Formerly Known as : Mr. Lion

The Riyadh Zoo imported a powerful and mighty lion once. Finding his cage satisfactory, the lion settled down to put on a show for zoo visitors each day. His new job. A new beginning..

The Bangladeshi caretaker brought for him peanuts for lunch on the first day of work. The lion smiled and had them thinking that maybe this is the custom here. Peanuts first then the Lamb. So he had the peanuts. He continued to roar and stretch for the viewers until the evening and then sat down looking at the cage door. Food, he thought. Food.. he thought again. I need foooood..

In came the Bangladeshi caretaker.. And he put 3 little bags of peanuts in front of the lion. Reluctantly and with a slight stare at the caretaker, the lion ate the peanuts.. but when the care taker was leaving, the lion jumped on him and held him to the ground and said, ” HEY BUDDDDY!!!.. DO YOU SEE ME??? I AM A LION! KING OF THE JUNGLE! ROAAARRR>> NO MORE PEANUTS OK??? I EAT RAW BLOODDDY MEAT!!!”..

The caretaker pushed him off.. stood up.. and said.. ” KING OR NO KING, WE GIVE FOOD ACCORDING TO IQAMA.. AND YOU ARE HERE ON THE VISA OF A MONKEY!!!”…

I have a friend.. from royal lineage in India.. a professional and highly educated man.. Profession on Iqama?  HOUSEBOY.

I have another friend.. Head of the Marketing Department in a HUGE company.. Profession on Iqama? LABOR

I have many friends and I even know lots of OTHER people who are all working as PROFESSIONALS, but their Iqama says: Labor, Houseboy, Driver.. etc.

Here is another one: A man came here.. His name was Lets say, Ahmad Abdullah .. an Indian. On his passport , it said his name, his father’s name and as is the custom in India, if he was a doctor it would say.. Dr. Abdullah Whatever( Father’s name).. but Ahmad’s father was an Advocate by profession, so it was written.. Advocate Abdullah Whatever.  So , this guy comes to KSA, sends his passport to the jawazat to make his iqama for the first time. All papers come back successfully. He gets his iqama.. and his name on the Iqama is  Ahmad Advocato… go figure this one out!

No one would mind if treatment was not different for various professions mentioned on the Iqama. A labor Iqama holder, for example, cannot get visa on port in Dubai.  Many other hassles, such as family status… bank issues..

My Question: How long will this go on? Because there is no argument on earth that can convince me that writing the profession on ID or Passport is IMPORTANT. There is also no argument on Earth that can convince me that what is happening with Iqama professions and names is OK and good for KSA…NOWAY!..