How to Survive in the Middle East
Each
country has its own cultural sensitivities. International travelers
are to be very careful about them. Let's say, they do not want
unauthorized photography in their environment, so you will not take
pictures. Let's say they do not want you to spend more than length
of stay they allow in their country, so you will not be late. Let's
say you're expected to dress closed - you will dress accordingly. You
will not consume alcoholic beverages, if it is strictly forbidden.
The
rules of one country - its applications may be opposite of the rules
of the citizens of another country. Hence it is useless, and
meaningless to object to the local rules. If you are in that country,
you will do what they say, you will do, and follow their rules.
Imagine
the freedom of expression in Germany and France or in United Kingdom
in a broad sense, and the tolerance shown for CharlieHebdo cartoons.
It is impossible to expect the same in the Middle East countries. In
the United States, the police have a wide margin of authority. You
have no right to object but obey the rules.
Robert
Alan Black, then 70-year-old US architect, who had three masters and
a PhD degree, was invited to a Gulf country in October 2014 as a
speaker for "Creative Thinkers" Conference, in Abu Dhabi.
His expenses for plane, hotel, meals were met, the organizers made a
lump sum daily allowance for him as a major keynote speaker.
The
next morning after the conference, he goes out of the hotel for site
seeing the nearby environment. He was walking outdoors in the early
morning hours, in the morning coolness. He wants to see the
surrounding area outdoors. He had a simple a digital camera with him
to take simple pictures. If you are a tourist in Istanbul, you are
free to photograph everywhere. Nobody tells you anything. In Africa,
Masai people in Savannah, they ask you to pay if you take their
pictures. Similarly you can not India without pay money for your
pictures.
Our
senior architect walks randomly on the street in the morning. He
passes by a few mosques, a big commercial building, a residential
area. He takes pictures of some interesting architecture. But that
was not normal in Abu Dhabi. You should take official permission if
you wish to take pictures of anything outdoors. Everything is
unauthorized. A police-military car stops nearby and takes him to
the nearest police station to question him. They release him after
3-5 hours of interrogation, with the strict recommendation not to
take pictures of any building.
On
his way back to his hotel, he sees a warning sign on the road. It
says, "It is forbidden to take pictures here", in many
languages. His unstoppable impulse inside activates again, he takes
the picture of that road sign. A few minutes later, another military
car stops nearby.
This
time the situation is serious, despite the fact that there is a
duplicate situation. They take our curious architect into prison and
forget him there for a while without informing anyone.
After
one month, a recently released inmate informs the US consulate in the
country, somehow the consulate finds a reputable lawyer with close
relations to the jurisdiction, our architect is released and deported
immediately.
Upon
return home, he speaks to CNN TV about what have happened. The
foreign mind has never understood local sensitivity. There are many
strangers who have interpreted the incident differently from their
own point of view. They have also described other things. Most of
inmates have not been in the court for one year without court
hearing. The most of them are guilty of simple passport period
violations. So you will not take photos without permission, you will
not be expire your stay.
When
I go to Saudi Arabia, I would not take photo camera. I do not take
any foreign magazine or newspaper with me. I just take the company
promotion catalogs. I read whatever available at the local magazine
store or bookshop. Foreign magazines, newspapers, are sold all
censored in black ink.
When
I was working in Pakistan in the 1990s, we were not able to get a
permanent or long term residence permit for our employees in the
construction site. Once we were so occupied with daily work, our site
supervisor had to spend one more week without permission. He was
arrested and kept in the prison for one month until we cleared the
legal procedures and pay the penalties.
While
returning from Azerbaijan, at the Baku airport, I checked my
passport. I showed passport maybe ten times. Lastly, a soldier in a
secluded place took my passport, pretending to check it out, he
practically scrapped my passport. I returned to Istanbul with a
shattered passport. Our passport police was very understanding, "That
happens always out of Azerbaijan." I had to renew my lousy
passport immediately spending unnecessary time and money. It has
nothing to do with the politics of the country, it was the nasty
practice of an individual unresponsive soldier.
When
we were in Syria in the 1990s for a tender, a foreigner staying in
our hotel in Damascus was jogging early in the morning around the
hotel. A military car stopped by, asked for a passport. Do you take
your passport while jogging? You should in Syria. You are already
running around the hotel. They arrest him and took in jail for a
month until the foreign consulate interferes for his release. So in
any case you'll have your passport with you at all times. This is the
practice in the Middle East. After the CharlieHebdo incident,
primarily Europe and the Middle East, countries put extra measures on
visa conditions, put longer visa requirements. You need to apply long
before. Donald Trump put visa restrictions to various Muslim
counties. Moreover USA stopped visa for Turkish citizens, although
they continued releasing visas for ongoing visa applications. In
order to be able to do business in difficult geographies, "we
have to pay attention to all local sensitivities". But there are
times when these sensitivities are not taken into consideration.
President George W. Bush's wife Laura Bush, former Foreign Secretary
Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama's wife Michelle Obama, German
chancellor Angela Merkel, these ladies visited Saudi Arabia, with
their heads uncovered. The Saudi authorities did not make any
objection. Saudis could not make it for diplomacy and cooperation.
This
is the practice in the Middle East. You should be careful in local
sensitivities and concur at all times if you wish to make business
with locals.
***
Haluk
Direskeneli, is a graduate of METU Mechanical Engineering department
(1973). He worked in public, private enterprises, USA Turkish JV
companies (B&W, CSWI, AEP), in fabrication, basic and detail
design, marketing, sales and project management of thermal power
plants. He is currently working as freelance consultant/ energy
analyst with thermal power plants basic/ detail design software
expertise for private engineering companies, investors, universities
and research institutions. He is a member of ODTÜ Alumni and Chamber
of Turkish Mechanical Engineers Energy Working Group.
Ankara,
16th November 2017
posted by yuvakuran at 6:29 AM
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