I would like to thank Dr. Khaled Batarfi for the excellent, outstanding and timely article “Ethiopian phobia: Candle holders needed!” (Dec. 17). I personally as an expatriate believe that the majority of Saudis accept foreigners as their brothers. There are, however, exceptional cases which can be found anywhere in the world. Criminals must always be treated as criminals, but generalizations should not be made. Abdul Aziz Mir, Online response II. I was saddened to hear about the collective abuse of Ethiopian workers in Saudi Arabia. They do not deserve it. I hope that sane people will finally prevail. Saudis have to after all remember where their country was four decades ago. Fortune is not finite, but deeds survive for many generations. That is why after so many centuries we still hear about the good will that Ethiopians offered to the followers of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Kelemu, Online response III. I agree that there has been a campaign of defamation in the media against Ethiopians. However, I don't think that this will change the facts on the ground. We all know that what happened to Ethiopians is because some individuals used this campaign as an opportunity to abuse them. No writer or media outlet reported this. Healing starts by admitting the truth. Ethiopians come to the Kingdom in order to work so that they can improve their life back home. This is true of other expats in the Kingdom as well. It is no big deal; it is as simple as that. Dere, Online response
