Yes, the unlikely one that I didn't quite understand. Number 3
More later, busy ah!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
I have been "resigned"
It seems I have been "resigned" from the university. I received a letter stating that the have accepted my resignation. Thing is, I didn't even write a letter of resignation. It is bizarre.
I have been talking today with several people and each has a different theory of what happened. Here is a list of them so far>
1. My comments at the presentation in Riyadh - see earlier post
2. Some supposed comments I was purported to have made about Bedouins not being intelligent. In fact I was saying the opposite, and told the students the following: (background - various people had told me the bedous are stupid - even non-bedou Saudis). One of the lecturers here told me that I should not expect much from the students because they are bedouin and that bedous are not intelligent. I told him that this is not the case and gave him an example of my top student last year who was from a bedouin background (very intelligent chap). I went to my class a bit angry with this lecturer still and said to the students that someone had just told me that Bedou are not intelligent. I then said that this is very bad and gave the example of the best student, amongst others. I told the students that no-one should ever have this idea, especially because it is not true and that we brothers in Islam, Bedou and non-Bedou. There is no difference between us. '
However, somehow a complaint was made to the president of the university that I had said that Bedous are stupid. Is this politics I wonder?
3. That the dean of the college I am employed by, yet in practice I am working for medicine, was very annoyed that I was neglecting him and his college - eventhough they don't have any students yet. Bizarre I don't understand that one.
4. That someone forged a resignation letter in my name
5. That the whole thing was a clerical error.
It's all bizarre. But strangely enough, I was offered another job on Thursday. I told the dean of this new college that I would make istikharah, (this is special kind of supplication where we would ask Allah to help us make the right decision in the midst of any dilemma).
On the Saturday, I received this letter from my current employer - accepted resignation etc.
I feel that if I was looking for a definitive answer, this letter, however it came to be, is the answer I can't possibly argue with. It is something akin, to asking Allah, should i jump from this cliff?...
and somebody gives an almighty shove from behind, or you slip over and fall down. The answer could not be clearer. Even though they are now considering rescinding the letter and reinstating me. It is one of the most bizarre things to have happened to this blogger in his whole life; but you have to look at the name of the blogger to understand where it all comes from!
Interestingly, as I have mentioned previously, how selfish people are in Madinah. Especially, the people who are not the originals - i.e. foreigners and people whom have come from other parts of Arabia.
I told one, British Muslim "brother" about my "resignation". This news went around the herd of English teachers like wildfire. One of them came to me after prayer time and said the following, "I heard some very bad news", "is it true that you are leaving?", "what happened?", "me and the brothers really need to find out why you were sacked", "we don't want to put ourselves at risk also".
What does all that mean, in case that you didn't follow. He wants to know what mistake I made, because they don't want to make that mistake and get sacked too. The bad news he described was aimed at themselves, of course, not remotely a sincere expression of regret, but saving their backs. Nice people!
I perhaps have one month left in Madinah.
Cheerio
I have been talking today with several people and each has a different theory of what happened. Here is a list of them so far>
1. My comments at the presentation in Riyadh - see earlier post
2. Some supposed comments I was purported to have made about Bedouins not being intelligent. In fact I was saying the opposite, and told the students the following: (background - various people had told me the bedous are stupid - even non-bedou Saudis). One of the lecturers here told me that I should not expect much from the students because they are bedouin and that bedous are not intelligent. I told him that this is not the case and gave him an example of my top student last year who was from a bedouin background (very intelligent chap). I went to my class a bit angry with this lecturer still and said to the students that someone had just told me that Bedou are not intelligent. I then said that this is very bad and gave the example of the best student, amongst others. I told the students that no-one should ever have this idea, especially because it is not true and that we brothers in Islam, Bedou and non-Bedou. There is no difference between us. '
However, somehow a complaint was made to the president of the university that I had said that Bedous are stupid. Is this politics I wonder?
3. That the dean of the college I am employed by, yet in practice I am working for medicine, was very annoyed that I was neglecting him and his college - eventhough they don't have any students yet. Bizarre I don't understand that one.
4. That someone forged a resignation letter in my name
5. That the whole thing was a clerical error.
It's all bizarre. But strangely enough, I was offered another job on Thursday. I told the dean of this new college that I would make istikharah, (this is special kind of supplication where we would ask Allah to help us make the right decision in the midst of any dilemma).
On the Saturday, I received this letter from my current employer - accepted resignation etc.
I feel that if I was looking for a definitive answer, this letter, however it came to be, is the answer I can't possibly argue with. It is something akin, to asking Allah, should i jump from this cliff?...
and somebody gives an almighty shove from behind, or you slip over and fall down. The answer could not be clearer. Even though they are now considering rescinding the letter and reinstating me. It is one of the most bizarre things to have happened to this blogger in his whole life; but you have to look at the name of the blogger to understand where it all comes from!
Interestingly, as I have mentioned previously, how selfish people are in Madinah. Especially, the people who are not the originals - i.e. foreigners and people whom have come from other parts of Arabia.
I told one, British Muslim "brother" about my "resignation". This news went around the herd of English teachers like wildfire. One of them came to me after prayer time and said the following, "I heard some very bad news", "is it true that you are leaving?", "what happened?", "me and the brothers really need to find out why you were sacked", "we don't want to put ourselves at risk also".
What does all that mean, in case that you didn't follow. He wants to know what mistake I made, because they don't want to make that mistake and get sacked too. The bad news he described was aimed at themselves, of course, not remotely a sincere expression of regret, but saving their backs. Nice people!
I perhaps have one month left in Madinah.
Cheerio
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