Arab engineer told to change name or be fired
The engineer, who excelled in his studies, says he was told by his employers to change his name because 'there are racist people in this country,' and was fired even after he agreed.
Although he completed a degree in engineering with honors, Abdullah Sabih can't seem to find a job.
According to him, its because of his name. After dozens of work interviews and constant rejection, he started working at a job which required him to change his name because, as his employer put it – "There are racist people in this country."
"On the first day of work my boss told me – 'I'm asking you to not work under the name Abdullah, because there are racist people in this country," said Sabih. "'Find another name – Gidi or Genadi. I agreed out of necessity, they put me in a position where I couldn’t do anything.
"Regardless, a day later they suddenly decided the position wasn’t for me, and I was fired. I still haven’t received my pay for that day of work."
"I fought to excel during my studies, in the hopes that it would help me in the job market, but employers still seem to favor other graduates, without honors, instead," Sabih said. Sabih is currently a master's degree student, and works at the Cofix café chain. "I will continue on to my doctorate – I have no other choice. The job market has nothing to offer me."
