mother was very influential in my decision to work for Saudi Aramco,” she says. “In fact, I do not think I would have been where I am today if it was not for my mother. Upon my graduation from King Saud University in 1980, my mother helped me explore the job market, which at that time provided very limited choices for women, for appropriate career opportunities that will nurture my aspiration and ambitions. She decided that the best work environment for me would be in Saudi Aramco. She was the one who encouraged me to join the company.”

It appears to have been wise advice as the company soon helped her continue her education. “In 1981, I began a career with Saudi Aramco,” she says. “In 1984, I took leave from work and traveled to the US to earn a master’s degree in business administration from the American University in Washington DC. I graduated in 1986 and returned to work for Saudi Aramco.”

She said the climate of the 1970s dissuaded her from her original career plans. “I wanted to study in an area related to engineering or sciences as my studies during my high school years were focused on math and science,” she says. “However, women did not have access to these fields of studies at the university level at that time, so I had to settle with English literature as I also enjoyed arts, poetry and writing. However, I had no idea what I would be doing with my degree after graduation, and there were limited opportunities for women in the job market.”

As a human resources professional, Ghoson has some interesting insights about the barriers obstructing working women. “One of the greatest obstacles facing women is prejudice, which is extremely difficult to tackle as it can be deeply ingrained in the workplace and organization culture,” she says.

“Although many companies nowadays want to enable more of their very capable women to succeed and get to the top, they do not recognize the micro-inequalities and the subtle forces of prejudice and so eradicate them. With the absence of leadership, conviction and visible action you just do not get traction.”

Another major obstacle, she says, is the “difficulty of tapping into informal networks, getting mentorship or an advocate.”

Ghoson sees that some women also face obstacles that stem from the culture they live in. “In traditional societies, women’s roles are often stereotyped. Family responsibilities are not shared and are assumed to be solely a female duty. Balancing work and family life poses a great challenge. Lack of family support is another reason why we do not see too many women in leadership positions,” she says.

She is confident that the Kingdom is on the right path both for reform and economic prosperity.

“I see Saudi Arabia as a robust and progressive country with a highly educated, modern and resilient society contributing to the global economy and the betterment of humankind. Saudi Arabia will play a major role in the economic and political stability of not only the region but the whole world. Saudi Arabia already plays a key role in supplying the world of much of the needed energy for economic prosperity and advancement,” she says. “The process of progress is slow, but it is sure, genuine and pragmatic. It is important to recognize that modern demands for instant solutions and results may not always be sensible and could antagonize traditional societies, and shatter their fragile economies. To ensure continuous progress and long-term impact, we should instead celebrate small steps and be sensitive to local culture and values.”

Ghoson thinks that governments should do more to level the playing field for women. “The fact that women do not always participate in the decision-making process to address gender issues and assure equal rights, responsibility and opportunity is a major barrier to women’s participation in the workplace,” she asserts. “Support should come from the top of the pyramid to make our economies and societies inclusive instead of exclusive.” For her the solution is obvious: “Women should have an equal role and participate in legislative and executive decisions related to the economy, society, education, and affairs of the state.”

But if change is to succeed, it requires more than government action, Ghoson says. All society has to be involved. It makes sense. “Societies that practice gender inequality tend to have a slow economic growth and larger population living in poverty. Women constitute half of the population. Ignoring them is like trying to run the race with one leg,” she says. From there stems part of her confidence. “We are witnessing an awakening in governments and business communities in the region. They realize that 50 percent of the skills, talents and potential of their populations have been ignored and neglected.”

Marginalizing women’s roles and power “is costing our young economies dearly”, she says. It is “incapacitating and inhibiting our ability to compete in a rapidly changing global environment.”

For her, the private and public sectors have “no choice” but to empower women and provide them with job opportunities and better choices if they want to reap the benefits of their contributions and productivity in the local markets. It is inevitable. “I see women playing major roles in the advancement of our societies, progress of our economies and the reform of our education systems,” she says.

Ghoson has some advice for young people, male as well as female, wondering which career path to take. “To succeed in a competitive world, young professionals need to establish order and discipline at the beginning of their career to help them focus on items of substance. They should take time to develop their technical knowledge and understand the business of their organizations,” she counsels. “They need to pursue continuous self-development and be willing to venture into new territories. They should take the time to observe before acting and not to be discouraged or disheartened by setbacks and failures. They should learn from past mistakes, and stick through the tough learning period. Sometimes the best teachers are the negative experiences.”