RAMADAN

When I was considering what to write this week my first inclination was a cross country trip I made to the fort of Al Uquair on the Persian Gulf coast.  Then a friend and driller working out of Kuwait recommended Ramadan since it was about to begin.  A flood of memories returned and I thought this was a very good topic for this week. This Ramadan marks a special time in my own life.  So, this week lets take a look at the Muslim’s Holy Month of Ramadan and the sacrifices that practicing members of the Islamic must make.

Ramadan is considered by the Islamic faith as the month that Mohammad revealed the Quran.  Thus the writings of Mohammad, believed to be the prophet of God, were identified to what would become the largest religious group in the world.  According to Islam God, or Allah as it is identified in Islam, spoke to Mohammad and told him what to write.  Every month this revelation is celebrated as the Holy Month of Ramadan.  This is where we see one of the quirks in the Western World and the Mid-Eastern world.  The Western World uses the solar calendar and identifies a year as the time it takes to go around the sun.  The Mid-East uses a calendar based on lunar cycles and  each Muslim year and thus Ramadan falls 11 days earlier.  This means that every 33 years Ramadan would make a full trip around the solar calendar and begin on the same day it had 33 years earlier.  This is significant to me as the beginning of this Ramadan begins on the exact day that I saw my first Ramadan in Arabia 33 years ago; and this is one brutal time to begin the Holy Month.

While it is readily known when the first glimmer of the new moon will begin and ushers in Ramadan, it the religious leaders that make the announcement and the sound of a cannon in the distance officially announces that Romadan has started.  Then every morning as the sun breaks the horizon the cannon goes off and fasting must begin.  As the sun drops below the horizon the cannon proclaims that the fasting is now lifted.  This fasting lasts for one month and is meant as a period of purification, inward searching and spiritual reflection.

The fasting is a true sacrifice for anyone that performs the ritual.  From the time the sun rises until it sets drinking and eating are not allowed.  Considering the temperatures in August reach well over 110 in many parts of Saudi Arabia, the laborers working outside endure a major hardship.  They can rinse their mouth with water but can not swallow.  Tobacco is not allowed and physical contact between a man and a women is not tolerated. Fasting is said to divert the thoughts away from worldly materialistic thoughts.  Most countries stop work at noon during the month.  If a Muslim is traveling he can break his fast during this period but must make it up at a later time.  Westerners working in the Muslim countries are required to not eat, drink or smoke in front of a Muslim during Ramadan.   Fasting is not optional.  All Muslims are expected to do this with a couple of exceptions.  These exceptions are children, pregnant women, the mentally ill, the chronically ill and the elderly; however the last two groups must make up for fasting by trying to feed the poor.

This year Rmaadan will begin when the firs light of the new moon is visible and this should be on or about July July 19^th.

On a sidelight about Syria.  A heart wrenching interview was aired on CNN where a freedom fighter told of running out of ammunition and receiving no aide as the civilians are being slaughtered.  Not only did he beg for aid but he also wanted to know where the world support was.   Last week it appeared that America’s threat of intervention would stop the massacre.  Then pictures came to light of two hundred and twenty men, women and children being shot as they fled their homes under heavy bombardment of their homes.

MID-EAST VIEW OF ISRAEL

So many times the view we have of another culture or another country is tarnished by the way that culture or country is portrayed by the press an by ones own country or ideology.  A good case in point is the way Israel is viewed in the Mid-East.

When I first moved to Saudi Arabia we were cautioned to not discuss Israel in any way.  I later discovered that if you have a visa in your pass port that showed that you had visited Israel that you not be allowed to enter Saudi Arabia or any of the other Arab Countries.  My first Christmas I went to Al Khobar, the progressive Arab town where I was living.  There was a hand carved nativity scene complete with baby Jesus.  I asked where it came from and was told it came from Palestine.  I purchased it and discovered the next day that Palestine was actually Israel.

There was also a black list of countries that did work or had ties with Israel.  Companies such as Coke and AMC, then maker of Jeep, could not have products in Saudi Arabia.  The United States Congress passed a law that prohibited acknowledgement of the black list as this would encourage the boycott.  Unfortunately it hurt the Americans that innocently brought material into the country only to have it confiscated at the port.  I almost lost a jeep I imported.  A clerical error identified the vehicle as a GMC Jeep and not an AMC Jeep.  Since Jeep was a term used for any 4-wheel drive vehicle in Saudi Arabia, it made it through customs and I had one of the only Jeeps in the kingdom.    Following Desert Storm much of this disappeared and these formerly banned products are now in the market.

The state controlled newspapers and television news programs in Saudi did much to fuel the anti-Israeli sentiment.  Israel was never used in the press.  Instead the term “occupied Palestine” identified the land we refer to as Israel.  This briefly changed during Desert Storm.  The morning of the air war I turned on television and there in vivid color broadcasting live for the first time ever was CNN; totally unregulated.  Bahrain and Qatar television also were beaming CNN live to their countries.  A couple of days later and Israel came under SCUD attach.  Broadcasts were live from that country.  The next day I noticed that Qatar and Bahrain were showing live news but it was 15 minutes ahead of Saudi for the exact same program.  Then when Israel was under attach and CNN broadcast from Tel Aviv, Saudi television would show a picture of flowers and play gentle music until the Israeli broadcasted ended.  Israeli broadcasts were being censored.

As I stated earlier, much of what we perceive of another culture or nation or even religion is perpetuated by the view of our own country and leadership.  I worked with a Saudi that went to New York on business.  He was sitting in an outdoor restaurant by himself when a couple next to him began a conversation.  They were very friendly and looked Arab to him and they lived in New York City.  Eventually they asked him to come to their home for supper.  He did and had a very enjoyable meal.  He was shocked to discover that the couple was not Arab but were Jewish.  Quit surprised at this revelation, his perception of the Jewish people was changed forever.

Perhaps we could all take a lesson from this Arabs encounter as we view different cultures and peoples.  The American Indians had a saying.  “Do not judge another man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.”

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DESERT STORM AND ARAMCO

Can’t believe it was 21 years ago today.  I laid in my bed and finally got some sleep.  I knew the war would begin tomorrow.  At two the phone rang.  It was Lew Stroble, and Engineer for Meridian, Missisippi.  “It’s started Tommy,” he said.  ”Naw, it’s going to happen tonight”, I said.  “Tommy I’m telling you it has started”  I rolled over and looked at the clock.  “How do you know”, I said.  Listen to the sirense.  The the panes have been taking off for 15 minutes.  “Are they going out in two’s or threes,” I asked.  ”They are tearing out of here like bats out of hell one after the other.”  And thus I entered my second war.  Happy anniversary to the many Aramcon’s that kept the oil flowing to the free world.

O CHRISTMAS TREE

The United States of America was founded on the principles of religious tolerance. John Locke wrote on it and this impacted Thomas Jefferson when he was crafting our great Constitution. While our country was built on Christian principles, it was also established on allowing every person to believe and practice their own religion without reprisal or discrimination. With the country having Christia based values, there are certain Christian holidays that have been celebrated since the beginning of our country and date back to Germany. While these holidays are religion based and allows workers of all beliefs to have a day off from work, it is not mandatory that everyone within the boundaries of America must celebrate these holidays within a religious context.

Today political correctness is working itself into the social fiber of our country. This correctness is being inserted into our celebrations in a manner that jeopardizes the rights of the institutions that provided our religious tolerance. So many of our government agencies are opting to recognize Christmas as a religious neutral holiday and the beautiful nativity sets that brought warmth and peace to so many government buildings across our country are disappearing. This will then not offend any one that doesn’t believe in Christmas. Just last week the governor of Rhode Island refused to refer to their tree at the capital as a Christmas tree but has it referred to as a “holiday tree”. What is lost from this conversation is the fact that the holiday was founded as a Christian Holiday, was identified as an official Federal Holiday and allows Christians to celebrate this special holiday in accordance with tolerance from other individuals. Unfortunately, many of our governments have ignored the need to be tolerant of the holiday and instead they have opted to change the title of the event and the true meaning of the Christmas holiday in favor of a non-tolerant view. This is in contradiction to the people’s doctrines that began the event and what the holiday was intended to be.

When I first went to Saudi Arabia I was told to ship our Christmas tree as a holiday tree and not to mention Christmas in the shipment description. It would then get through customs. I did so and my tree came through. I also witnessed many Christmas trees that had been confiscated in the customs area at the Dammam port. But Saudi Arabia was the keeper of the Islamic faith and they make sure that everyone understands this and there are no false expectations when a person goes there to work and live. It is interesting to note that the compound I lived in use to decorate heavily for Christmas and one area was referred to as Christmas Tree Circle. The company stopped the lighting so that they could be politically correct. The largest group of people that were disappointed when the decorating ceased were the local Saudis as they loved to drive through the camp at night and enjoy the lights. I took pleasure in placing a well lit Christmas tree in my large picture window so people could drive by and enjoy the season.

There are glimmers of hope that the trend to sanitize Christmas and thus other religious holidays could be moving back to the traditions of our country. WalMart, one of the largest corporations in the world, just announced that they would now greet customers in America with a “Merry Christmas” and not “Happy Holidays”. I use to purposely wish the cashier a “Merry Christmas” and wait for a response. I usually had it returned to me. Merry Christmas everyone.

DESERT STORM 21 YEARS AGO – THANKSGIVING

The Navy SEALS had been playing the Dhahran Clippers every Wednesday for the last two months.  Following the game teh players were treated to a meal by the Clippers.  Curt, the senior SEAL NCO approached Loren Schoenholts, manager fo the Clippers and asked if they could sponsor all the SEALS to Thanksgiving. The Clippers and families all over Dhahrana and Al Khobar welcomed members of the SEAL team into their homes for a home cooked meal.  Tom Fields, Clipper Catcher, discovered that a fellow football player at Navy Memphis had graduated from Annapolis with the SEALS Lt Commander that had brought the first detachment into Arabia in August.   Captain Ray Smith took picture of Fields and Rich Hunter cutting up the Turkey.  “No one in the States would ever believe we spent Thanksgiving like this.”  Over 85 SEALS were fed following a softball game.  About 20 went to Jubail to see President Bush who had flown in to spend the Holiday with the troops.  Additional food was sent back to Half Moon Bay to feed the guards that could not attend.  Smith went back to the states after Desert Storm, was promoted to Admiral and became the head of all SEALS.  While the Clippers were feeding the SEALS other families around the Eastern Province were bringing families into their homes to give a semblance of peace prior to  the inevitable.

DESERT STORM 21 YEARS LATER – NOV. 1ST

Desert Storm 21 Years Later:  The world was in a war frenzy.  News stations continually carried the stories of the preparation for war.  National Guard units were being mobilized.  The 527^th  Combat Engineers was being readied for mobilization.  Work continued in Saudi Arabia.  The 82^nd Airborne Championship Softball Team called Dhahran and challenged the Dhahran Clippers to a game.  The Division’s band performed from the stands and one of the largest crowds to witnesses a softball game in Dhahran showed up.  Average age:  82^nd Airborne early 20s.  Dhahran Clippers 39.  Clippers won by 6 after moving the outfield to play in the infield and the infield moved to the outfield for an inning in te middle of the game.  The 82^nd Players were treated to a steak supper at the home of Loren Schoenholtz, Clipper’s pitcher and co-founder.  As a note:  The 82^nd “B” team defeated the Dhahran “B” league representative.   

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE – PART 2

The fate of the Iranian pastor inIranaccused of preaching Christianity in the Persian country is still unknown.  He could be released if he rescinded  his own teachings and promise to no longer preach.  The pastor has refused and his case and life has now been appealed to the religious leader ofIran.  How this will unfold has far reaching diplomatic implications and follows the disclosure ofIran’s attempt to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to theUnited States.  The design of this assassination would have included the death of many innocent Americans in aWashingtonrestaurant bombing.

 

TheUnited Stateswas founded on many basic tenants that provided freedoms to the citizens of this great country.  One of these tenants is the freedom to practice religion without government mandates and allow this freedom to anyone on American soil.  Other countries are not quite so understanding and government controlled religion discriminates against those that don’t profess to  the doctrines of the states official religion.

Some countries allow different religions to be practiced but the country still maintains an official state religion. IraqandEgyptboth have a Christian population but the countries are identified as Muslim. The Islamic country ofLibya, which just this week officially gained its’ independence from Mohamar Ghadaffi’s oppressive regime, not only allowed Christians to practice its religion but also had a Jewish presence.  TodayEngland, which has the official religion of the Church of England, is fully tolerant of other religions and in no way discriminates against freedom to worship as desired.

 

Other Islamic countries are not this open. Saudi Arabiais the official home of the Islamic Religion.  The two most holy cities in Islam,MeccaandMedina, are located in Saudi.  Christian services are no officially sanctioned; however, some areas have gathering places and the Christians would come together for quiet worship.  This is not legal as the only practiced religion inSaudi Arabiais to be Muslim.

 

An acquaintance of mine was named Tom.  He worked for our company and was transferred from theEasternProvincetoRiyadhwhere he was part of the Government Affairs organization.  His father had been a missionary in theMiddle Eastand Tom was very religious.  One evening he was arrested for leading religious services in a private house inRiyadh.  The government was willing to allow Tom to remain in the country and continue with his job if he would promise to not support any further religious services.  He refused and Tom lost a lucrative job and was deported fromSaudi Arabia. 

 

There is also a note of compassion here.  Tom was held in theEasternProvinceand met his family at the airport when he was being deported.  He sat handcuffed in the waiting lounge of the Dhahran airport and played with his five year old son.  A military guard sat on one side of Tom and a religious leader assigned to Tom sat on the other side.  As Tom talked and tried to play with his son the religious leader looked at the military guard and said, “Take off the hand cuffs.”  The guard looked at the religious leader with a questioning look and the leader repeated his demand.  The cuffs were removed and Tom played with his child and was saved any further humiliation.

 

This is not a ridicule of one government or another; instead it is a testament to people that are courageous enough to stand for their convictions and most importantly a testament to theUnited States of America.  It was our country that developed the model for tolerance that many countries follow today.

 

We live in a country where tolerance is more important than forced religion.  Our country is the hallmark of how true freedom is administered.  What we have to be cautious of is that  we don’t twist the laws provided by our great founding fathers and instead of continuing with freedom of religion we become so “politically correct” that we prohibit any public display of religious freedom.  As has been stated in the past, “Our form of government is not perfect by any means; but it is so much better than all others.”

LESSONS LEARNED FROM SWORN ENEMIES

 

In a previous article I introduced you to Tom O’Rourke who I worked with inSaudi Arabia.  I had also noted that it takes a certain type of individual to not just go to the Middle East but live and enjoy the experience.  There are two unique individuals that I would like to introduce to you that definitely fit this mold. 

When I first arrived inArabiain 1978 I was assigned to the Dhahran Construction Organization.  Our purpose in life was to take design packages and write contracts and go to the field to construct what the design required.  My Senior Project Manager was named Louie Rotter.  He was a large raw boned very knowledgeable hard working but extremely friendly and outgoing individual from England.   He had been inArabiafor many years and was well liked through out the community. 

 When we needed surveying work performed in the field we would use a survey company that had offices provided by ARAMCO.   These were located next to the offices Louie and I worked in.  The leader for the surveying contractor was a German named Hans Kozinski.  Hans was short, quiet and in accordance to the German work ethic, was very detailed oriented.  He too was very pleasant and was intellectually inclined.  He lived inCairowith his Egyptian wife.  He was the epitome of the true expatriate that Hemmingway wrote about so many times.  Hans, like Rotter, had been inArabiafor many years and enjoyed the work.

 When we needed survey work, Hans always came through with the layout and he and Louie worked very well together as would be expected of a successful team.  Then one day I heard a very unique story about the two.  I had spent four years in the Navy and then two years in the Army National Guard and Hans enjoyed talking to me abut my military experiences.  Finally I understood why.

 Louie was not a native of the United Kingdom.  He was from Hungary and had escaped from there when the Nazis invaded his country.  Louie made his way to England where he joined the military and became a pilot in the RAF, the Royal Air Force.  He was sent to the island of Maltain the Mediterranean where he was assigned to photographic intelligence with the mission to take pictures of the German forces  in Italy.  Hans was a pilot for the Luftwaffe.  When Germany moved into Italy he was sent to the north of the country with a German photographic intelligence unit and was assigned to take pictures of the British forces on the island of Malta.  They were taking pictures of each other.

 Now here is the parallel I would like to make.  If two sworn enemies that were doing everything to destroy each other can sit down and find a common ground to work from and finally become friends, can’t our rival political parties come together to rebuild the economy of our great nation.

 

DESERT STORM 21 YEARS LATER – SEPT 13

Operation Desert Strom:  21 Years Later.  ARAMCO had evacuated all family members that wanted to leave.  It was a sad experience to see busses from all three ARAMCO communities converge at the Kings Road complex and wait to convoy to the Dhahran Air Port.  Wives and children sat quietly, many with tears in their eyes as they were being  taken out of harms way.  The situation handled was very professionally and I stood as fathers said good by to their families while no one knew what was coming.  The numerous Greyhound sized busses finally roared to life and departed leaving many a male worker alone for the first time in his marriage.

DESERT STORM – 21 years later. Sept 5th – 2011

Trains loaded with tanks were seen at night moving north from Hofuf in the south of Saudi Arabia to the north toward Kuwait.  Saudi Arabia immediately denied any movements so that they  would not be seen as provoking any military action from Iraq.  TV news hinted that Iraq had nuclear weapons.  ARAMCO realized that its’ employees were becoming uneasy about the rumors of Chemical warheads so a British Officer came to speak to the company.  Video tapes were passed out to all organizations.  He stated that there was no way Iraq could attack Saudi with missles.  Planes with special air to air missiles would be the first line to intercept the Iraqi missiles called SCUDS.  Then Marine units with their anti aircraft missiles would then be engaged and then US Army Patriot batteries would get what was left.  Also, he said that with our electronic sophistication the Iraqi’s would most likely never get a missile off the ground.  We would find and destroy them before they launched.  Everyone bought the story.  ARAMCO and other Americans in the Eastern Province were traveling into the desert to find American Troops and pass out drinks, magazines and even took radios from their homes to give to the troops.  An outpouring of support never before seen at a potential war front.