Ya Allah, BB, this ad made me so sad. It breaks my heart that in my beloved country there are people who aren't even allowed to make a dignified decent living means. Allah esa3ed the person advertising oo inshallah, he will get a gr8 job.

When a friend applied for a job, he was asked for his religious affiliation. When showed his surprise (this was his first time working in Ba7rain, his previous work was in the US where he went to college) and replied Muslim, he was asked to be specific. He din't know what to say, he just muttered Shia (he figured some distant family are so good enough). Luckily for him, it is one of the few times in Ba7rain, a country with a Shia majority, where being Shia works for you instead of against you.

I have seen it so balatantly done, all parties all guilty in Bahrain. the Shia want to hire Shia, Sunnis want Sunni, Persians prefer Persians, Indians want an Indian, newly immigrants want immigrant. Arabs want Arab. It seems the only people who don't ask or try to find out are the Westerners. We are in such a sad state

Posted by  Gardens of Sand @ 5/23/2007 11:21:00 PM #

GoS. It's really sad indeed.

I firmly believe we should start fighting for the free movement of migrant workers in Bahrain, unleashing them from their sponsers. The current system puts downward pressure of wages. Basically low-skilled wages are set to that of India, and Bahrainis are also expected to compete and work at that wage, 150BD a month.

As for being asked your sect at the interview stage, that should be made illegal. If MPs and this government are serious about ending sectarianism, then any discrimination based on your sect should be made illegal. I mean in other countries your not even allowed to get asked your age!

Oh well, hope he finds a dignified job (even below the minimum wage).

Posted by  BB @ 5/24/2007 12:41:00 PM #

How about you and I make a deal?

We put some money in - open up a business, and hire only Bahrainis from whichever sect - teach them how to be professional and leave all the social bullshit behind when they're at work. We'll teach them goal-setting, career-management, and being Bahrainis, punctuality skills.

You in?

Posted by  Anonymous @ 5/26/2007 05:23:00 PM #

Bahrania, I owe you an apology. A couple of years ago we always had heated discussions about the state of affairs... I always thought you were exaggerating back then.. after living here for a while.. I stand corrected... this country IS going to hell in a hand basket.

- The Joker

Posted by  Anonymous @ 5/29/2007 10:28:00 AM #

Odd: well as a business idea it is completely unfeasible in terms of profit. However I always thought it would be great to experiment with social enterprise start-ups. For example, a recruitment consultancy that offers a personalised coaching service; we can teach them all that you have listed and make money out of it! It works very well elsewhere and helps oil the wheels of the system.


Joker: there is no need to apologise, after all you are entitled to your opinion based on the way you perceive things at the time. The problem occurs when those who make decisions on behalf of us make this mistake. Those who told us to vote in the national charter, those who told us to participate in the elections UNCONDITIONALLY. The nation has been taken for one big ride; has acted the underdog on what they think is the negotiating table but what is in fact yet another rubber-stamping process where you say what you want and they do what they want.

Back in the day, certain people were considered radical, unorthodox, hardline for holding views that defied the mainstream banter to the HH's 'reform agenda'. In 2001 when we celebrated the wedding between the king and the nation I thought so to. Only to be proven wrong time and time again.

I do not feel hopeless however, we just need to name things as they are. I for one would go as far as not even naming Hamad a King. For a start the national charter stated that Bahrain become a Kingdom and the 1973 constitution reinstated. Now he conned us in broad daylight when it came to the latter. So why the hell should he be a King today? Is this an extreme view or purely logical?

We the young, need to think out of the box. We need to reject the tinned and ready-to-go mentality. We need to constantly critisize and question. Dissent is what leads to progress in the West. Why are we so afraid?

Posted by  BB @ 5/29/2007 02:43:00 PM #

" For example, a recruitment consultancy that offers a personalised coaching service; "

My brother wants to open a small business consultancy that focuses on coaching, and involves the social aspect. I.e. open sessions and things of that sort.. If you're still interested in going ahead he will be more than glad to hear from you.

As for your question, why people don't have the balls to call a spade a spade, the answer is 36 years long... but I'll try to sum it up in 2 words

دوله ريعيه

Good boys and girls get their cookie

Good night

Posted by  Anonymous @ 5/31/2007 12:09:00 AM #

On the receiving end i absolutely loathe 'headhunters' i rate them no higher than cockroaches; pure commission-driven pests. However, not to generalise, there are recruitment consultancies that can be introspective if their main aim isn't just to place candidates as fast as possible and wherever possible.

Email me, i can direct you to a prototype that is very successful and belongs to a friend of mine (outside bahrain of course).

Btw why have u stopped blogging?!

Posted by  BB @ 5/31/2007 03:33:00 AM #