Islam Religion of Animals Abuse and Killing of Workers in Saudi Arabia

You are seeing our new document Reader view. Click here to revert. Feel free to leave us feedback on this feature here.

×

Embed Doc
Copy Link
Readcast
Collections

3
CommentGo Back

Download

Human Rights Watch July 2004 Vol. 16, No. 5(E)

Bad Dreams:

Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia

SUMMARY....................................................................................................................................1

METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................................6

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................8

I. MIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA......................................................11

II. THE FOREIGN LABOR SPONSORSHIP SYSTEM AND ITS ABUSES.............19

Workers’ Contracts and Wages: False Promises................................................................20

Job Substitution.......................................................................................................................22

“Free Visa” Illusions..............................................................................................................25

III. VULNERABILITY AND EXPLOITATION...............................................................27

Official Documents: Consequences of Illegal Employer Practices.................................29

Fear of Arrest and Deportation............................................................................................32

No Access to Medical Care...................................................................................................33

Long Working Hours without Overtime Pay.....................................................................36

Unpaid Salaries........................................................................................................................38

Denial of Paid Vacation Leave.............................................................................................41

Summary Dismissals...............................................................................................................42

IV. WOMEN WORKERS: FORCED CONFINEMENT, LABOR EXPLOITATION, AND SEXUAL ABUSE........................................................................47

Labor Exploitation and Forced Confinement: Voices of the Victims...........................48

Legal Obligations of the Government of Saudi Arabia....................................................53

Sexual Abuse and Rape..........................................................................................................57

Pregnancy.................................................................................................................................64

Escape Attempts and Consequences...................................................................................67

V. LABOR GRIEVANCES: THE GOVERNMENT’S PROCESS FOR COMPLAINTS AND REMEDY...........................................................................................69

Available Remedies.................................................................................................................72

Official Labor Grievance Bodies..........................................................................................73

Complaints of Migrant Workers...........................................................................................75

VI. DEPORTATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS.........................................................79

Deportees with Outstanding Labor Grievances................................................................80

Current Conditions in Deportation Jails.............................................................................82

Legal Responsibility for Conditions in Deportation Jails.................................................85

VII. MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: RIGHTSDENIED.....................................................................................................................................85

The Lack of Transparency.....................................................................................................87

Imprisoned Women Migrants...............................................................................................90

Torture, Coerced Confessions, and Unfair Trials: Clear Patterns...................................92

The Government’s Obligations under Domestic and International Law....................105

VIII. THE DEATH PENALTY AND EXECUTIONS: MIGRANT WORKER VICTIMS....................................................................................................................................108

The Government’s Obligations under International Law..............................................118

Mortal Remains: Whereabouts Unknown.........................................................................121

IX. RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................123

To The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia..................................................123

To the Minister of Labor.....................................................................................................124

To the Minister of Interior..................................................................................................125

To the Minister of Justice....................................................................................................125

To the Consultative Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.....................................125

To United Nations Treaty Monitoring Bodies.................................................................126

To the Labor and Justice Ministers of Countries of Origin, including Bangladesh,India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka..............................................................127

APPENDIX A: INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO)CONVENTIONS IN FORCE IN SAUDI ARABIA.......................................................129

APPENDIX B...........................................................................................................................131

Letter to the Parliamentary Relations and Devolution Department, Foreign andCommonwealth Office, from the Clerk of the Committee, 23 September 2003.......131

Letter to the Clerk of the Committee from the Parliamentary Relations AndDevolution Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 13 October 2003.....131

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.....................................................................................................134

1 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH VOL. 16, NO. 5(E)

SUMMARY

“It was like a bad dream” is the way one migrant worker from the Philippines summedup his experiences in Saudi Arabia. Another worker, from Bangladesh, told us: “I sleptmany nights beside the road and spent many days without food. It was a painful life. Icould not explain that life.” A woman in a village in India, whose son was beheadedfollowing a secret trial, could only say this: “We have no more tears, our tears have alldried up.” She deferred to her husband to provide the account of their son’simprisonment and execution in Jeddah.It is undeniable that many foreigners employed in the kingdom, in jobs from the mostmenial to the highest skilled, have returned home with no complaints. But for the women and men who were subjected to abysmal and exploitative working conditions,sexual violence, and human rights abuses in the criminal justice system, Saudi Arabiarepresented a personal nightmare.In 1962, then-King Faisal abolished slavery in Saudi Arabia by royal decree. Over forty years later, migrant workers in the purportedly modern society that the kingdom hasbecome continue to suffer extreme forms of labor exploitation that sometimes rise toslavery-like conditions. Their lives are further complicated by deeply rooted gender,religious, and racial discrimination. This provides the foundation for prejudicial publicpolicy and government regulations, shameful practices of private employers, and unfairlegal proceedings that yield judicial sentences of the death penalty. The overwhelming majority of the men and women who face these realities in Saudi Arabia are low-paid workers from Asia, Africa, and countries in the Middle East. This report gives voice to some of their stories.It is based on information gathered from migrant workers and their families in mudbrick houses off dirt roads in tropical agricultural areas of southwest India, in apartmentsin densely packed neighborhoods of metropolitan Manila, and in simple dwellings inrural villages of Bangladesh. The victims include skilled and unskilled workers; Muslims,Hindus, and Christians; young adults traveling outside their home countries for the firsttime; and married men, and single and divorced women, with children to support.In Saudi Arabia, these workers delivered dairy products, cleaned government hospitals,repaired water pipes, collected garbage, and poured concrete. Some of them baked breadand worked in restaurants; others were butchers, barbers, carpenters, and plumbers. Women migrants cleaned, cooked, cared for children, worked in beauty salons, andsewed custom-made dresses and gowns. Unemployed or underemployed in theircountries of origin, and often impoverished, these men and women sought only the

of 00

Leave a Comment

It really saddens me to see how clear some of the "looked civilized socities" are very narrow-minded and bigot when it comes to Islam. The religion well known of mercy and justice ! It's a big crime to accuse God or one of his religions (legislations) of urging people to abuse others. In fact it's one of satanism faces, as no one dares to commit such crime against our lord. Have you read titles of other articles in THE SAME page :- 1. "79 YEAR OLD CATHOLIC Nun had sex with two Boys " 2. "Christian Missionary school principal abuses children in Bangalore ". Two questions please:- a. Why the CHRISTIANY was not accused here, and in many situations where clergy and nuns have committed inadmissible behaviors? why when you find an awry behaviors from some Muslims you quickly accuse Islam not the HUMAN being who did it ? Why you hate Islam that much before getting to know it? do you find it LOGICAL? I really urge you to know a bit of Islam, you will loose nothing. b. Have you ever heard that Muslim accuse Christiany of urging people acting pervertly? Hope admin will have a clear honest moment with their selves to show a bit of respect and fairness removing such title. BTW, Saudi Arabia (country) is not the "ISLAM", myself "Human muslim" is not the "ISLAM" either, ISLAM is something BIGERRRRRRRRRR than this. Salam (Our regards in Islam, that mean PEACE) Thank you.

reply08 / 03 / 2008

The original document of this is not titled like this. The report accusing the abuseses of Saudi Arabia. [“As If I Am Not Human” Abuses against Asian Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia] so please change the title. This is happening around the world and no one accusing that country's religion. I'm requesting to all, before accusing/blame the religion, please study well and do it otherwise it is not good for the soceity.

reply08 / 03 / 2008

I am not a Saudi, but you can not judge a religion by just looking at how the people are doing... people are people, they do wrong and i guess you you wont accept it if someone said that your religion is bad, just because some of its followers don't abide by its rules...

reply07 / 23 / 2008