Indian engineer rejected employment 40 times because of his name, Saddam Hussain
A marine engineer in India is still bearing the burden of his name after being refused a job some 40-odd times.
Saddam Hussain was given this name by his loving grandfather 25 years ago but it looks like employers are loath to hire him – even if his name is marginally different – spelt Hussain, not Hussein.
Two years after passing out as a marine engineer from Tamil Nadu’s Noorul Islam University, Hussain says he has failed to find a job because of his namesake: the former Iraqi ruler, Saddam Hussein executed in 2006.
“People are scared to hire me,” laments Jamshedpur’s Saddam. 40-odd times he has appeared for interviews with multinational shipping companies 40-odd times has his job application been rejected. His batchmates around the world have secured employment, but Saddam remains unemployed despite ranking second in his batch of 2014.
Saddam was unable to decipher why he was being rejected in the first six months.
“I then inquired with the HR departments of the companies and some of them told me my name was the problem,” he recounts. He was told that having a crew member with a name that arouses instant suspicion could be an operational nightmare, Hindustan Times reports.
His woes do not end with the name alone, getting rid of it has been a bigger hurdle.
He went to court to become Sajid. He procured all relevant documents, including passport, voter ID and driving license, under the name.
Bummer!
Prospective employers ask for his educational certificates, but his university has refused to change the name until he got his Class 10 and 12 exam certificates changed first. He approached the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for a name change, but the authorities have not acted yet.
Another court hearing beckons on 5 May, this time to force authorities to change the name on his secondary school certificates, after which his graduation papers will need amending, the BBC reports.
What Sajid is going through might be plight of many more Saddam Husseins of Iraq who feel cursed with a name that was originally given in tribute to a leader whose legacy is one of a brutal dictator.
