Ramadan, the world, and the OFWs

By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
21 August 2011

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - With Ramadan closing with the celebration of the Eid holidays from 25 August to 02 September 2011, everybody is just as expectant as all Muslims in the world. Ramadan, the Islamic month dedicated for fasting, happens to be celebrated in the month of August, which the world celebrates as the anti-Terrorism month.

As enunciated by their faith, Ramadan month teaches the values of patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting where participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and intimacy with their partners during daylight hours.

To my view, irrespective of faith or religion, submissiveness to God is a continuous commitment where an individual is supposed to actively profess that he is born in the image and likeness of God, the God of peace and freedom. Additionally, fasting should not only happen during this period but although the years as well, and this includes fasting from waging indifferences, or more appropriately, war. I strongly believe that war is not an option.

Ten years ago, the entire world was shocked when Al-Qaeda, Jihadist group of Osama Bin Laden grounded the World Trade Center in New York. Instantly, it claimed lives. To date, it still claims lives as anger and depression still linger in the heart and minds of the victims and those who condemn war.

The notorious effect and consequence of this attack still manifests in the economy of the world’s superpower. Lately the credit rating of the USA declined from AAA to AA+ after seventy years of good standing. While this is America, the decline in the rating adversely affects other countries and kingdoms with whom the “land of milk and honey” deals with.

Unemployment rose in the US mainland; and it creates ripple effect to countries or kingdoms where its economy controls. In the Middle East, several nations or kingdoms forced to implement their own austerity measures to address the status quo. Consequently, unemployment soared.

The 9/11 attack and Al-Qaeda’s subsequent terrorism activities generate newer and bitter approaches to conservative Islamic disposition and faith; these foster factionalism and indifferences. As a result, these create uncontrollable political unrests in the Arab world, more peculiarly in the Middle East and its neighboring nations: Tunisia started the protests that paved the way for its president to flee to Saudi Arabia; the Freedom Square in Cairo paved the way for the re-birth of a new Egypt and thus placed Hosni Mubarak, its president behind bars; Libya’s version of civil defiance still heightens the alert level with Muamar Khadafi defying international laws and attacks; Sudan follows the same suit; Syria’s episode grows worse.

Al-Qaeda’s figure head has been liquidated in an attack in Pakistan. However, as United Nations say, it’s too early to claim victory. While this incident places the group in a weaker stance, Bin Laden’s successor is once again taking control and gaining grounds. The US government and the United Nations anti-Terrorism group are confident that the Muslim extremists group will soon be terminated following these indications.

Recently, riots and unrests were seen in the United Kingdom, another country believed to have a very strong and stable economy and political climate. In Spain, riots, which were triggered by economic depression, are staged.

Consequently, changes in economic and political reforms in these kingdoms and nations usher a new threat to the Filipino workers abroad. For instance, when Bahrain followed the same suit from Egypt, thousands of Filipinos were ferried home and thus landed jobless. Filipino workers in Egypt and Libya were displaced involuntarily. The 17,000 Filipinos in Syria this month were advised to leave the country, which means another story of unemployment.

Conversely, any political unrest, protest, or riot that may take place in countries where expatriates are, particularly Filipinos, will surely bring about personal economic unrest to an individual, regardless of breed or creed.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an abrupt and massive change in employment benefits for its constituents was immediately instituted. The move is aimed at curtailing future political unrests and violence that are similar to its neighboring nations and kingdoms. One major change is the implementation of its re-designed and re-enforced Saudization Law that can effectively bar non-compliant employers from renewing the Iqama of the expatriates, or from hiring expatriates if the required rate of complying with the Law is not met. Incidentally, most employers are not meeting the requirements of the Law, and thus, give millions of OFWs in Saudi Arabia a stern warning.

Arguably though, similar phenomenon will surely come into as the world fights against terrorism and depression. As the month of Ramadan suggests, submissiveness to God brings about newer and better lives. How I wish their world practice what they preach!