Saturday 11 June 2011

The Muslim Attitude and Jobs in India.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

Often Muslims talk of a lack of availability of jobs. This lack of availability of jobs in a majority of cases is due to lack of educational qualifications, lack of fluency in national languages and English, failure to impress the interviewing team in the interview, lack of experience etc etc. However, whenever our people are faced with a refusal they seem to be able to think of only one thing: Islam. "I was not given the job because I was a Muslim, because I had a beard, because I wore a cap during the interview......." Buddy, could it be because you failed your 10th standard and the fellow who got the job passed his 12th with first class? Could it be because you could not speak a single, coherent sentence in English when asked to do so by your interviewer whereas your competitors could write essays and articles in the language? Could it be because you are searching for a job 6 years after your graduation and have no experience in that interim period and no explanation that could satisfy a rational person? Could it be because you were called for your interview at 11.00 am Indian Standard Time but you turned up at 11.00 am Muslim Standard Time?
While prejudices, hatred and jealousy cannot be ruled out particularly in undeveloped, backward and uncultured nations like India, there is no denying the fact that Muslims are denied jobs for just reasons in the majority of cases. Indeed, if the entire team of interviewers was composed of Muslims, it would be difficult for them to take more than two out of ten Muslim candidates for any class III or class IV job and maybe 1 in 10,000 for a class I job, such is the state of our Ummah. If the Muslims were to educate themselves, open their eyes to reality, learn to compete in a healthy fashion with the non Muslims for the jaiz things of this world, then more than 90% of their imaginary complaints against their imaginary enemies would disappear.
Presently I am Chief of Internal Medicine and Diabetologist for a UK & Singapore based Multinational. I did not know of the company or its plans or its interviews until I got a call from a UK based doctor asking me to go for the interview. Anyways, I turned up at the Suburban 5 star Hotel after calling up and attended the session. My interview was taken by the Director of India Operations and the Singapore Head of the Company. After somedays I was called again to the interview venue. The Singaporean, Mr J Goh in the course of our conversation said, "You have something that we are looking for....and which we identify with our company.......I won't say religion...rather spirituality.....which is why we want you for the post......"
So obviously, my Muslim identity(which is rather obvious on my face) was not a barrier to my being appointed. Au contraire, it became a sort of attraction for people who must be used to meeting and dealing with thousands of people daily.
I think that it is time that we tighten our belt and start working hard instead of moaning and whining about what wasn't because we did not have the courage to do it.
Wa salamu 'alaykum.

1 comment:

  1. Assalamoalaikum,
    Now the muslim youngsters are doing well in the job market but still lot of work is to be done.

    ReplyDelete