Re: 'Maid in Lebanon' reveals lives of migrant workers

This is a human tragedy. The Sri Lankan, Philipina and African maids in
Lebanon are virtual slaves. They do not get a single day off, and work 12-14
hour days, maybe longer on the weekend when families have guests. For the
most part, they're also not allowed to have visitors, they cannot make phone
calls to talk to friends, and they are forbidden from having a social life.
This is not to mention the larger social problem of impressionable younger
maids falling victims to sexual exploitation. I'm not talking rape here, but
in many ways it's worse due to the impendence mismatch between what the
maids expect and what Lebanese men delivering on their promises. Talk about
*moral corruption*.

I don't understand how people can be so callous. Marc, your observation
(about those who critique the morally corrupt West) is right on target.

<marchaddad@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1125171887.907489.276140@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> RS wrote:
>> http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=17997#
>
> it's very good to see that these hidden human tragedies are getting
> more attention in the lebanese media, I just hope that they do a
> balanced job of reporting the success stories as well. (this article
> only mentions briefly one good experience, I hope the report has more
> focus than that)
>
> but lebanese and arab societies need to look in the mirror and come to
> terms with these abhorrent behaviors, especially after all the
> criticism they dish out against the "morally corrupt west". the so
> called cohesive loving families of our eastern culture have become
> turkish prisons for so many of these helpless workers, in many cases
> they're almost mini reflections of the saddams and assads of the arab
> world.
>
> and personally what bothers me more than the violent behavior of some
> is the lack of sensitivity and compassion by people in general, like
> last christmas when the tsunami hit south asia it seemed like the whole
> world was more moved than any of the arab countries where most of these
> migrant workers live and work. there was barely anything in lebanon to
> mark the tragedy not even a national day of solidarity or mourning or
> any special religious commemorations, and of course nothing can temper
> the new year festivities in beirut, there was even this newly opened
> sushi restaurant in achrafieh called tsunami and it was 'flooded' with
> customers even the very next day, shou hal appetites smallah.
>
> the epitome of tact was of course our favorite hero walid beyk who
> coined the use of the term as a political adjective, and when they
> asked him why he was attacking aoun in calling him a tsunami he replied
> in his cute and clever way (as always akeed) that he didn't mean it in
> a bad way, he meant it only as a good thing, tsnuami "ijabi" he said,
> nevermind the quarter million victims of a disaster by that name only a
> few months before. kamen smallah shou mezwi' houwweh w ijebeto.
>


.

Relevant Pages

  • Lebanons Sri Lankan maids tell their story
    ... It documents the fate of Sri Lankan women seeking better wages abroad to support their families. ... The documentary, shot by Carol Mansour, both in her native Lebanon and in Sri Lanka, opens on a hopeful note. ... "On signing the contract," says a voice-over in the film, "we almost become property of the employer and will work three years without a day off." ... "Some of the maids are actually not paid during the first three months to make up for part of the money their employers paid to the agency that brought them over," she said. ...
    (soc.culture.lebanon)
  • Re: Lebanons Sri Lankan maids tell their story
    ... he film Maid in Lebanon is a tale of exile, ... "Some of the maids are actually not paid during the first three months ... her first employer locked her up for hours without food. ... She cries when Mansour shows her footage of her daughter in Sri Lanka. ...
    (soc.culture.lebanon)
  • Re: Lebanons Sri Lankan maids tell their story
    ... he film Maid in Lebanon is a tale of exile, ... "Some of the maids are actually not paid during the first three months ... her first employer locked her up for hours without food. ... She cries when Mansour shows her footage of her daughter in Sri Lanka. ...
    (soc.culture.lebanon)