Named After “Saddam Hussein”, This Indian Engineer Is Struggling To Find A Job

The naming of a child in the family is a much-celebrated occasion, especially in the Indian family. The family, especially the parents, wants the best of the name to be given to their child. But what happens when your child name matches with the world’s most hated man?  Initially, it won’t be seen as much of the problem, but in future may turn things around.

 In a similar case, when a grandfather named his grandson “Saddam Hussein”, little did he know what will follow in the future to come. The Indian marine engineer, Saddam Hussein, rejected as many as 40 times from the shipping companies. Baffled with the rejections, the engineer from Noorul Islam University, understood that it’s not the résumé which is plotting against him, it’s the name on that résumé.

 Hussein, who hails from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, told the Hindustan Times, “People are scared to hire me.” Saddam Hussein was an Iraqi dictator whose rule was brought down by the US in 2003. He was executed in 2006.

 Even after completing his marine engineering, the name doesn’t stop him from hunting for two years. After deciding to an investigation as what is keeping him to get the job, he contacted the HR department of the company and came to know that it was not the problem with the résumé, but with his name. The HR further told Saddam Hussein “When a job requires frequent travel, and a name like his will set off airport security and border patrol, causing trouble for his employers.”

 In a desperate attempt to change his name, Saddam chose the legal course to change his name, but wheels of bureaucracy were turning slowly, and so does his process of change his name. He legally changed his name to Sajid, including in all legal documents passport, voter ID and driving license.

 But it seems that things were not in his favour. He stuck at the dead end with his education certificates. His university refused to change his name to Sajid until he got his Board exam certificates changed first.

However, he is still waiting for a response from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). he has also moved the Jharkhand High Court as a desperate measure. His hearing is on May 5.

 However, it is not the first time such incident has surfaced. Last year, a Muslim girl was denied job for wearing a Hijab. The organisation agrees to offer the job only if she agrees to work without the hijab.