Two Minutes with Dr. Yahya
The Arab Shiekh Agreement
Example of Traditional Leadership / Episode # 3
Arab American Encyclopedia-Hasan Yahya
Arab Manifesto Articles Series
THREE
A Story About the The Shiekh’s Oil Agreement.
This story is may be old (between 1920 and 1960), but do heirs of the Shiekh still own the OIL Revenues until this day. If it truly still in some places, Arabs will remain “Makanak Qiff”, meaning: (Stopping in the same point) in civilization, freedom and social justice.(المحرر)
After colonialism was defeated, and their power over the poor nations resources declined, they were smart though, but greedy to continue their powers or retain some of it. Poor people are naïve and still generous with simple mentality thinks how to bring daily food. Colonialism began its strategies and tactics to keep the relationships with the poor but resourceful in some cases. Energy is acutely needed after WW1, ideas of colonialism came up with social but political factors such as education ties and diplomacy. The Muslim world as we said of the poor countries were naturally generous with their guests. That door of generosity was the key. When colonial powers in the name of multinational corporations negotiated oil, they used the factor of generosity. One of the oil area Shaikhs was visited to sign a deal with oil companies. This was his story:
There was an Arab Sheikh in the Gulf wealthy area with oil resources: Two capitalists (British and American Oil negotiators) wanted to make an agreement with one of the Shiekh’s oil in the Gulf Area. (I will discard the role of translator here). In the way to meet His Highness, the Shiekh, the British envoy asked the American:
– “How much do you think we have to offer H.H for oil yearly?”
– “A good deal is to offer a sum between 10 to 12 billions. I guess.” The American said:
-“No! I think this is too much! we will offer him eight billions, if he rejected the offer, then we will increase it to10 billions if he disagree, up to 15 billion negotiation. What do you think? They both agreed, so each will pay half of the amount. Both said in one voice, “So we will.” They arrived to his tent.
In the meeting with the Shiekh, he asked them not to talk until they have the Arab coffee. They did. Later, they offered him 8 billion for the oil every year. The sheikh paused in silence, the two envoy members (the capitalists) thought they did a mistake without intention, and may be they should begin with higher number than eight. they should offered ten billion as at first step. But the Shiekh looked at them, put his hand on his beard, seems to thinking deeply, then looked at the translator, and then talked:
– “Eight billions you said? Hmmm”.
The American said: “Yes your Highness. But we are ready to ………..,” the Shiekh, gave a sign with his hand to stop talking, then he said:
– “Eight billion! Hmmm! I think this is too much, we can’t handle this amount of money.” To their surprise he continued to say:
– “I will give you a generous deal, I will take only five billions each year, and you both take the rest for you as a gift, but with one condition.
The two envoy members were looking at each other, laughing deep with no sign,
– “What’s that your Highness” One of the negotiators (the American) said: The sheikh with his hand and fingers made a sign, (the thump moving on other fingers of the same hand, showing them what he means):
-“Yes your highness, what does that mean?” The sheikh smiled and said:
“ I need cash ….cash money.” They two envoy members in their car were laughing the desert sand was annoyed of their loud voices.
Now let me ask you: Is this an Arab generosity or what? Arabs until now, they act in the same generosity, where their money in western banks, with one condition: no interest collected. Because collected interest, is haram. (illegal) according to Islamic Shari’a. I wander why the American banks collapsed.
This anecdote was similar in one Shikh’s biography in the 1960s written by a westerner. The sheikh felt proud of himself as an Arab showing his generosity to his guests. My question more is: does this generosity continues until this day. I don’t know, this is a taboo question. But it surely, still.
Another story, but shorter, In modern times, and may be four years ago, an Arab (traditional Leaders) president of one oily country talking about money, he was offered to pay 2.9 (two point nine) billion for compensation of the TWA victims. In his televised conference to his people, (I watched it on TV), he said these exact words (translated):
“We will give the complete amount” then he continues to say: “What is the two billion in our budget?”
He did not recognize the 900 millions in the deal, because he did not grasp what the point 9 of a billion (.9 ) means. He discarded the amount of .9 billion.
The money is not his anyway, it is generated from oil revenues. This was another type of Arab traditional generosity, while two thirds of the people were illiterate.
What do you call that? If you say: Arab ignorasity? I agree with you. You may be completely right! Long live (almost all) the very generous Arab and Muslim Leaders of our times.(This leader was ousted two years ago, but the heirs of the Shiekh still manipulate the revenues of OIL. www.hasanyahya.com
Excerpted from: a Research Paper Presented by the author at Kuala Lampur Conference, 2010 on the Future relations between NATO and the Arab and Muslim World.
عرب يارسول الله ….. عرب
لطفا… إذا أعجبكم هذا المقال فأرسلوه بالموبايل إلى أصحابكم وشاركوا في تنمية معارفكم الإنسانية والعلمية
Note for readers: If you like this, please, MOBILE it , or IPhone it to friends and love ones, THANK U.
We call readers to read the writer’s 250 books (80 plus English and the rest in Arabic) HERE or Here
ندعو القراء الكرام والقارئات أن يقرأوا للكاتب بعضا من 250 كتابا (ثمانون منها بالانجليزية والباقي بالعربية ) هنا أو هنا وشكرا .والله يرعاكم .
واجعلوا من الكتاب هدية لمن تحبون ، فوالله ما ألفت ولا كتبت ولا نشرت إلى لزيادة المعرفة بين العرب في المهاجر ولكن أكثر العرب لا يقرأون حتى المربين منهم والمربيات والأمراء منهم والأميرات ……….. واأسفاه… فمعظم الكتب تصلح لمناهج المدارس العربية والإسلامية في بلاد الغربة وبلاد الأصل …عتبي على المربين وعلى إدارات المدارس في المهاجر الذين لم يستفيدوا بعد من هذه الكتب، ونشكر بشدة أولئك الذين قرروا استعمال بعضها بل واستعملوها في مدارسهم .
Read also 500 plus articles for the Arab Palestinian Writer on HasanYahyaOnWordPress.com site Thank You!
ويمكن الاتصال بالدكتور حسن يحيى في حالات الدعوات وإلقاء المحاضرات على هذ الإيميل
E-Mail: drhasanyahya@aol.com
You may contact the author using this site. …. Thank you!
www.arabamericanencyclopedia.com 