By ISMAEEL MARIKAR COLOMBO

Maid and nails: Let’s find the truth

Housemaids are always in the news.

Saudis need them and the Sri Lankan women would work for them because of their poverty.

This has been going on for years, encouraged by the government, since the government in Colombo too depends on their remittances in much needed dollars.

There have been several instances where housemaids have been abused, humiliated and subjected to whatever maybe, which have driven many to commit suicide. Despite all this, the women want to go to the Middle East and the government is doing everything to export them.

There is an institution called Sri Lanka Bureau for Foreign Employment, which charges a fee from all leaving the country for employment abroad. SLBFE is expected to look after their interests and also train them. The question is whether this bureau is doing its job.

Obviously it is not.

As for the latest case where a woman was tortured by having 23 nails driven into her body, I could not figure out how she got through the customs, immigration and metal detectors at the Jeddah Airport. The officials at the airport are very strict. At least that is my experience. The whole thing is intriguing.

With all these nails, how did she manage to travel this distance seated in a plane? The airport authorities and the in-flight staff of the plane have to be questioned. She should have been offloaded and an inquiry begun then and there.

In the same Sri Lankan paper that broke the news for the first time, there was a news item under the heading: “Tortured housemaid in good mental health: Doctors.”

This is really puzzling.  Did she undergo “acupuncture” with nails at the hands of a local practitioner?

I hope there will be a proper inquiry and the Saudi government will take suitable action to punish if anyone is found guilty and compensate the victim. In conclusion, I would like to say, “truth is stranger than fiction”. Let us know the truth.

 

Comments

ZAFAR KHALID.

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Assalaamu'alaikum.

Being in aviation for several decades, I am unable to understand her journey in an aircraft seated. All I could say is Allaah knows best and hope the inquiry is clean.

Zafar Khalid.

GINA

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If the photos are from her then the wounds looked healed. When the buzzer goes off they probably checked her and sent thru since they dont find anything.

Obviously SL Govt wants the whole thing to go away since they need Saudi money. Saudis wants the story to go away. But we hear brutal torture storis every day. So many women jumping out from balconies, body bags going back to countries.

I have never heard any Saudis (or any arabs for that matter) been punished for these horrid crimes.

The perception is that crimes against non muslims are brushed as ide which is not good for the perception of Islam.

N. FRANK

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Gina.,
In my opinion No crime however small or big goes, without a judgement, and, the victims may be either Muslims or Non Muslims, Some crimes get judged by human law, and those that escape the human law are judged by the natures law.

No human can do any act without the nature watching it. Therefore in my opinion there is no need to go beyond a certain point to find the truth of this case since, since two governaments are involved, but leave it to the nature for justce

YAKSHADEVA

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TRuth> Do you know what truth is. What is your definition of truth?.

YAKSHADEVA

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A woman will insert nails in herbody to disgrace an Arab employer?. Are you suggesting that Srilankan Surgeon lied. You guys know terms like third country nationals, how you treat whites who come to Saudia and others. Even those muslims from India and pakistan are treated like shit by you. GIVe me abreak, Your understanding of truth is very different from the truth to others.
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