I will not apologize!
The Paris attacks that killed 130 people and injured hundreds of others are still capturing headlines. They also occupy the top spot in social media the world over. The attack came days after suicide…
Articles
Columns and opinion pieces, in English and Arabic.
Showing 61–80 of 114
Stop the blame game!
A full-page report appeared two days ago in a local Arabic daily paper which said that terror organizations entice youngsters to their ranks by means of the temptation of fame and dreams of Paradise. Those…
Ministry of Labor must speed up expat labor cases
I have written several articles on labor issues and especially about sponsor-expatriate employee relations. I have also focused on the need for speedy justice for these workers. Letters from all over the world have…
Is this Gandhiji’s India?
Events in India are capturing worldwide attention. Apart from the usual political banter, one new expression has entered the body politic of India – “beef”. Beef politics prevails. It began a long time ago…
The terrible crane tragedy in Makkah
The terrible crane tragedy in Makkah on Sept. 11 that caused over a 100 deaths and 200 injured truly shook our society. I am not going to dwell on the causes. Investigations were conducted and…
Weep, Arab world!
The pictures in most newspapers in Europe and America are those of dead bodies washed up on Europe's shores. These are desperate Arabs mostly Syrians fleeing the war. It is a tragedy and crisis…
New Arab order should make meritocracy its priority
The Arab world is passing through its darkest phase in history. Even the most diehard optimist would find little to cheer about. Arab political pundits and newly self-appointed social media analysts have come up…
Why is the Arab World in this sorry state?
While sipping a cup of tea in a hotel in Calicut, Kerala, a state in India, I was approached by a group of young men and women from some Gulf countries who asked me…
Imams need to focus on sermons, not loud speakers
Last week, two news items about imams of mosques caught my eye. One was a remark by Ahmad Jeelan of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs who stated the khateeb or preacher should view Friday…
The death of women teachers on our highways has to stop!
The unending tragic incidents of women teachers dying in motor vehicle accidents on the nation’s highways has finally caught the attention of the authorities. These teachers have to be driven every day to government…
Well done Sheikh Ahmad Al-Ghamdi!
The former head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) in Makkah region, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, has been receiving death threats since he issued an edict saying…
Dear Mr. Labor Minister: ‘All we want is to go home!’
The Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih stated recently that corrective measures with more intensity will be applied soon and that the crackdown on violating expatriate workers is the goal. He added that no person…
Knight of Journalism
Accidents happen. The unpredictable eddies of life deposit us quite by chance in unasked-for positions that we turn to our advantage or simply have to handle. Such was the case with Khaled Almaeena, erstwhile…
Don’t just raid restaurants, disinfect Jeddah’s polluted streets!
The raids on restaurants and cafes conducted by the Jeddah municipality in the past couple of weeks are the talk of the town. Many owners of eateries in Jeddah have complained of highhandedness on…
Has Pakistan become a ‘dream gone sour’?
The massacre of 132 children in grades one to ten and nine of their teachers in a Peshawar school shook not only Pakistan but also the world. These innocent children wiped out by beasts…
New ministers must lead from the front
THE Cabinet change that took place last week which saw the inclusion of nine ministers was the topic of many discussion groups and was shared by many on Twitter. Many of the names and faces…
Five-year plans are only ink on paper
A HEADLINE in a local newspaper stated “Al-Shoura: Five-year plans are ink on paper” and the report said that some ministries do not implement these plans.The report added that unemployment is on the rise…
No one feels safe on the roads in Jeddah anymore
The traffic situation in Jeddah has reached an almost unbearable point – both for motorists and pedestrians.Long queues of cars, blaring horns and at times fist fights and other acts of road rage are…
When will the oppression of Palestinians end?
An American journalist commenting on the latest incident in Jerusalem which culminated in the death of several people asked: "When will the cycle of violence in Israel end?" Only an American journalist would ask…
The public and the media should battle corruption
A front page headline in a local Arabic paper drew the attention of readers to 2,622 cases of financial and administrative corruption, most of them in the ministries of municipal affairs, health and education.…