I never understood how a person can express outrage when something inflicts him or people he cares about, but then display the same mistreatment to others without ever engaging in self-reflection. In the Middle East there are two examples. First, there is the Jewish state Israel’s abuse of the Palestinians. How a people who themselves had their lands stolen, were killed as if they were sub-human and confined into ghettos could then do the same to an innocent people, and more so, justify their actions by stating that the Jews people have a carte blanche given their suffering I will never know.
Then, less egregious, there is wide-spread Arab racism against Blacks, Kurds and Asian workers. Asian workers are treated like quasi-slaves in the Middle East. They have no rights, their passports are taken from them upon arrival and most Arabs look down upon them. Lebanese employ them as maids and many have killed themselves out of desperation. Gulf Arabs employ them as construction workers - were they often die due to any labor safety and their families are not compensated - and also as maids. This recent story illustrates that grotesque racism in which Asian workers - a lot of them Muslims by the way - are treated by people who consider them less human:
Residents of Qatar are outraged over media reports that 30 Saudi women have had to work in the same “humiliating” conditions that were formerly deemed acceptable only for foreign migrant workers.
The women, ages 20 to 45, arrived in Qatar to be placed with families as maids, earning about $400 per month, slightly more than their mostly Asian and African counterparts, according to the Middle East and North Africa Financial Network (MENAFN).
One maids agency told newspapers that the demand for Saudi women had gone up sharply due to widespread fears that foreign maids practiced magic.
So, let me get this start, Qataris not only harbor absurd and racist superstitions but think that Saudi women are by pure virtue of being Saudi too good for the work that Qataris seem to believe Asian were born to do. This is appalling racism and if Arabs were ever treated this way in the West there would be outrage in the Arab world.
Golden Rule: Treat people as you would like to be treated and as you would like your people to be treated.
Finally, is oil-rich Saudi Arabia why are so many Saudis living their country to work low-wage, hard labor jobs? Because while Saudi corrupt princes have $50,000 for a golden penis extender, 30% of Saudis live below the poverty line:
This realization could put off may problems but I wonder as to how long will it take for the people in the Mideast or west to understand this. People in the Mideast cry foul when they face racism in the west and do the same with the migrant laborers in the Mideast. what nonsense!
The newspapers here had a different story regarding these Saudi maids. What we read in papers here is that Saudi women started working as housemaids in SAUDI and Qatari women don’t want this trend to spill over other GCC countries.
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DOHA: Qatari women have reacted with disappointment at media reports saying that the first batch of 30 Saudi housemaids has begun work, entering an occupation which has been the domain of mostly Asian women in the oil-rich
Gulf state.
According to newspaper reports, all the 30 Saudi women who have been roped in as domestic help, are aged between 20 and 45 years and none of them has a primary school certificate.
They earn salaries up to 1,500 riyals which is roughly equivalent to $400 per month, slightly more than what their Asian counterparts get. At least one newspaper quoted an official from a manpower agency saying that the 30 women have been selected after a series of interviews and intense training. And another 100 women have applied and are awaiting interviews, said another Saudi newspaper.
The manpower agency official said the demand in Saudi Arabia for local women to work as maids is going up sharply because of widespread fear in local communities that foreign women practice magic.
The Saudi Labor Ministry moved two years ago to allow local women to work as housemaids and they were to be officially known as ‘Saudi home arrangers’.
Reacting to the reports, Moza Al Malki, a prominent Qatari psychologist, told this newspaper yesterday: “It breaks my heart to know that Saudi women are venturing out to get involved in such a pursuit.”
“Imagine that this is happening at a time the GCC countries are witnessing immense economic prosperity and among these countries Saudi Arabia has the largest oil reserves.”
In principle, it is okay if a woman has to do a job as long as it is decent work and not in violation of Islamic tenets, she said.
“But in the end it is the job of a maid… The women will be exposed to all kinds of humiliation.” Al Malki said she hoped that the trend would be restricted to Saudi Arabia and not spill over to other GCC countries. Another Qatari woman who did not want to be identified said the development should be treated as an exception and she did not expect the trend to spill over to other GCC states.
Source: The Peninsula - Qatar