Mutawwifat’s Role Has Changed Over the years

Thursday, 20 December 2007
By Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

JEDDAH - From cooking meals and tidying up places to providing all possible services to women, the mutawwifa female pilgrim guide had always been hands-on in rendering service to pilgrims in the past. The rules of tawafa, unlike other careers for women, cannot be learned from schools, but are passed on from one generation to another.

"Only women from to families who have been offering tawafa services down the line, can be considered as mutawwifa. The basics and demands of tawafa are learned from childhood," said Dr. Wafaa Mohammed Mandar, mutawwifa and supervisor of the women's committee for southeast Asian pilgrims.

She recalls a time when she would actively help her father and brother serve pilgrims.
The role of the mutawwifa in those days was more pronounced and interactive because there were few pilgrims to serve. The pilgrims stayed in the mutawwifa's place or just next door," said Mandar.

Nowadays, the role of the mutawwifa has become more of a man's job with women merely delegating tasks.

Mutawwifat today are limited to preaching, visiting sick pilgrims in the hospital, and accompanying them in the holy sites.

Mutawwifa Faten Ibrahim Hussein, education supervisor in the South Asia Mutawwifs Establishment, said language barrier is the biggest obstacle in carrying out these tasks.

"We need translators when receiving pilgrims who can't speak Arabic and English," Hussein said. She added that the role of mutawiffah has decreased due to the foundation of the Hajj establishments which took all the roles and made it basically masculine jobs.

There is a lot in a name

Friday, 30, November 2007
By: Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

Naming children after their parental grandparents is a Saudi tradition, but lately mothers have shown resistance and the conflict is causing confusion and creating devastating friction.

Wesam Al-Dabey is the only male among his other five siblings. He got married almost a year and a half ago and has a five-month-old boy. Al-Dabey completely believes in the mother's right to choose her baby's name, but he became embroiled in old mores and faced uncomfortable circumstances that almost led to divorce.

"Before my baby's birth I asked my father if he wants me to name my child after him and he said he didn't. I decided to call him after my wife's father because it was her wish since he is diseased." Al-Dabey said.

He added, after his son's birth his father changed his mind and insisted on having his grandson named after him. Al-Dabey said this caused his wife to leave him and go back to her family. She was adamant about choosing the name she wanted.

"Five months later we were almost on the brink of a divorce, but I managed to sort things out and she came back to live with me" Al-Dabey said. "She called my son by a different name while I used my father's name on the birth certificate."

Al-Dabey believes it is up to his son to choose which name he prefers when he grows up.

Doaa Saad has been separated from her husband for about a year. She was having problems with him and on top of that, she refused to call their daughter after his mother.

"We agreed to call her "Logain" but after we separated he insisted on calling "Wafaa" after his mother." Saad said. "I refused but he is still insistent and why my daughter doesn't have a birth certificate yet."

She calls the girl Diana and her father calls her Wafaa.

Dr. Mohammed Al-Hamid, a consultant and the head of the psychiatric division in Bakhsh hospital explained how badly this could affect a child.

"Having a name is the most important thing to a child and to a human being in general. It forms a big part of the identity, an inseparable part of it, that's why a person should not have more than one name." Al-Hamid said.

The psychiatric expert said having two names could cause a psychological disturbance. An identity disorder creates problems for children when they are dealing with others and forms a complex. Al-Hamid Said it is very important to agree on a name for the child's present and future health. He said he has met children with two names and the effects start to take hold when they are after about 11 years old. However, he added not all children end up with a problem.

Dr. Ahmed Banany, a professor in the Islamic department of the religious guidance Umm Al-Qura University gave the Islamic point of view.

"Religious instructions guide us to choose names for our children like Abdullah, Abdul-Rahman or Mohammed and the prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), urged us to use these good names to motivate children to do good deeds and be obedient in life so they can be an active source" Banany Said.

He said children should be named after their paternal and maternal relatives and Islam gives them equal rights.

Saudi women meet the challenge of forging careers in the work place

Friday, 23, November 2007
By: Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

Many Saudi female graduates still try to find a position in teaching, but the lack of availability in the field has lead many women to start spreading their professional wings.

Over the past few years, Saudi women have been proving they can do well in a variety of jobs. Young employees, who are finding a lot of contentment in being part of the workforce, are willing to stretch themselves in order to keep up with today’s demands.

Dalal Kutbi has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and is studying for her masters in business administration. Kutbi has been working in a company as a support specialist for over a year.

"My thesis is about job satisfaction, and it has helped me a lot in my work the past year," she said.

Kutbi’s job is all about handling clients' orders and becoming the link between the clients and the main branch of the company. While there’s no room for a promotion, she got a raise a few months after she started working.

The Saudi woman believes family life is very important and she said she would take a temporary leave of absence if she got married.

"Children are more important to me than any thing else,” Kutbi said. “If I have to, I'll come back after a few years."

Amani was another employee who was involved in customer services for her company’s medical division. She received complaints about the company's products and tried to deal with them through the appropriate channels. An average day meant checking her e-mails and answering any queries. She also made phone calls and kept track of when the field workers answered customers' calls.

With a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and masters in measures and testing, Amani felt unsatisfied with her job because it had nothing to do with her specialty. After working in the company for about three years, she left for the United States to get her PhD in psychology.

Translating is a popular profession for Saudi women who know English or any other language. Doaa Al-Qourashi is a full time employee in an international company where she works as a document translator. She has been working there since she graduated a year ago.

"Filling in contracts with information about new employees, translating contracts or documents and answering phone calls is how I usually spend my days at work," Al-Qourashi said.

Although it might not be her dream job, she said she has learned new things and has been given a good opportunity to work in an international company. Her ambitious streak is pushing her to develop her translating skills so she can open her own translation office.

"Even after I get married, I will not leave my job, because it is what I need to accomplish my dreams in life."

Wafaa Mohammed has been a bank operator assistant for about a year. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from King Abdul-Aziz University and is thinking of doing her masters in translation soon. Mohammed handles the salaries and assists the bank operator to transfer them to employees’ bank accounts all over the world.

"I hope I can do my masters in translation in Britain soon, so I can find my ideal job,” Mohammed said. “I'd never think of leaving my job if I get married. I count on my work for personal satisfaction."

Other women, like Asmaa Ayoub Al-Dahlawi, work as operators or support specialists. Al-Dahlawi’s job means dealing with costumer complaints, distributing faxes, and working at the help desk.

"I feel more than satisfied with my job and I’ve been working for about a year now. I am thinking of taking more computer courses to help myself get promoted," Al-Dahlawi said.

With a degree in English literature and linguistics already tucked under her arm, she is hoping to start her masters in linguistics or sociology soon. She is aiming to apply for a scholarship in the UK. She wants to do her masters now, but feels it is sometimes better to wait and take a break from studying.

"If I get married, I won’t leave my job. I will feel bored at home, I need something to fulfill my needs," Al-Dahlawi said.

Kingdom's largest craft center to open

Thursday, 15, November 2007
By: Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

The world of Saudi Arabia crafts is generally thought to be fairly limited, given the generally Spartan lifestyle of the Kingdom's forbears. But this view ignores the ingenuity of our ancestors who, undoubtedly, used their hands to create both the necessities and the luxuries of desert life.

The Emir of Riyadh, Prince Salman Bin Abdu-laziz, recently visited craftsmen in the old town of Al-Gat in a bid to draw attention to what is indeed, a thriving Saudi crafts scene and the upcoming opening of the Craftsmen Center there.

The craftsmen's workshops in Al-Gat produce engraved wooden doors, popular games, and various articles crafted from Palm leaves. Additionally, the men engage in robe making, blacksmithing and coppering.

Abdul-Rahman Saleh Al-Yehya, the supervisor of the Craftsmen center in Borydah (Al-Qassim) regards traditional handicrafts as Gold if the craftsman has been completely dedicated to his career, working assiduously in his workshop and developing his products.

"In the led-up of official opening of the center, we constructed 45 specialized work shops for both crafts and heritage works" Al-Yehya Said. The official opening of the center is less than a month away.

The center is going to be the biggest center of its kind in the kingdom. "There are plans to establish a crafts training center as a means of encouraging people to return to using handicrafts," Al-Yehya continued.

The training courses are expected to take at least 6 months after which the trainee has the right to have his own workshop in the center as well as to receive financial assistance. Al-Yehya stressed that crafts are art and that they allow people reconnect with their heritage.

The Craftsmen Center is supported by the Supreme Commission of Tourism (SCT) and the municipality of Al-Qassim. The SCT has also announced a development program aimed at reviving 64 old villages in the Kingdom with an eye towards making them inhabitable cultural villages offering economic opportunities to inhabitants.

Ministry to build more Girls’ Schools

Friday, 14 December 2007
By Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

The Ministry of Education launched a new SR5 billion project to build 1,000 girls' schools in big cities and rural areas. Abdul Rahman Ibrahim Al-Ahmad, undersecretary of the building agency at the ministry, said they aim to further lessen the number of student applicants who are turned down by schools due to lack of classroom space and facilities.

The population capacity of the school buildings will be on a case-to-case basis. "That's because the number of students in big cities like Jeddah or Riyadh is greater than the number of students in the rural area," said Al-Ahmad.

He added that 440 schools with a total cost of SR2 billion were built this year. "The number of schools completed by the building agency averaged three schools every two days," he said.

The number of rented schools in the Kingdom has gone from 3,885 to 1,702 due to the ministry's recent projects.

Chinese Record Numbers for Haj

Wednesday, 12 December 2007
By Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

JEDDAH - Chinese Haj pilgrims were due to arrive Tuesday in Makkah for what will be the highest ever participation in the annual pilgrimage from that country. "The number of Chinese pilgrims this year is 10,871 pilgrims," said Chinese Haj campaign leader Ibrahim Hong Changyou, "the largest in history."

"Their departure after performing Haj will start from 25th December, 2007 until the 16th of January, 2008."

The Chinese consulate said the number of Muslims in China has hugely increased in the last few years.

"Muslims are among all levels of the society and the people who are financially capable to perform Haj are the ones expected to come," said Changyou at a press conference.
The Chinese Haj campaign has arranged special flights to transport Chinese pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, to ease the expenses on them.

"We minimized the number of pilgrims who are not registered officially in the Chinese Haj campaign that the consulate usually supervises," Changyou added.

Joining hands to Serve the Disabled

Sunday, 09 December 2007
By Kholood F. Al-Rhamah and

Diana Al-Jassem

JEDDAH - Several private companies and hospitals in cooperation with the Disabled Children's Association, have begun offering new services and effecting changes in their facilities to address the needs of the disabled.

Saudi Arabian Airlines has special offices for the disabled at airports in Jeddah, Riyadh and Damman. The company has provided wheelchairs in the departure area for easier transport of disabled passengers to the plane.

Ambulances equipped with oxygen tanks have been put on standby for emergency cases.
Abdul Aziz Al-Mohaisen, senior specialist in the special needs unit for the on-board services programs of the airline, said they offer special meals, a special magazine, and safety instruction guides in Braille for autistic and visually impaired passengers.

Toilets accessible to those using wheelchairs are now available. "More importantly, a staff solely dedicated to attend to the needs of disabled passengers are on board," he said.
Abdul Latif Jameel Rehabilitation Hospital has rehabilitation specialists and psychologists especially for the disabled.

Amer S. Abu Amer, the hospital's marketing manager, said that this is necessary since they receive many transfer requests for disabled patients from other centers. He added that they also coordinate with Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Social Insurance for their programs for the disabled.

Al-Thoraya private school distributed gifts to disabled children on Dec. 6 at an exhibition sponsored by Jeddah Governor, Prince Mishal Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz and Dr. Donia Bin Ali, head of the organizing committee for the Disabled Children's Day.
"You are not alone," said a banner raised by the support group of the Disabled Children's Association.

The group said that parking slots must be allocated for the disabled, and that these should be near the entrances of buildings like malls and government buildings, near elevators or no farther than the middle of a general parking lot.

Public places such as streets, building entrances, markets and gardens need to have facilities like phone booths, mail boxes and water sources that are with reach of the disabled; i.e between 76 cm. and 137 cm high.

Public toilets have to be designed to better serve the disabled, they said.

397 New Schools Ready on Schedule

Wednesday, 05 December 2007
By Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

JEDDAH - The Ministry of Education finished building on schedule 397 schools for girls, at a cost of SR1.659 billion. At least 223,284 students will soon move into the new schools that have big classrooms and modern scientific labs and equipment, said Abdul Rahman Bin Ibrahim Al-Ahmed, undersecretary at the Ministry of Education.

Hiring of teachers and faculty members will begin soon, he said. About 940 other schools for girls, worth SR5.235 billion, are being constructed for at least 603,955 students, said Al-Ahmed.
Some of the school buildings in the Kingdom are old and dilapidated. Girls at two schools in Taif were recently evacuated temporarily to another school building for this reason.

Computer Program to Nail Truant Teachers

Monday, 03 December 2007
By Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

A computer program has entered the education system to expose and discipline truant teachers. Introduced by Jeddah Education Department's North Supervision Center, the program, called Al-Shamel, has the broader purpose of collecting and analyzing all school data, including attendance of students as well, said Khaled Al-Harthy who heads the center.

For supervisors, the program generates attendance and success-rate reports on each teacher.
"It automatically calculates the percentage of a teacher's absence with or without an excuse," said Al-Harthy.

Errant teachers are subject to questioning by the school principal and those with no medical or other valid reason for absenteeism, could get a pay cut.

Professionals like Waleed Mohammed, an intermediate school English teacher, support the idea.
"Teaching is a very noble career," he said. "People put their children in a teacher's hands and he should be up to the task.

"When the teacher doesn't show up it is a waste of the student's time, which should be valued and made fruitful."