MAKKAH, 23 April 2003 — “Unemployment is a lot better than washing dead bodies,” says a recently graduated job seeker. Most people would agree with the sentiment, but those who do the work in cemeteries are not always driven by economic necessity, Al-Madinah newspaper discovered.
Saudis searching for jobs in the employment offices told the newspaper they rejected the idea of working in a cemetery. To them, it was a disgusting and frightening job, and they were sure no family would allow them to marry their daughters if they took up the job.
At the center for washing the dead in Makkah, Muhammad Alek Al-Deen, a Bangladeshi, said: “I have been working in this job for 14 years and I only get SR1,100 a month. There is only one Saudi man working with us. Many Saudis who come to work with us leave pretty quickly. The job is sometimes difficult, like when we have to work with decomposing bodies. It smells bad, but we hope we will get a reward from Allah.”
The only Saudi at the center is Salem Halawan, 62, who has been in the job for 30 years. “I used to have a shop, but I left it and came to work here, hoping to be rewarded by Allah. The first salary I got was SR700, now I am getting SR4,000.
He feels people see his job in a negative light. “I almost got divorced. When I married I told my wife that I was working at the municipality. Years afterward, my wife discovered that I was working at the cemetery and she was so angry and disgusted she asked for a divorce. It took a long time for her to accept the nature of my work.”
Mahboub Al-Rahman, also from Bangladesh, has been working here for 10 years and loves his job. “I am surprised there aren’t more Saudis working here. Sometimes they come for training and they’re upset by the way the accident victims look. They have to put the pieces together and they’re scared. But more people should do it; it brings you closer to God,” he said. “I think many Saudis are just looking for comfortable jobs now.”
President of the Civil Service Department Fatema Al-Malayo told Al-Madinah newspaper that people were aware of the rewards of the work. “It’s honest work, and there is nothing wrong with it. It’s really a job like any other, and people shouldn’t look down on it.”
Moreover, she draws attention to the ancient roots of the work. While the job of washing the dead requires some getting used to, it offers a unique perspective. “We are frightened because we love life and hate death. But the work reminds you that our life on earth is short, and it can therefore bring us closer to God.”
Makkah Municipality has invited applications for the job and is offering good salaries, but there are few takers, according to Jamal Hariri of the municipality. “No one wants to work in this profession, but our doors are open,” he said.
