Page 95 - Protestant Missionary Activity in the Arabian Gulf

m ■
mm unj

*K*Mmwe&zsmBBBnmBa3msi

79

son’s trip to Riyadh and four years before Firs. Van Peurstm’s) :

"I think the general public are well disposed
towards the mission on account of its medical work
though there is a certain amount of opposition on
religious grounds, more on principle than from gen­
uine fear of Mommedans being converted." 163

When the American Arabian Oil Company (ARAMCO) came to Saudi
Arabia in the late 1940’s to set up its operations near Bah­

* rain, at Dhammam, they queried Belgrave and other local British

experts on how to set up good working relationships with the

Saudis. Belgrave advised them to show their respect for Islam

by voluntarily refraining from discussing Christianity or hold­

ing services on the mainland. The oil company followed this

advice and those ARAMCO personnel who wanted to attend services

had to come over to Bahrain by boat. It was not until 1948 that

a service was held for ARAMCO personnel on the mainland and

even then it was held at the air base and -under military aus­

pices. This evidence of "Godlessness" was often referred to by
%
the Saudis in their conversations with the missionaries who

botired the Nejd, as one of the many examples of poor moral

fibre on the part of the materialistic "oil men."-^4 Once

personal respect was lost in this way, of course, there was

no regaining it.

Thus the Protestant missionaries, of all the Westerners

with whom the Gulf Arabs came in contact at the end of the

19th. and the first half of the 20th. Centuries held a unique

position of friendship, trust and respect. They were permitted

to run their schools and bookshops and operate their hospitals

. A