Memoirs of an Aramco doctor.
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I'm interested in what you are doing on this site, and wish to add to your archive. I am a retired doctor who once worked for Aramco (The Arab-American Oil Company) from 1947 to 1954, with a one year break for service in the Korean Conflict: 1949-1950. As part of my duties, one day a month I was to visit the palace of the local potentate. The first visit was devoted to examining his family. The next month I gave routine exams to his servants, including two middle-aged, black males complaining of urinary track problems. Upon examination I discovered, to my horror, that their genitals were completely severed. The wounds were very old, and there was much secondary damage, apparently due to post-operative infection. I explained to my host that the problems with incontinence were the product of the crude procedure and that I could do little to help them except to prescribe antibiotics when infections re-appeared. I made the mistake of lecturing the Prince on the backwardness of this tradition. I advised him in no- uncertain terms about the need to avoid such crude attempts to alter the human body, and about the advantages of western medicine. The next month, after a short day examining members of his extended family, One of his servants presented me with two black boys about ten years old. He told me that the boys were destined to the same fate as the two men I examined the last month. The Prince was moved by my discussion with him at that time, and wished that I would do the procedure using the sound, humane methods I had promoted to him at that time! My company was in the midst of protracted talks with the Prince and his family aimed at extending our presence in the country, and I certainly did not wish that the poor wretches would be subject to the traditional methods, so I agreed to conduct the procedure. After that, I was occasionally asked to perform the operation on other boys. I did so a total of seven times before being recalled to active military service in 1949. I inquired as to the origin of these children, and was told that they were sold by their families to pay for the pilgrimage to Mecca. The parents had full knowledge of the fate which awaited their children, it seemed to be a special honor in their faith to be so mutilated and to guard the holy sites of Mecca. I returned to the company in the Fall of 1950, and soon after that time I was presented with three light-skinned boys destined for the procedure. The servant told me that these orphans from North Africa were the product of Arab women and German or British soldiers during the Second World War. One had some Arab characteristics, but the other two could easily pass as an American or European. None, however, could speak much English and chatted with each other in Arabic. I objected strongly to emasculating these boys. The Prince persuaded me to quiz the children themselves on their wishes. Although they appeared to be white, they were under the complete sway of the local faith and even encouraged me to proceed with the operation. They evwen had a rudimentary understanding of its effects (although I can't believe that boys of that age can have a true understanding of the sacrifice involved). The heads of these children were filled with dreams of honored service in the shrines of Mecca. The director of the company, along with the Prince, persuaded me that conducting the procedure would be best for all concerned, so I reluctantly did so. But I insisted that it would be the last time. The company was nationalized several years later. I made substantial sums of money during those years, but continue to feel some guilt over participating in the operations. My only solace is that the children were much better off having the procedure conducted professionally with anesthesia, rather than by the traditional means. I know that other Aramco doctors also agreed to conduct these operations as a "favor" to our hosts.