DUBAI: Human Rights Watch called on Kuwait to agree to greater protection for migrant workers as a Philippine delegation was due in the emirate Thursday to discuss an outcry over alleged abuses of Filipinos.
But the New York-based watchdog also criticized a ban imposed by the Philippines last week on migrants leaving to work in Kuwait, saying it was likely to increase the number resorting to unregulated channels that exposed them to a greater risk of abuse.
President Rodrigo Duterte imposed the ban in response to the murder of a Filipino maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in Kuwait earlier this month.
He triggered a diplomatic row with Kuwait by alleging that Arab employers routinely raped their Filipino workers, forced them to work 21 hours a day and fed them scraps.
“Kuwait should confront the outcry over deaths, beatings and rapes of domestic workers by taking immediate steps to reform the kafala system, which traps workers with abusive employers,” HRW’s Middle East women’s rights researcher Rothna Begum said in a statement late Wednesday.
The kafala or sponsorship system, widely prevalent in the oil-rich Gulf states, ties migrant workers’ visas to their employers, prohibiting workers from leaving or changing jobs without prior consent.
“The Philippines should work with Kuwait to protect workers rather than ban them from migrating, which is more likely to cause harm than to help,” Begum said.
“Both Kuwait and the Philippines have an opportunity to work together to increase protections for domestic workers and fix the gaps that are leaving workers vulnerable to extreme abuse.”
Kuwait has said it is investigating reported deaths and abuses, and insisted there were only a small number considering that there are more than 250,000 Filipinos working in Kuwait.
It has invited Duterte to visit the emirate but he has yet to respond.
The Philippine delegation due in Kuwait later on Thursday is headed by Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad.
It is due to travel on to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two other Gulf states with large Philippine migrant workforces.
In all, there are more than two million Filipinos working in the region, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Philippine economy.
Lagunzad said Duterte had ordered the delegation to ensure that the passports of Filipino workers are deposited with the Philippine embassy.
Duterte also wants Filipinos to have access to cellphones so they can call for help in case of abuse, Lagunzad said.
Human rights watchdog urges Kuwait to agree on new worker safeguards with the Philippines
Human rights watchdog urges Kuwait to agree on new worker safeguards with the Philippines
In West Bengal, community iftars offer space for inclusivity, solidarity
- Know Your Neighbor initiative for Muslims, Hindus and Christians started in Kolkata in 2017
- This year’s iftars promote women, social workers and grassroots activists from various groups
NEW DELHI: During Ramadan, a special iftar initiative in India’s West Bengal brings together different groups from the state’s diverse society to build mutual trust and strengthen neighborly bonds.
Islam has been present in Bengal since the 13th century. Muslims, who make up nearly a third of the state’s population of 100 million people, have for centuries made significant contributions to Bengali socio-linguistic identity and culture.a
But for the past decade their heritage in the state has been undermined, accompanied by tensions and riots ignited by the rise of majoritarian Hindu right-wing narratives across India.
To address the situation, a group of Bengali Muslims and Hindus started the Know Your Neighbor initiative in 2017. During the fasting month, among the events they organize is “Dosti ki Iftar,” or “Iftar of Friendship,” which brings together representatives of the region’s various religious and social groups.
This year, for the first time, one such iftar was held specifically for women, with the aim of creating a safe and open space to exchange views, address stereotypes and foster female-led unity.
“Women from many sections of the society are more marginalized than others ... Among us are Hindus, Muslims, Christians as well,” Tody Mazumdar, sociology student and Know Your Neighbor member, told Arab News.
“We want to oppose the current narrative, or the current propaganda, that is being spread so rapidly about Bengal having only one identity. We want to give a clear message that we are a diverse cultural and religious group known as Bengalis, and we all stay together, and we all eat together.”
The event, hosting a few dozen women from different religious and caste groups, was co-organized by students at Deeniyat Muallima College in Santragachi in the metropolitan area of Kolkata.
Among them was Shruti Ghosh, a dancer and theatre artist, for whom being a part of the iftar was a way of building resilience against divisive politics and policies.
“Iftar, of course, is a part of Ramadan ... but it’s also about sharing food. And food is very important in terms of cultural preservation, in terms of expressing your identity, asserting your identity. Moreover, food is something we enjoy. We sit with food, talk, exchange ideas, and share memories. So much happens over food,” she said.
“That is very important for me ... to come together, particularly in these trying times, where we have so much violence and intolerance being unleashed, and hatred being generated in society.”
This week, another iftar will be hosted in a historical setting at the Basri Shah Masjid, the oldest mosque of Kolkata, and next week another will gather grassroots activists working in different sectors of civil society.
Sabir Ahamed, the founder of Know Your Neighbor, hopes it will help make the social groups they represent engage more and better.
“We are bringing the experience of iftar to them to bridge the gap between different communities,” he said. “We are planning more iftars at different locations to promote harmony and coexistence.”
They are also sending a message.
“It’s like a neighbor-to-neighbor call, and we can stay together and talk with each other freely, without any judgment or without any social boundaries. Ramadan means sharing and caring, so we spread our love towards everyone. We can sit together as Indians, as humans,” Siddiqa Tabassum, director of Deeniyat Muallima College, told Arab News.
“It’s a little step, but small steps can do miracles.”
