There is this story about a museum curator who mistakenly hung a painting upside down. For years thereafter, thousands of museum-goers and art lovers stood in front of it and admired its fathomless meaning and its staggering beauty. As was bound to happen, a young, rather mangy research student discovered the truth and went about proving it. Not only was the truth-seeker nearly eaten alive, but his thesis was rejected and his labors went unappreciated. He probably died without getting the satisfaction of knowing that his truth finally prevailed after all the concerned cabal themselves had bitten the dust.
This is analogous to the rampant corruption of officialdom these days. They have so warped the way of doing business, they have forgotten how things should be in the first place. Worse, they have convinced generation after generation of the “truth” in their method. Anyone trying to point the way in a different direction will be eaten alive and made to look a fool.
Take this example: An institution of some repute providing vocational training for the populace could not come to a decision on buying board markers. Finally the instructors had to provide their own. The same day an expense account of SR49,000 was approved so the vice president could go on a business trip. There is nothing wrong with that in principle; but the said official never left town. He was seen basking in the luxury of a hotel pool in Jeddah on a daily basis while he was supposed to be away. When I was in the United States, I once received a check for $0.18 as refund from my property tax. At the time I thought it silly since the price of a stamp then was 25 cents, not to mention the envelope, the processing, etc. Faced now with the corruption that we suffer, I understand that sticking by the principle makes the point. The US government owed me the 18 cents and they had to return it. A fish is a fish no matter how small it is.
We have managed to warp our daily life into something alien and disturbing. We have also convinced ourselves that what is done is proper and normal. The young researchers who are trying to tell the world the truth of the matter should be honored and helped. They also should be put in positions of authority and the dead wood that is there sent back from whence it came.
- Arab News Opinion 31 July 2003
