Okaz/Saudi Gazette

AL-BAHA — A number of Saudi writers and columnists have supported their colleague Qenan Al-Ghamdi, a renowned journalist and a leading media personality, in his criticism of Education Minister Ahmed Al-Issa and said the minister had used disrespectful language in his reply to their colleague.

Some of them, however, said the veteran journalist was not objective in his criticism of the minister and had personalized the issue.

They said though A-Ghamdi attempted to be objective or appear to the readers to be so, he had personalized his conflict with the minister over the issue of education.

Al-Ghamdi wrote an article in which he had bitterly attacked the minister and accused the men and women teachers of lacking creativity.

Many writers believed that the minister's reaction was shocking to the intellectuals because he had used street language in his reply.

They said the minister, who always looked tolerant and composed, went to the extreme in his response to criticism.

While some intellectuals blamed Al-Ghamdi for not being polite or objective in his attack against the minister, many of them reprimanded the minister for resorting to vindictiveness and threats.

Saud Al-Misaibih, an HR expert, recalled the wisdom some ministers used to settle their differences with ordinary citizens.

He said former ministers Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and Mohammed Ahmed Al-Rasheed were extremely rational and polite when it came to replying to criticisms against them.

He hoped that Al-Issa would have the same wisdom and rationale in his replies to his critics.

Ahmed Al-Duwaihi, a novelist, said Al-Issa's reply article was unjustified. "The style of dialogue between intellectuals and government officials has gone deep down the drain," he said.

Duwaihi said Al-Ghamdi was wrong to personalize his differences with the minister and to describe him as a trumpet player and the minister was equally wrong to use street language.

Ali Bafaqih, a poet, wished the minister had not used such language especially at a time his ministry is wrecked in stagnant water.

"There was no need for Al-Issa to use such filthy language. His bad style virtually killed his article," he said.

Mohammed Hamid Al-Ghamdi, an intellectual, accused the minister of using street words and of personalizing his differences with his critics.

"I wished the minister had instead focused on his ministry's ambitions and the challenges facing it," he said.

Saleh Mohammed, an educationalist, said both Al-Ghamdi and Al-Issa were wrong to discuss such issues in the media.

"They have both used unacceptable language in their replies to each other," he added.

Abdul Rahman Moukli, a poet, said it was the ministry's department of information and public relations that should have replied to Al-Ghamdi, not the minister himself.

"If there were personal matters used by Al-Ghamdi against him, the minister should have resorted to courts of law," he said.