King Salman — a true leader

BY looking at the Kingdom’s geography, one will realize the extent of King Abdul Aziz’s genius. It was that ability that had prompted then US President Roosevelt to meet the king in the mid 40s in Egypt.

The meeting was a testimony to the fact that the US considered the Kingdom its strategic ally in the region. Being a far-sighted leader, King Abdul Aziz had understood that the second half of the 20th century would be an American era.

The Kingdom has maintained its strong relations with the US independently from other policies. To give evidence, we say the Kingdom remained devoted to the Palestinian cause, which was in sharp contrast with the American stand on the same issue.The Kingdom utilized its relations with the United States to boost development in different areas at home.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, who is famous for his deep knowledge of regional and global issues, knows how Arab mistakes isolated the nation from the developed world in the name of resistance and how it brought disasters to the region.

Today, King Salman affirms the historic outlook of the founder king on the openness and partnership with the developed world without prejudice to the principles and long-standing policies of the Saudi state.

— By Turki Al-Sudairi

Promoting volunteer work

THE most important service that banks and other commercial entities could provide to the community is to allow their employees join voluntary works.

Based on a study recently published by the labor office in the United States, the number of citizens who joined voluntary works during the period between September 2013 and September 2014 stood at nearly 63 million, of which 27.5 percent (or 17 million) were already employed in different companies.

In another study carried out by US’ Boston College, companies, which encourage employees to engage in voluntary works enjoy improved relations with the surrounding community that help enhance their trademarks in the current and future markets.

For their part, employees who get involved in voluntary works, feel their personal and leadership skills develop and their interaction with colleagues and the sense of belonging to their companies increase.

The above findings prove that encouragement for taking part in voluntary works has strategic dimensions and enhances ethical values of companies.

The Saudi companies, especially the bigger ones, are definitely aware of the above findings and it is important for them to set a good example for other smaller companies to follow.

But why the Saudi companies are not taking any action in this regard and not trying to learn from the experience of their western counterparts?

— By Mahmoud Turkistani

The misguided people

WE do not know any other country or land except ours, and we cannot give up defending our country because it is our duty to defend ourselves and our history to ensure a secured future.

When one of us betrays our land, whatever the motive may be, be it partisan, sectarian or monetary, he only represents himself and not his family, sect or region.

Such people, however, cannot escape justice for long. Those misguided people should realize that those who recruit them just use them for their own interests and will never protect them once they outlive their utility. Those recruiters use the misguided people as tissues and have no respect for them, as it is a universal fact that nobody trusts a “traitor.”

Among one of those traitors is Ahmed Al-Mughassal, the man wanted for 1996 Alkhobar bombing. What did he gain from that treacherous act? He fled his country and was on the run for the last 20 years. His Tehran backers did not help him escape justice.

He was arrested in a recent security operation. He will now face trial and his recruited cannot save him from the fate that awaits him. There is a lesson for everyone in this story. Those who betray their homeland could never find refuge in any other country in the world.

In Saudi Arabia, no crime is documented against “unknown” and that no criminal feels free, no matter how long it takes him to end up behind bars.

Al-Mughassal is an example for criminals and traitors who sold their principles and betrayed their homeland and families.

— By Sattam Al-Thaqil

A drowned nation

I do not know why I recalled the image of (the Palestinian child) Mohamed Al-Durra lying dead behind his father after being shot at by Israeli aggressors, as I was watching on the TV screens body of a drowned Syrian child on Turkish seashore.

I am not sure about the similarities and differences between the two images but what I know is that both images confirm that we live in a dead Arab nation.

Almighty Allah gives us, from time to time, a substantial and concrete evidence not on the death of the Arab nation but the whole world.

We have become accustomed to see bombs and shells falling on children, houses and schools killing them in full knowledge of the whole world but unfortunately nobody cares.

The death of this innocent (Syrian) child in this painful way represents sufferings of hundreds and thousands of refugees fleeing from the oppression of the Syrian tyrant.

If the Syrian refugees stay in their homes, they face explosive barrels and if flee the conflict zones in search for a safe haven, they die either by drowning or asphyxiation. In brief they flee from death in their own country only to die elsewhere.

Tragedy is not to see a three-year-old boy drowning with parents as they flee from the hell created by a tyrant, but the bigger tragedy is to see the entire nation see, hear and suffer from injustice, oppression and tyranny and finds itself incapable of changing anything.

— Ibrahim Badawood

Taking part in elections

TALKING about elections has two aspects: The candidates and the voters where both parties have relatively the same importance.

A candidate should know his (her) powers as stipulated by law where he should not make tall claims during electioneering and then blame the municipality for not considering his/her recommendations.

On the other hand, members of the community (voters) should know details of the powers granted to the council members in a manner they (the voters) avoid getting duped by their tricks and give their votes to those who can really solve problems.

For their part, candidates should know the nature of municipal problems. A candidate should be good at presenting problems to officials supported by evidences, reports and statistics. It’s an important skill and people running for the office should be good at it.

In a community of diverse ideas and tribes, elections should not be a chance to rally support to candidates on that basis. In my opinion, voting is an ethical process where an individual has a share of improvement or corruption of the community. Therefore, an individual who votes for a candidate unqualified to serve the community becomes a partner in his failure and vice versa.

In the current municipal elections, Saudi women have been given a chance to take part as voters and candidates.

Regardless of divergent views on women participation in the elections, the candidate, be a man or a woman, should have administrative efficiency, experience and knowledge required for the position in question.

— By Siraj Abu Al-Saud

Dubai and Istanbul airports

LESS than a year ago, a Saudi citizen was sent back from Dubai airport to the Kingdom when the immigration employee erroneously considered him a person banned from entering the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Upon returning to Riyadh, the Saudi citizen shared his ordeal on Twitter. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan, chief of Dubai Police at the time, read the tweet and immediately opened a probe to find out that the immigration officer was at fault.

Gen. Khalfan did not try to give justifications for the (UAE) immigration officer but offered his personal and Dubai emirate’s apology coupled with an invitation to visit Dubai with first class tickets on the Emirates Airlines. Gen. Khalfan also offered to the Saudi citizen a stay in one of the most luxurious hotels in Dubai and further wrote an apology on Twitter to the Saudi citizen.

I recalled the above incident following the recent attack on the Saudi family in Istanbul airport by the immigration officers and security men reportedly prompted due to the inability of a Saudi woman to read Turkish or English. She could not understand the instructions inscribed on a board about a counter allocated for people with special needs.

The incident was videotaped and published on the social media showing that how the family members were attacked and handcuffed.

The question here is: How could the immigration officers and policemen humiliate people for merely standing in a line allocated for a certain category of people and deport them?

After all, the question is directed to the adviser to the Turkish premier (who earlier tried to justify the incident): Would it be possible for their immigration officers and police to handle Americans, Europeans and Israelis the way they dealt with that Saudi family?

— By Jasir Al-Jasir