In Principal, Sirlankiyeh – بالمبدأ سيرلانكية
In principal, we are all equally humans; discriminated, labelled and stereotyped, equally across the world.
Blonde. شقرة
Black. عبد أسود
Asian. هول دول شرق آسيا
Arab. عرب
Khaleeji. خليجية
Russian. روسية
Sirlankiyeh. سرلنكية (Sir Lankan – for some reason some Lebanese think all house maids/help are Sir Lankan)
Abddeh (Slave) عبدة
Aswad (Black) أسود
Shagheel Soureh (Syrian Worker – he might be Iraqi, Libyan, Sudanese, or anything else, but in the eyes of some – Shagheel Soureh) (شغيل سوري (هلق منمرق نجيب شغيل سوري من الكولا
This discrimination is present across the world (so stop saying: “In the west people have rights, and these things don’t happen” << that is a discrimination in itself). But that doesn’t justify the Lebanese tendency to think they are HOLY, the Chosen Ones, the Phoenicians, the Educated, the Swiss of the Middle East (what ever that means), etc etc etc.
Domestic Workers - Lebanon - Now Lebanon
A discussion with a Lebanese colleague once led to the following conclusion: ” Imagine one day i wake up and run into my black Lebanese neighbor! – We are not black, we are Lebanese, we can’t allow mothers to pass down nationality!” not only was that racist, but sexist as well, fact is, many people think like this, many more Lebanese do, and across many of MENA countries, Lebanese are known to be … Arrogant … but what they really are is … Ignorant.
What’s even sadder is those that try to frame all domestic workers as sleazy, conning, liars; trying to sneak their way to a penny, stealing, filthy, il-mannered, etc. not admitting that they are in reality equally capable of doing right and wrong as everyone else, because they are Simply Human.
Domestic Workers - Lebanon
Domestic Workers - Lebanon - Maya Zankoul
Another day, another domestic violence crime that leads to the loss of a human life. When will we, the human race, realize that everyone is the same. Every human being on this planet is equally capable of being evil, good, stubborn, loving, rich, poor, educated, elusive, hurt, determined, ignorant, expressive, beautiful, not perfect. Simply Human.
Press Round Up:
MSNBC: Maltreated maid in video aired on Lebanon TV kills herself
GlobalPost: Lebanon: filmed abuse of Ethiopian domestic worker sparks outrage
Now Lebanon: Maid in Hell
YaLibnan: Lebanon’s Dirty Laundry
