Gulliver's travels

Travails of a traveler

Recently, while contemplating the dangers of overseas travels with regards to 9-11 I was confronted with a different perspective. One of our Saudi crew asked me if it was dangerous for Arabs to travel in the USA. I told him that the USA is made up of people of all races and cultures and felt it would be relatively easy to blend in and that it would be as safe as traveling anywhere, but then I had some reservations. How would you answer this question? I told him that I knew of very few Arabs living in our area, although I had met some and a few more Muslims and to my knowledge they weren't having any problems, but who am I to say? In jest I suggested that if he was considering a trip to the USA in the near future that he shave his beard, learn a little Spanish and, if asked, say his name was Mohammed Garcia. We have one guy on board here who looks a lot like Osama bin Laden. I'd suggest to him that he stay home.

I'm guessing that the Arab press is portraying the lives of ordinary Americans of Arab descent as one of constant tension and defensiveness and that we are probably just arresting them and throwing them in jail at random without charges. You have to remember that this is the normal way police operate in most 3rd world countries and it is very difficult for some of these people to understand "due process" or "innocent until proven guilty." In Saudi Arabia there is guilt by association and they don't build nice new prisons like in Thomson. They throw your miserable, unsocial carcass into a container and shut the door and when you're properly cooked take you out and threaten to throw you back in again unless you clean up your act. I think it works. Guilt or innocence is of secondary concern although the police would not intervene unless someone was fingering you for some alleged discretion. I suppose there is some racial profiling here. But would I feel comfortable with a Saudi passport studying to be a pilot at a school in Florida? Probably not.

My wife and I watched the classic "Lawrence of Arabia" when I was home last time. It is a very good movie and gives you a good feel of what it is like in the Middle East, although I could point a few shortcomings. For instance folks around these parts refer to God in every sentence (in contrast to the profanity used by English speaking oil field trash in every sentence) and stop everything to pray 5 times per day, which can really disrupt your day. At one point in the movie Ali, played by Omar Sharif, shoots the man who is guiding Lawrence through the desert for drinking water out of a well. Ali tells Lawrence that he, as a traveler is welcome to the water, but that his guide, belonging to a different tribe knew better and knew the penalty. This scene depicts the legendary hospitality of the desert Arab, the importance of water as a resource and the constant conflict. It hasn't changed a whole lot although I never actually see people riding camels (but I do see a lot of camels dangerously close to the road). In any event it just might be safer for an American to travel in Saudi Arabia than for a Saudi to travel in the USA.

Just to add another little twist to this week's sea story: one of the new shore-base managers in Khafji, the closest town, is an American from New Jersey of Egyptian decent. He doesn't speak a word of Arabic. I'm not sure if anyone knows what to think, but I can assure you that the local crew is pretty freaked out.

Whenever in doubt, speak Spanish.

(by Marc Adami, )