I doubt that this post will survive the censor - sorry, moderator - for long but some folks in the magic kingdom might just be tempted to think badly of all Muslims right now. The leader of UK's Muslims sets the record on this score straight as follows:

How Islam became intolerant
To the New Statesman
Ziauddin Sardar is one of those Muslim scholars who shakes the believers from their sleep. He highlights four categories of mistakes which have turned a "humane and open-minded" religion into a most intolerant creed. His conclusion that "the agony of being a Muslim in the 21st century is self-inflicted" is not open to dispute. Muslims have yet to come to grips with their political decline. Having contributed so much to the stock of human knowledge, one wonders how the same people could acquire the characteristics of the ignorant. However, this is the history of the rise and fall of civilisations according to the Koran. A people rise when they excel in creating ideas and decline when others, their contemporaries, are able to create better or more powerful ideas. The Muslim decline began when their learned agreed, in the 11 th century, that henceforth the doors of intellectual reasoning (ijtehad) were closed. Blind following of precedent (taqlid) set by the forebears (aslaf) became a standard mark of their thought processes. When eventually the Muslim political systems collapsed in the 19th century, Muslims refused to draw me logical conclusions. They failed to recognise that new sciences, philosophies and ways of running the state economy and human relations had emerged elsewhere to dominate men's actions. No amount of piety or closeness to God would save them from humiliation.
The events surrounding September 11th have shaken the majority of thinking people within the Muslim community. They feel that if fundamentalists be not repudiated from within, then Muslims will be marginalised and criminalised beyond recovery. Herein lies the opportunity for scholars to lead an intellectual movement. Islam must be rescued from insanity and emerge again as a force of justice and fairness.

Dr G. Siddiqui. Leader of the UK Muslim Parliament

About 6 months ago the Saudi education minister was questioned on Saudi schools. He said that 15% of the content of Saudi school textbooks preached anti-western hatred, and perhaps this should be looked at. I think he meant he thought 15% was too much... I hope.

We might look at how we're demonising Muslims in the press in the West. Terrorist atrocities committed under the name of Islam are simply terrorist atrocities.

The situation in the Magic Kingdom is one of local xenophobia, not one of religion. They don't like anyone ! The latest US approach of finger-printing anyone who 'looks a bit dodgy' hasn't gone down well here either. Arab News reckons we can all look forward to it ourselves in a tit-for-tat retaliation.

Fantastic....

El Desperado

Agree with top tips on urban camouflage - the only extra I'd add if I was still there would be a CD dangling from my rear view mirror ;)

I hear BWOS are currently on a recruiting push for Riyadh (PC-9) - new contract for less dosh, less family travel and benefits and no bonuses. It was bad enough before but overall worth it, can't see people queuing up for this new brainwave of a package.

MIN DRAG

Agree with your comments on the likelihood of recruiting new QFIs on a reduced contract. Political unrest + local populace aggreived + reduced salary and conditions of employment = not me thanks. I'll draw my pay where I can walk home without fear of being bombed (by either Arabs or Americans!)

Captain Sand Dune

I have edited two of your posts thus removing two unnecessary and tasteless remarks. You will know what they are.

We try to allow the Mil Forum to monitor itself usually but when such remarks appear they get deleted. Please refrain from repetition.

PPP

Got an e-mail from a friend back in Canada. Sounds like he was offered the same contract that I am on. BWOS is playing silly ******s it seems.

PPruNe PoP,

Living in a country where your hosts (and employers) treat you and your family with with contempt and hostility sometimes produces rather strong emotions - but, fair cop.:\

Good post by Soddim. Dr. Siddiqui has hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned. A very interesting and objective book on the subject of the decline of the Muslim civilisation is "What Went Wrong?" by Bernard Lewis (ISBN 0 297 82929 7).

...and the fun keeps happening!
 

Poetic justice!! Explosion in a house in downtown Riyadh on Tuesday. Seems the occupant was busy putting together a bomb when it went off - well they do that, don't they!:rolleyes:
Authorities found 12 AK-47's, grenades and a large quantity of HE in the ex-house. The authorities also suspected it was (very WAS, baby!)an active Al-Qaeda cell.
Also heard BWoS have hung out to dry a pilot who refused to fly after learning that his loss of flight authorisation (LOFA) insurance was cancelled after he gave his required 12 weeks notice. Said and rather p$%%#d-off) pilot refused to fly pending clarification and was promptly sacked by the RSAF!:mad:

JEDDAH, 20 March 2003 — Security personnel evacuated the main offices of Saudi Arabian Airlines here yesterday after an unidentified caller claimed there were explosives in the building, a spokesman said.

“After evacuating employees... in coordination with security and government authorities and taking the necessary measures, nothing was found” and it turned out to be a hoax, said the airline’s spokesman.

The caller told the telephone operator at 8:50 a.m. that a quantity of explosives had been placed on the fifth floor of the airline’s administrative offices in Jeddah. A major shopping mall in the heart of Jeddah was evacuated on March 8 after private security guards found objects that looked like dynamite sticks. It proved to be hoax.

This is the 2nd hoax in two weeks, how long will it be before we see the real thing?????

Mutt.

From Captain Sand Dune's last post one can see a certain similarity between the would-be bomber and BWoS personnel management - both show a similar level of incompetance.

Not for nothing is the BWoS reputation at rock bottom - nice to see the Saudi management is still true to form.

Regards the 'new' BAe contract, all the new arrivals to this location this year are on the 'old' contract. It seems that BAe cannot recruit anyone on the 'new' contract - surprise, surprise!

Hey Mutt,

"........how long will it be before we see the real thing?????"

Are you kidding!!??:eek: :eek: :eek:

How about the BWos employee shot and killed waiting at traffic lights, the Brit who died when his car blew up on start, the German whose car was fire-bombed, the Al-Khobar bombing - not to mention the 6 Brits and 1 Canadian STILL in prison falsely blamed (you don't really believe the official explanation, do you?!) for bombings around Riyadh...and more that I've probably forgotten for now. Don't get more real than that bro...:mad:

soddim,

Terrible insult to terrorists comparing them to BWoS management isn't it?!?!:p :p :p

Captain Sand Dune

Mutt will no doubt reply in due course but what I think he means is that Jeddah has always enjoyed a more relaxed approach to life, including the presence of infidels. Riyadh on the other hand has always had a bit more of a sinister undercurrent, compounds much more secure, drinking dens that much more secret etc etc. For the laidback locals in Jeddah to be activated enough to even apply digit to telephone is a worrying step in the wrong direction.

CJ

I can tell you one thing, BWoS better be very careful. One more "incident" and there will be a mass exodus. I know, I am one of them. I had to promise my wife that I would leave if something else happened when I took her to the airport.
There will not be many folks who will be willing to stay regardless of the money.

Conky J,

The Riyadh area is certainly where most of the local looney brigade are based and is certainly less expat tolerant than places like Jeddah and Dhahran.........however, the Al-Khobar bombing happened in....well...Al-Khobar; some months ago now there was an incident near the BWoS compound in Tabuk where a car driven by an Aussie couple was fired upon; in Khamis Mushayt (I think..) a local fired upon either a compound or the gates of the air base (can't remember which).

SAUDIPC-9,

Are you experiencing any agro from the locals re the Iraq thing? Don't worry, the company will look after you........bwaaaaaahhaaahhaaahhhhhaaaaaaaa........:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Thanks for that CJ.

Captain Sand Dune, all of the attacks which you have mentioned were directed at westerners, the two "hoaxes" in Jeddah were different (IMHO) as they were indiscriminate. There are factions in this country which would love to over throw the government, striking terror in the local population would be a good place to start.

I guess that justifies the armed police checkpoints on the streets.

Mutt.

............well then, thank goodness they were only targetting Westerners!!
What better way to topple the government. Terrorise the expats into leaving, causing the whole show to grind to a halt in a matter of months.

CSD,
Oh yes I have absolute confidence in the company! The "indicator system" sounds like a really world leading way to assess threats. I'm surprized the Armed Forces don't use the same system.
.......bwaaaaaahhaaahhaaahhhhhaaaaaaaa......

Unfortunately this thread has been dragged back to the "front pages". Saudi hospitality strikes again.........Four compounds in Riyadh were bombed late yesterday. News sources say they were "Saudi compounds housing US citizens", but one of the compounds was Al-Hamrah which houses a lot of Arab types (Lebanese, Jordanians a few Saudis) and butts up against the British School.
This comes on the eve of Colin Powells planned visit to KSA.
And I get pilloried for casting doubt on the lineage of these wonderful people.............:hmm: