Torture in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]Human Trafficking in [Saudi Arabia Street Children in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries] |
Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery In the early years of the 21st Century gvnet.com/humantrafficking/SaudiArabia.htm
Saudi Arabia is a
destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of
involuntary servitude and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual
exploitation. Men and women from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and many other
countries voluntarily travel to Saudi Arabia as domestic servants or other
low-skilled laborers, but some subsequently face conditions indicative of
involuntary servitude, including restrictions on movement, withholding of
passports, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and non-payment of wages.
Women, primarily from Asian and African countries are also believed to have
been trafficked into Saudi Arabia for commercial sexual exploitation; others
were reportedly kidnapped and forced into prostitution after running away
from abusive employers. Some Saudi men have also
used legally contracted “temporary marriages” in countries such as
Mauritania, Yemen, and Indonesia as a means by which to sexually exploit
migrant workers. Females as young as seven years old are led to believe they
are being wed in earnest, but upon arrival in Saudi Arabia subsequently
become their husbands’ sexual slaves, are forced into domestic labor and, in
some cases, prostitution. - U.S.
State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 [full country
report] |
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CAUTION: The following links
have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in ***
FEATURED ARTICLES *** Guest Worker May Lose Digits, Toes After
Being Tied Up in Bathroom for a Month Hassan Adawi,
Arab News, Jeddah, 23 March 2005 archive.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=60876&d=23&m=3&y=2005&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom [accessed 21 December 2010] [accessed 24 June 2013] A 25 year-old
Indonesian guest worker will have several of her fingers, toes and part of
her right foot amputated because of gangrene after being tied up for a month
in a bathroom by her Saudi sponsor. The Indonesian Embassy noted that
2,000 housemaids have been repatriated to Indonesia so far this year, with
many alleging maltreatment, nonpayment of wages or physical abuse. Pat Roush, March 15, 2003 At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] American women who have
married Saudi nationals and are inside the kingdom along with their female
children – some of whom have now reached adult age – are subjected to a
situation in which another person or persons have complete control over their
lives, with all rights and attributes of "ownership." They were
forcibly abducted or kidnapped in clear violation of the laws of other
countries and court orders issued by other countries. They were removed from
their country to a country beyond the reach of law enforcement and court
orders. These women – which
include my adult, American-born daughters – have been hidden away in family
compounds for years, deprived of all the choices of basic living, including
religion, choice of spouse or age of marriage. They have been denied freedom
of movement, freedom of torture, equal rights of women relating to all issues
of family rights, the right to education, the right to remedies. Many of them
are subjected to wide abuse other than slavery – mental and physical torture,
including rape. Their basic human rights in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and other instruments of international human rights law are
being sacrificed. They are kept
captive with no hope of ever escaping. Some are told that they can leave, but
their children must stay. They must choose between freedom and their children
– a "Sophie's Choice" no mother should ever have to make. I have
met women who have done just that, and others who
hunger for the breath of freedom so badly that they are contemplating doing
it – such a high price to pay. Saudis Import Slaves to Daniel Pipes, www.danielpipes.org/2687/saudis-import-slaves-to-america [accessed 21 December 2010] It's shocking,
especially for a graduate student and owner of a religious bookstore - but
not particularly rare. Here are other examples of enslavement, all involving
Saudi royals or diplomats living in Saudi sheik: 'Slavery is a part of Islam' WorldNetdaily, November 10, 2003 www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35518 [accessed 21 December 2010] A leading Saudi
government cleric and author of the country's religious curriculum believes
Islam advocates slavery. "Slavery is a part of Islam," says
Sheik Saleh Al-Fawzan, according to the independent
Saudi Information Agency, or SIA. In a lecture recorded on tape by SIA,
the sheik said, "Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long
there is Islam." His religious books are used to teach 5 million
Saudi students, both within the country and abroad, including the ***
ARCHIVES *** Saudis address human trafficking concerns United Press International UPI, www.upi.com/Top_News/2007/11/16/Saudis-address-human-trafficking-concerns/UPI-39621195247289/ [accessed 21 December 2010] The Saudi Human Rights Commission voiced concern over human trafficking gangs exploiting immigrants and foreigners during the pilgrimage season. Commission spokesmen Dr. Zoheir al-Harethi said people making their pilgrimage to Mecca plan to find employment but instead find themselves exploited by local gangs. Harethi said immigrants "fall prey to gangs that use them for begging and prostitution" and noted many of the exploited are children, al-Arabiya said Friday. U.S. human trafficking report misses
progress: Saudi Reuters, www.reuters.com/article/idUSL0814554520070708 [accessed 21 December 2010] "Examining the
American report on human trafficking, we felt that it was misleading ... It
contains descriptions, opinions and understandings that are not necessarily
true," Turky Al Sudairy,
head of the government's Human Rights Commission said in a statement
published in Saudi newspapers. "While we
accept that there are some who mistreat (domestic) workers, and this is not
acceptable, there are laws that stipulate punishment and the Commission will
not hesitate to reveal practices and violations." Around a third of Saudi Arabia's 24 million
population are foreign residents, mostly blue-collar workers from Asian
countries. Over a million work as housemaids, and reports of abuse are
common. Saudi employers often retain their passports. Sudairy said the
authorities had taken stringent measures to regulate the labor market, which
he said was subject to abuse by recruitment agencies. He said Saudi Arabia
has laws to prevent child labor.
"The efforts being exerted have not finished yet and we cannot
claim such a thing," Sudairy said. New study shames human traffickers Patrick Mathangani,
The Standard, May 11, 2007 At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] Countries in the A new report by an
international trade unions’ umbrella organisation
says Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United
Arab Emirates and Yemen are notorious destinations for women trafficked from
Kenya. Its report,
‘Trafficking in Persons — The Eastern Africa Situation’, notes that women and
children were favourite targets for well-organised trafficking rings, which operate freely for
lack of solid laws against the vice. Saudis deny human trafficking allegations Mariam Al Hakeem, Gulf News, gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudis-deny-human-trafficking-allegations-1.249699 [accessed 21 December 2010] The Saudi
government has denied a recent report released by the US Department of State
ranking the kingdom as one of the largest human traffickers in the world. Saudi Ambassador Criticizes Associated Press AP, www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198468,00.html [accessed 21 December 2010] Al-Faisal said Key Witness missing in CO slavery case
against Homaidan Al-Turki
and Sarah Khonaizan [accessed 21 December 2010] An Indonesian woman
who was kept as a virtual slave and who was also a key witness against a
Saudi Arabian couple, Homaidan Al-Turki and his wife, Sarah Khonaizan.
A modern day slavery case where the victim was forced cook clean and was
sexually abused. Saudis Import Slaves to America Daniel Pipes, www.danielpipes.org/2687/saudis-import-slaves-to-america [accessed 21 December 2010] It's shocking,
especially for a graduate student and owner of a religious bookstore - but
not particularly rare. Here are other examples of enslavement, all involving
Saudi royals or diplomats living in Saudi sheik: 'Slavery is a part of Islam' WorldNetdaily, November 10, 2003 www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35518 [accessed 21 December 2010] A leading Saudi
government cleric and author of the country's religious curriculum believes
Islam advocates slavery. "Slavery
is a part of Islam," says Sheik Saleh Al-Fawzan,
according to the independent Saudi Information Agency, or SIA. In a lecture recorded on tape by SIA, the
sheik said, "Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long
there is Islam." His religious
books are used to teach 5 million Saudi students, both within the country and
abroad, including the Guest Worker May Lose Digits, Toes After
Being Tied Up in Bathroom for a Month Hassan Adawi,
Arab News, Jeddah, 23 March 2005 archive.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=60876&d=23&m=3&y=2005&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom [accessed 21 December 2010] [accessed 24 June 2013] A 25 year-old
Indonesian guest worker will have several of her fingers, toes and part of
her right foot amputated because of gangrene after being tied up for a month
in a bathroom by her Saudi sponsor.
The Indonesian Embassy noted that 2,000 housemaids have been
repatriated to Forced-Labor Charges For Saudi Prince's
Wife Stephanie Ebbert
and Scott Goldstein, The www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/03/31/forced_labor_charges_for_saudi_princes_wife/ [partially accessed 21 December 2010 - access restricted] The wife of a Saudi
prince was arrested yesterday for allegedly forcing two Indonesian
housekeepers to work for her family at homes in Freedom House Country Report - Political Rights: 7 Civil Liberties: 6 Status: Not Free 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2009/saudi-arabia [accessed 27 June 2012] Human Rights
Overview by Human
Rights Watch – Defending Human Rights Worldwide Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/saudi-arabia [accessed 21 December 2010] Library of Congress Call Number DS204
.S3115 1993 lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/satoc.html [accessed 21 December 2010] Preecha Sa-Ardsorn, "Saudi woman procurer surrenders before
police," The Nation, 19 July 1998 At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] Both women had
contacted Suna in hopes of finding high paying work in Saudi Arabia, but
instead were forced into prostitution. The women were forced to travel, in a
tiny compartment below the truck's undercarriage or empty oil tank of the
vehicle tanker in the scorching sun, from one construction site to another
and to offer their sexual services. Upon arriving in the Saudi capital, they
were forced to share a five-metre-by-four-metre room with seven other girls, one of whom was Suna's sister. They were told that they would be engaged
in prostitution, not restaurant helpers as promised, if they wanted to live. Trafficking and forced labour of children
in the At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] ANSAR BURNEY TRUST
RESCUES TWO MORE 'CHILD CAMEL JOCKEYS' IN UAE - . The Ansar
Burney Welfare Trust International is the only human rights organisation working since last several years practically
against slave labour in Middle East and Arab Countries to rescue the innocent
children working as child camel jockeys in very worst circumstances. It has
rescued total 318 children in this current year, 147 children on slave in UAE
and 171 children from Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi
Arabia, Muscat, Kuwait and other parts of the Arab and Middle East
countries and sent them back to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Srilanka
and other respective countries for their rehabilitation Saudi Religious Leader Calls for Slavery's
Legalization Daniel Pipes, Lion’s Den, November 7, 2003 www.danielpipes.org/blog/2003/11/saudi-religious-leader-calls-for-slaverys [accessed 21 December 2010] Muslims, in contrast, still think the old way. Slavery still exists in a host of majority-Muslim countries (especially Sudan and Mauritania, also Saudi Arabia and Pakistan) and it is a taboo subject. To enable pious Muslims to avoid interest, an Islamic financial industry worth an estimated $150 billion has developed. The challenge ahead is clear: Muslims must emulate their fellow monotheists by modernizing their religion with regard to slavery, interest and much else. No more fighting jihad to impose Muslim rule. No more endorsement of suicide terrorism. No more second-class citizenship for non-Muslims. Slavery in Posted by Robert on Jihad Watch, November
4, 2003 www.jihadwatch.org/2003/11/slavery-in-saudi-arabia.html [accessed 21 December 2010] In Islam Unveiled I
explain the theological and legal reasons why slavery persists in some
Islamic societies — notably Women Who Wed the Wrong Wahhabi A version of this column by Ilana Mercer
was published by The Hudson Institute, June 19, 2003 www.ilanamercer.com/phprunner/public_article_list_view.php?editid1=195 [accessed 8 February 2016] She describes her
constituents as women who
"…have married Saudi nationals who were
sent to the The Overthrow Of The www.rense.com/general35/skolov30.htm [accessed 21 December 2010] Point by point, I
discussed the findings of a unit of the United Nations which had documented a
terrible truth. Here it was, late in the 20th Century, I told the crowd, that
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to undisputed details of the U.N. unit,
each had huge numbers of BLACK CHATTEL SLAVES. Saudi, according to the
findings, had about one hundred thousand such slaves and Kuwait about fifty
thousand of the same. Saudi Arabia and contemporary slavery Pat Roush, March 15, 2003 At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] American women who
have married Saudi nationals and are inside the kingdom along with their
female children – some of whom have now reached adult age – are subjected to
a situation in which another person or persons have complete control over
their lives, with all rights and attributes of "ownership." They
were forcibly abducted or kidnapped in clear violation of the laws of other
countries and court orders issued by other countries. They were removed from
their country to a country beyond the reach of law enforcement and court orders.
These women – which
include my adult, American-born daughters – have been hidden away in family
compounds for years, deprived of all the choices of basic living, including
religion, choice of spouse or age of marriage. They have been denied freedom
of movement, freedom of torture, equal rights of women relating to all issues
of family rights, the right to education, the right to remedies. Many of them
are subjected to wide abuse other than slavery – mental and physical torture,
including rape. Their basic human rights in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and other instruments of international human rights law are
being sacrificed. They are kept
captive with no hope of ever escaping. Some are told that they can leave, but
their children must stay. They must choose between freedom and their children
– a "Sophie's Choice" no mother should ever have to make. I have
met women who have done just that, and others who hunger for the breath of
freedom so badly that they are contemplating doing it – such a high price to
pay. The world must know about this Susan Taylor Martin, www.sptimes.com/2002/webspecials02/saudiarabia/day3/story1.shtml [accessed 21 December 2010] When 29-year-old Ramani Prianka accepted a job
in How tough could it
be? Very tough, Prianka quickly discovered. The
house had 20 rooms and 13 bathrooms, and Prianka,
the only maid, was expected to clean every one every day. There were nine
children, and Prianka had to wash all their clothes
and cook all their food. Seven days a week, she was up at 4:30 a.m. and never
got to bed before midnight. All this for the equivalent of $26 a week. Last year, at least
2,800 Sri Lankan housemaids ran away from their Saudi sponsors, claiming they
had been overworked, sexually abused or physically mistreated by jealous
wives. They are among the countless foreign "guest workers" in
Saudi Arabia who live and work under conditions that are sometimes compared
to modern-day slavery. Held Against Their Will John Randall Peacher,
Jul 14, 2002, comment on item: Hearing on "Should the United States Do
More to Help U.S. Citizens Held against Their Will in www.danielpipes.org/comments/1268 [accessed 21 December 2010] Not only should the
US Government support and provide assistance to citizens held against their
will; but we should examine why we are supporting a dictatorship that is
holding MILLIONS of persons against their will. The Kingdom of Saud is guilty
of imposing virtual slavery upon the women of Saudi Arabia. Not only American
service personnel are victims; and victims they are. Americans, not allowed
to have religious observances on holy days, women not allowed to drive or
dress as they wish when leaving military bases, not alowed
to be in possion of another Holy Book, the Bible. President Wahid: Slavery Widespread in Indonesian Observer, www.malaysia.net/lists/sangkancil/2000-03/msg00055.html [accessed 21 December 2010] He expressed
concern that many Saudis may treat their Indonesian servants as slaves and
sexually harass them. Many Indonesian
women who have worked abroad come home with horror stories of being raped and
badly treated by their foreign bosses. But according to
Wahid, the Indonesian media often makes inaccurate reports on what goes on in
Saudi Arabia. "The media’s
descriptions created a public perception that our women workers were raped.
The situation is not like that. The Saudi people still believe in the old
Islamic teaching, which is belief in slavery. So a woman who works for them
is considered a slave," he said.
For some men in Saudi Arabia, sexual relations with a housemaid are
not considered as rape, because they believe that such a practice is
permitted by their beliefs, he added. Wahid also stressed
the Saudi government does not believe in slavery, but the practice is still
common in society. Amnesty International, Index Number: MDE
23/082/2000, Date Published: 8 February 2000 www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE23/082/2000 [accessed 21 December 2010] In this document
Amnesty International highlights the appalling human rights record that Businesses and governments around the world have overlooked the appalling human rights record of Saudi Arabia in the past. One of the arguments being that business interests and requirements are unrelated to human rights. It is time for the international business community to open its eyes. US Child Sex Slaves In Herb Mallard, Co-Chairman, Americans
Against The Sauduction Of At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 18 September 2011] [scroll down] The Plight of Foreign Workers in Brian Evans At one time this article had been archived
and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 11 September 2011] In November 1998
two Egyptian servants of Saudi Prince Turki bin Abd al-Aziz tied bedsheets together and lowered
themselves from the rooms on the 29th floor of the Ramses Hilton where they
had been imprisoned, unpaid, for months. The Prince, a full brother of King
Fahd, has lived for 16 years on two floors of the five-star Cairo hotel since
his expulsion from Saudi Arabia for "embarrassing behavior." The
two servants, a butler and a cook, who were seriously injured when they crashed
onto a 24th floor balcony, made familiar claims. They had been beaten, they
had not been paid in months, and they had been held against their will along
with many other servants who were still trapped inside. That these abuses
were taking place outside Saudi Arabia was somewhat unusual. Although less
publicized, similar occurrences are more common inside Saudi Arabia. Human Rights
Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61698.htm [accessed 21 December 2010] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– The government has not taken sufficient measures to improve its performance
on trafficking issues, although it did name an official in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to assume responsibility for trafficking in persons. Foreign laborers',
including domestic workers', passports were often illegally retained by their
employers and can sometimes result in forced labor. Foreign nationals who
have been recruited abroad have, after their arrival in the country, been
presented with work contracts that specified lower wages and fewer benefits
than originally promised. A reportedly small number of non-citizen women were
thought to engage in prostitution, comprising a minor element of the
trafficking problem in the kingdom. SECTION
6 WORKER RIGHTS
– [d] Child beggars were reportedly often non-citizens who had been
trafficked into the country for that purpose or are Hajj or Umra over-stayers. The Ministry of Social Affairs
maintained special offices in both Human Rights
Reports » 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41731.htm [accessed 21 December 2010] TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS
– Among the millions of foreign workers in the country, some persons,
particularly domestic workers, were defrauded by employment agencies or
exploited by employers; some workers overstay their contracts and are
exploited as they have few legal protections. Many foreign domestic servants
fled work situations that included forced confinement, beating and other
physical abuse, withholding of food, and rape. Concluding Observations of the Committee on
the Rights of the Child (CRC) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,
26 January 2001 www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/saudiarabia2001.html [accessed 21 December 2010] [7] The Committee
is concerned that the broad and imprecise nature of the State party's general
reservation potentially negates many of the Convention's provisions and
raises concern as to its compatibility with the object and purpose of the
Convention, as well as the overall implementation of the Convention. All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT
ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Patt,
Prof. Martin, "Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery – |
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Torture in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]Human Trafficking in [Saudi Arabia Street Children in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Saudi Arabia] [other countries]