Sir, - Kevin Myers (An Irishman's Diary, October 1st) is critical of "journalistic standards" in the reporting of the Gilford/Parry/ McLoughlin case in Saudi Arabia and the "virtuous frenzy" which the case has aroused in these islands. He might consider removing the beam in his own eye before concerning himself so self-righteously with the mote in others'.
His airy description of the stabbing of Yvonne Gilford in an alleged fight, as a reaction "in the nursely heat of the moment" of those accused, shows more concern for style than for substance and is indicative more of contempt for the accused than of the compassion for the victim which his article implies is lacking and with which he virtuously clothes himself. After describing the details of Yvonne Gilford's death, he disingenuously presents the information about the use of the credit cards by those accused of the murder in such a way as to suggest that the issue is beyond doubt - even though he admits later that he doesn't know "whether either of the two British nurses is guilty or innocent". His implied comparison between two barbaric examples of (French) public execution - the last one in 1977 - and the use of the birch in Britain and the insistent, institutional bloodletting of Saudi Arabia can only be described as fatuous. And finally, for him to dismissively suggest that Western workers are only in Arabia "for fun, adventure and money" (like TT racers), are "volunteer accomplices to the regime which uses the executioner's sword as an instrument of state" and must therefore take their risks, is to associate himself cynically with, and give the Saudi Arabians justification for, the very attitudes which enable many of them to exploit not only their Western so-called "guest workers" but to shamefully abuse, debase and ill-treat their fellow Muslims from Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and various other eastern countries.
Contrary to Kevin Myers's suggestion that coining and roistering Westerners are freely collaborating with the government in its exploitation of its citizens, most have a sense of their own integrity and work hard and honestly maintaining many of the essential institutions of the country. Many carry responsibility with fragility and without security. They earn their salaries twice over and are worth every penny of it.
Many have discovered that in the event of conflict they are subject to a system where there is no rule of law to protect them, no capacity for evaluation of the issues, no recognition of good will implied in a record of achievement, and little concern for the truth.
Pace the claims of the Saudi Arabian ambassador to London, no prior apprisal of the country's laws and customs adequately prepares any Westerner for the unpredictabilities of Saudi Arabian behaviour, institutional or personal. And in its turn, that unpredictability is a contributory factor to undesirable and antisocial attitudes and behaviour on the part of some Westerners, whether towards each other or towards Saudi Arabians.
Outside Saudi Arabia, no one knows either what happened between the three nurses or what contributed to it. And in all likelihood no one is ever going to know fully. Though he may feel justified, we are certainly none the wiser for all of Kevin Myers's righteous didacticism. Perhaps he should go and work there. I'm sure they'd be delighted to have him - hands and head and all. - Yours, etc.,
North Main Street, Cork City.