I can understand people having a day or two off work every week. And from time to time, emergency leave may be needed. The reason for annual vacations or annual holidays is equally clear. Such breaks from routine are necessary in order for people to rest and refresh both body and spirit so that they can resume work at improved levels of dedication and efficiency.
These days when one is not at work — weekends, annual vacation, emergencies and religious and national holidays — are all justified. What I really cannot understand, however, is the expanded holidays given for the two religious holidays celebrated in the Kingdom: Eid Al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Eid Al-Adha during the annual Haj or pilgrimage to Makkah.
The official government closure for each of these two occasions is 16 days; in other words, a total of 32 days — and during that time, almost every public institution in the country comes to a standstill.
Though justifications can be found for the reasons mentioned above, what is the reason given for allowing people to absent themselves from work for two full weeks in order to celebrate what lasts only for a few days?
In the case of the two Eids, the holiday should be confined to the actual days during which the religious celebrations are marked which definitely is not for 16 days. I am not against people enjoying Eid holidays but the holidays should be confined to the actual period during which the occasion is celebrated and should not run on for far more days than is necessary. This is what is followed in other countries of the Muslim world but not in ours.
In fact, near the end of Ramadan, the Council of Ministers issued an order resulting in the addition of two working days to what was already a long break from work and school. I sought in vain to find an excuse for the Cabinet decision that kept public employees from work for two full weeks. Would someone please come forward and inform me of a single reason which justifies granting a surgeon — or any other public employee — 16 days in which to stay at home? The surgeon could certainly have performed a number of life-saving operations in that length of time. Does anyone have an answer for me?
