Vitamin “W” is essential these days to successfully enroll at universities and colleges, and to secure jobs. This magical vitamin, which is derived from the concept of “wasta,” is something that is highly coveted in the Kingdom, where jobs and university places are scarce.
Vitamin W, which could also be described as “mediation,” is basically a method of depriving a youngster from his or her right and handing it to another undeserving individual.
We all hear about young girls and boys, who have graduated from high school with high GPAs but failed to gain admission at their desired university. Meanwhile, others who had less grades have gained admission having used sufficient dosages of vitamin W that works magic on people in this country. Young and unqualified men and women are also known to have been employed at the expense of others, who are more qualified and worthy of these jobs.
Islam is against the concept of bribes, and wasta is not something different to bribery. Both accomplish the same — the giving of something to someone illegally and unjustly. Wasta has become part of our daily life and is something used in the slightest and smallest of tasks. The reason behind this is that people, who are in decision-making positions, believe that their positions become more valuable and that they earn a place in society when they use wasta.
Our country is experiencing a financial boom. Our leaders have urged the authorities time and again to allow citizens to benefit from this boom. The ground reality proves that the financial boom has not contributed in effectively eradicating the problems associated with university enrollment and unemployment.
Why? Because supervisors believe that university places and job vacancies are their own private property, which they can use as they see best. The absence of a balanced system based on equity allows the concept of wastas to thrive. Only God knows what might happen in the near future.
