Note from a Citizen: Public Praise Is Unnecessary in Public Service

- I watched one of the local television stations.... on the morning of one of the rainy days, and I was struck by an interview by the program host with a Civil Defense team that had, thankfully, done what was necessary to help people into whose house water had streamed in a certain governorate... The presenter asks, "How did you perform this work to help people in rainy weather conditions!?" He answered that it was "based on the directives of His Excellency the Major General... commander of the Civil Defense and the directives and cooperation of His Excellency the governor of the concerned governorate. We went to the targeted location... and we did what was necessary..."

- First of all, we thank the directives of His Excellency the Major General and His Excellency the governor for their concern and continuous vigilance.... It is not new to their zeal and activity and to their fully assuming the responsibilities entrusted to them!!

- But the words of the Civil Defense employee stopped me, and I wondered whether it is necessary for His Excellency the Major General... from the General Directorate to direct a Civil Defense team in another governorate to begin work. It seemed to me the employee was saying that if it were not for the directives of His Excellency the Major General and His Excellency the governor in the area... the work would not have been carried out to the fullest..! And in truth, such preambles are not confined to the Civil Defense alone; rather we often hear similar incidents such as the arrest of the thieves of a house within 24 hours. When the employee who did the work and his team are asked, the talk begins with, "Based on the assignment of Mr. so-and-so... and Mr. so-and-so..., we went to the scene of the incident, gathered information, and apprehended leads that, with the cooperation of some citizens, led us to uncover the theft crime early... and praise be to God.."

- So as not to do anyone an injustice... we hold every respect for our valiant agencies that carry out their work in difficult conditions, whether from the ongoing odious occupation, or conditions specific to the mechanisms and complexity and means and tools and methods of theft operations in the country... However, the rhetoric used, in which the official is the one who directed and acted... and assigned... denies the subordinates—the employees who actually perform diligent and continuous effort in safeguarding the safety and security of citizens—any capacity for spontaneous action in accordance with the proper procedures in similar incidents.

- I do not see the need to include the names and directives of officials... and it would not diminish their ranks at all if the names of these officials were not included or announced in any press statement concerning any work carried out by crews and teams in the direction set forth under the job description schedules of any cadre...

- We thank you... with all our hearts; you are our sons and our brothers.... We are proud of you and your achievements... The change must be in concepts and rhetoric... so that we can boast to others among the nations of the world and build the state according to modern functional bases and concepts!! And God is the one behind the intent.....