Posted on 03/27/2003 2:49:12 PM PST by milestogo
| Non-Muslims only can apply for US base job |
| Srinivasa Prasad (Bangalore, March 26) |
| Tucked in the classifieds of national Indian dailies on Wednesday was an advertisement that could further alienate the Muslim community from the United States. The advertisement calls for applications from "non-Muslims only" for sundry jobs at the US base in northern Kuwait. The US base "urgently requires" lift operators, store keepers, clerks, typists, security guards and drivers. The advertisement insists that the applicants, besides being non-Muslims, should speak English and be below 35. The advertisement was issued by Indian head-hunters Rehman Enterprises and Continental Mercantile. Executives of these firms said they were representing a Kuwaiti company, Marafi, which has a "maintenance contract" with the US army. "The Americans are strict that we should only process applications sent in by non-Muslims," Rehman Enterprises' head Abdul Rehman told the Hindustan Times on Wednesday. "What to do? They probably don't want to take chances with Muslims,'' said Continental Mercantile's manager in Kochi T.S. Jairaj. There is an unmistakable sense of urgency in the advertisement which asks applicants to "contact immediately with relevant documents". "The response has been very bad,'' said Jairaj. "We are getting very few calls.'' The head-hunters are in a fix since the executives of Marafi are flying to India to interview and shortlist candidates on March 31 for a final selection by the US army. ``The poor response is not just because of the war situation,'' Jairaj explained. "The age limit and the condition on English speaking ability are also problems.'' The recruitment effort could be an indication of the US intention of digging its heels in for a long time in the Middle East. |
Our country, our rules ... your country, your rules. Is there anything illegal about that job requirement in Norther Kuwait? No? Then shut the #*&#! up.
Funny, I'll bet that if the job description banished Christianity, there wouldn't be a problem.
A nondescript classified advertisement in the Wednesday edition of The Times of India, Bangalore, calling for applications for sundry jobs at an army maintenance base in Kuwait from 'non-Muslims only' has caused a stir.
The single-column advertisement under the 'Gulf' slug indicated prominently that only non-Muslims need apply for the posts of forklift operators, storekeepers, clerk typists, security guards and drivers.
The advertisement said the applicants must be able to converse in English and below 35 years in age.
The applicants were asked to contact a local recruiting agency, Rehman Enterprises, with relevant documents for an interview on March 31. It, however, did not specify the army base in Kuwait.
According to Abdul Rahman of the agency, the recruitment was being done for a Kuwaiti company, Marafi, which has a 'maintenance contract' with the United States Army.
He said the advertisement has caused a stir in the minority community as it signals the US bias against Muslims in the post-September 11 period. "I have been directed by my agency to put off the scheduled interviews."
The advertisement is considered unusual as Indian newspapers have been carrying similar ones for overseas appointments in the Gulf region often specifying 'Muslim candidates preferred'.
Rehman said the bar on Muslim candidates was prescribed by the Kuwaiti company through its nodal agency Continental Merchantile based at Cochin in Kerala.
Rehman said the controversy is unnecessary and could have been avoided. "The US officials manning the army base have made it clear that we should process applications sent in by non-Muslims only," he said.
Asked what has been the response so far to the advertisement, Rahman said not many. He declined to comment whether his agency was asked to also profile the prospective applicants for screening.
US fears about employing Muslims have been heightened with the attack on fellow marines in the war zone by a person described as a disaffected Muslim during the one-week-old war.
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