Blood, Sweat and Tears - 18 Aug 07 - Part 1

[WillShakespeare2007]

This makes me a little sick to watch as my brother in law works in Dubai and is paid around £100,000K per year tax free and live like kings. He is in charge of around 500 Indian & Asian laborers. Every westerner has a "maid" many of which are like slaves and in fact slavery in not uncommon there. I will certainly never return and will cut all contact with my brother and sister if I learn his staff are treated in this way. My wife is Asian and this is disgusting beyond belief.

[TheObieKabie]

Taking someone's passports, visas, ect, by their employers is a red flag for human trafficking. It doesn't mean just because those to came to the Gulf to find work, they gave up their free will. They put their faith into their bosses to help pay off loans and other debts, instead they're forced to work in extreme temps, poor living conditions, lack of food and water, in order for forced labor...hence the definition of slavery. Hence the red flags of human trafficking.

[TheObieKabie]

Women who are victims are forced into prostitution, sweat shops...and the same goes as children. Men who seek out jobs due to weak economies, are also victims for power hungry thugs, who have no regard for humanity, the sad thing is it happens in America just like it does in other countries. The media, however, just focuses on other countries.

[1khatak]

@TheObieKabie but when it is found out inus or europe something is done about it and workers are helped yet in arab countries they deport and abuse these people if they complain and if found out they brush it under the carpet rather then inforce the law against a native citizen

[ammusi]

I used to live near Dubai - the locals treat these people like SHIT > worse than is shown here. It's a disgrace to the Emirates and the ME in general. Shame

[disabledbabe]

It's not like i do not  want to know what's happenning around the world but stories like this break my heart.I just break down and cry that there is no humanity in this world.

[Zackerybob]

modern day slavery....

[ohwahwah]

do you know any thing about GAZWA E HIND.

[carol09111]

the arab they get away with too much in the middle east they punk those poor pleople and america punk them we made them and we take it from them too

[ruthtizon]

Then we have to say, God leave humans to extend their sins....and now they suffer.. this may be a reply why Dubai is in bunkrupt!!!

[jaymorpheus01]

Better to starve at home than on the road for those enslavists

[vixxy02]

GOOD! Pakis are doing the same thing in S.Africa, Kenya,and Malawi, so let them have a taste of their own f*****g medicine!!!

[2an4]

Where the hell's David Clayton Thomas?

[funkytradition]

You can't blame America for this greed. Countries & people

have to take responsibility to change from within rather

than play the "blame game". Nothing will change that way.

[ed291]

I 'm sorry but that is such a cowards way out of this man to kill himself, Now his family are indebted with his mistake, The Arab guy is right that these people should be getting the protection of their countries. I have no sympathy for people who commit suicides over money.

[Clausewitzz]

When you live in the same condition then you can judge about this.

Thousands of people are being exploited in the gulf like this.

Westerns killing their wife and children when they go bankrupt (happens allot lately), so his act was even peacefully compared to that

[ed291]

This guy had a choice, either work and pay it off.... or kill yourself leaving all your debts to your family struggle with.. which would you choose Honestly?

also he wasn't just exploited by Arabs, his own countrymen are also guilty and part of my previous comment was regarding the lack of protection or advice offered by the Indian government

[Clausewitzz]

Like i said before... you should go and live in the same conditions.

I wonder how long you will last.

I agree with ya that his own goverment is also corrupt and gives no care to these people.

But i blame the companies they work for the most, all they see is a small profit and nothing else.

But these companies are allowed to do this by the laws from those countries, both the gulf states and the countries those people come from.

Means they can do this LEGALLY.

Thats the worst part.

[SayocKali1]

everyone has their moment of perpetual darkness, to say suicide is a cowards way out is kinda weird after all it takes a great amount of courage to end your own life when our basic drive is to live at all costs, second everyone including you and me has their "breaking point" so trust me you say know you'd never do it..I say just as any man has a price, a person can only bear so much injustice and humiliation until he or she snaps.

[ed291]

It takes a even greater amount of courage to face your problems which make your life a misery than kill yourself.

So i say back to YOU to Trust me, I will NEVER do that, I have responsibilities to my family which I will never abandon.

Thank you for your opinion but it was not solicited.

[SayocKali1]

no one is doubting that, we all have loved ones but when your truly alone when you can't connect or share what hurts that's what triggers those thoughts, I feel sympathy and empathize with those who commit suicide its easy for people like us to stand on the sidelines and say i wouldn't do that or I could this or that, the suicidal person is the victim, would you say the woman who was raped was responsible for her being abused?

[ed291]

i made up my opinion based on the experiences of these men who were duped into working like this, he was not alone in the sense that he had no family. His family were back home expecting Him to work and support them instead he topped himself and ended his own misery. Now they probably stuck with crippling debts and god forbid feeling suicidal too. My point is based on duty of care of men to their families not other instances such as raped women, that is a different context.

[SayocKali1]

key word duped, why were these people duped in the first place I didn't know this is how all business is conducted, do they do this with everyone or the ones weak and vulnerable enough? Second if it was one person you can blame it on weakness of character cause it was one person but when it continues and more people are being sold into modern day debt slavery why do you blame the victim?

[SayocKali1]

Not to mention the system is in favor of the rich who was he supposed to turn to a corrupt system that is basis its economy on cheap labor?

[ed291]

OK here is my opinion again, the nature of their employment contract is not important to me because in business there must always be a winner and loser, the man is the victim of circumstance but that is still not a reason to kill yourself. It is sad that they are in that situation but it is not the end, they could endure it, pay there debt off and make some money atleast. the man who killed himself passed on his debts to his family, now they are burdened with it. That is my reasoning,

[SayocKali1]

I see your point but your blaming the victim for him being taken advantaged of. It is the capitalist system that seeks cheap and desperate workers because they are desperate and are perfect obedient slaves to work long hours for less than a dollar a day and be crammed with 5-8 men under one room without loved ones with no respect for them, when they built the Gulf. Why does capitalism want free trade and not Fair Trade?

[SayocKali1]

why do companies seek the oppressed and when they use them up move on to the next desperate flock? How can you say the nature of the business is not important to you? it is the system that affects each of our lives your personal life is not isolated its interconnected. Why must life be a bout winning and losing why can't we have mutual co-operation? Weren't you taught as a child to share? This values are from our childhood so why are they tossed out the window when suit and tie men say its ok?

[SayocKali1]

oh and another thing that arab guy is being a hypocrite, when you have a guest in your house isn't it your responsibility to see he is taking care of? Same thing when a person comes to a country both countries including the host country must look after them, to say oh well if he was tricked by an agency that means i could do it too, well that's a flawed logic would you take advantage of person who was previously abused just because someone else did it to him or her? no the govt has an obligation

[ed291]

You sound like a liberal, I bet you are a new age westernised Arab. I agree with your comment that the arab countries should do more but they wont, neither will the indian government. all these people have is there own duty. which is to endure it and survive. It may sound harsh but the next time a agent approaches them offering great riches in the mid east... they will know to punch the bastard. thts life we live and learn.

[SayocKali1]

whether I am liberal or not doesn't mean you answered my points, I am a supporter of anarchism I am far left, I don't support states including western states i support the poor the oppressed those who don't have a voice, including Palestinians and the Coptics in Egypt etc..and a liberal believes we can work within the system to change it I say civil disobedience like in Kuwait when workers had strikes is the option, punching the person doesn't stop the system.

[ed291]

Good for you, the system you refer will never change, it has been the way of the world for thousands of years. Anarchism is just a gimmick, you say you support the poor, oppressed and those with out a voice... since when did those who were not poor have a voice. Capitalism is the new religion of the world, in time even you will be sucked into the system and what ever you earn in your life will mean some poor soul somewhere else will lose somewhere else you just cannot help it. Its dog eat dog..

[SayocKali1]

"never change" you really need to brush up on your history it was the kings who said monarchies were how the world was run now they are ancient relics, and you clearly don't know that many societies have been anarchistic, Paris De commune, Spanish Revolution in 1936, the Argentinian workers takeover of factories in 2000. Women haven't had rights for thousands of years are you saying that means women shouldn't have fought for their rights since thats how life was for thousands of years?

[ed291]

Well I have to give it to you for knowing your history , I am impressed that your very learned but I never mentioned women's rights. And as for kings or monarchies.. they made money from taxation of commerce which is the barter system. Thats why every country or monarchy in history had there own currency.. the system has never changed. Revolutions only change the way a country runs its affairs.

[SayocKali1]

you didn't, your being hypocritical you say the system capitalism has been that way for thousands of years the same with women having no rights we are at least or have been in the process of correcting that idiotic ideology your capitalism is no different from another idea it isn't forever the modern industrial revolution was not to long ago about 1880-90 what have we had before that since humanity is thousands and thousands of years old.

[SayocKali1]

your capitalist system was the reason imperialism and colonialism happened in Africa, south America and Asia. It validated racism when they captured slaves and fueled the economy of the South in the US the cotton industry, it imprisoned countries in India, China and you claim this is all right?

[SayocKali1]

I think you like the idea of poverty that fact that most that are poor are black or brown women and children while the rich are white business men you may accept it but I refuse to be complacent is the slaughter of people for profits because one the last tree is destroyed one the last river is polluted and once the resources are all gone your money will be worthless. Good day... viva la revolution! Equality Liberty and Solidarity for ALL

[ed291]

LOL i loved your ending, and WHAT makes you think I m white, the great anarchist makes a assumption... well I wish you luck in your one man revolution if you succeed in your idiotic crusade I will take my hat off.... but i HIGHLY doubt you will ever make a difference. Thank you for the conversation and good day to you too.

[SayocKali1]

It wasn't until the soldiers who are supposed to defend the people came and shoot them all down no government will allow us to rule because they are in bed with the wealthy elite who bought them out same with the judges and military. and also LOL I never said you were white you are making the assumptions i said the majority are white if you wish to favor such wealthy elite so be it and I'm taking a hint your Turkish since you have the Ottoman pics onyour youtube page ;)

[SayocKali1]

LOL clearly you don't know how many influential people are socialists or anarchists i.e Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Emma Goldman, Bakunin, Kropotkin, Proudhon etc... Second there are many groups in France and Italy who have leftist groups never underestimate the power of a few people because it's always been a few people that has changed the world. Adios Capitalist Chancho ; )

[SayocKali1]

yeah that's why in the Paris De Commune after the fiasco when Napoleon the 2 fought against the Prussian leader Bismarck it ended with provinces essential in coal taken many people died, common people and in Paris the women rallied the men who had no bread for their children and built a community within Paris.

[SayocKali1]

you still didn't answer any of my questions then you go off on how capitalism is the new religion yeah except your in a recession which is a depression just shorter same features same poverty second it was the governments who bailed out the system when the foundation of capitalism is for gov't not to interfere at all in the economy cause some how a magic fairy will evenly distribute the wealth right? sorry I dont think so

[SayocKali1]

we don't need the wealthy rich to tell the middle and lower classes to work for them they need us we don't need them that's why you have the army to keep them down and the judges to protect their so-called properties, the workers built the skyscrapers, they make our food take out our trash and build everything from pencils-to planes without them your religion wouldn't work,

[SayocKali1]

and the more the gap gets bigger btw rich and poor the more people will realize we have limited resources we can't indulge with capitalists pursuit for infinite profits at the expense of nature and people, considering they don't work for wages like us they gain profits and spend it on the gaining more profits in an endless greedy cycle.

[bigbosfan]

our bollywood actors shake their booty here to please dons and goons fuck u all the so called stars

[qasion]

Seriously,I am a muslim and these conditions are not acceptable nor are in the ethics of what my faith taught me. Shame on you ruler of Duabi, I hope God's wrath will pour on you and your gov one day.

[MohammadiBegum]

qasion

Why you are cursing the ruler?

The laborers start their livelihood hunting adopting a WRONG procedure. They start from brive by paying the agent who misuse their MONEY.

The greed of luxuries forced Laborer to pay to recruiting agent.

When a foundation is WRONG the aftermath may be worse.

Sabarun Jameelun....

[thesinclairz]

What Luxuries??.10 people in a room..why?? is your Govt allowing it...think about it..who is really greedy..why are the recruiting agents not stop.

I blame both GOVT on either sides.

[bugskiwurm]

this is worse than slavery!imgine paying your own ticket and food for 2 years to work just to pay the charges you owe from the recruiter?

they are not thousands but millions,&and each of these guys have families depending on them.this is serious,the world should do something to free these slaves!wake up those who fights for freedom!

[agent007uae]

Government of gulf arabic countries calling themthelves muslims. They are praying to Allah, but when it comes to money they forget Islam, forget Allah. They became same western capilists. Everything based on money. But in Ahirat in Judgement day they will answer in front of Allah. At that time their millions and oil will not help them. Its shame that arab people doing like this with other muslim brothers. They prefer lick asses of western people like british and americans.

[snoopy75]

what goes arround comes back arround..

15 more years until these arab countries run out of water..we will see who will getting screwd then...the clock is ticking..

[fer2c]

it is PERSIAN GULF NOT GULF. unreliable news agency.

[oclandestin]

It's a disgrace that Muslim authorities in the Gulf are prepared to bend over backwards to please western non-Muslim ex-pats and tourists, and yet they are more than willing to treat the Muslim migrant workers who are building their cities, worse than dogs.

[osmantan1]

What a pity!..these gulf countries use their oil money to please Non-muslims as u said instead of helping muslim ummah.Allah made the holy districts rich with respect to oil but i think they couldnt utilize that.I want to ask a question:Why do muslim workers insist to built those places? There are millions of muslim district all around the world except them to work. Actually informed muslims should take care of Asian muslims since there is a big population of sensitive muslims there.

[1Waddup]

@oclandestin arabs are harsh and dont kno how to treat ppl, islam is a cult, get away from that religion

[oclandestin]

@1Waddup ... That's a really racist, ignorant comment.

[1Waddup]

@oclandestin yep, the truth is always ignorant to the ignorant man

[woodandsosa]

@oclandestin

Perhaps you have a Muslim Ummah supremacy thing going on but its shameful because these are people and workers who deserve respect. 

Some are Hindu, some Muslim, some Christian but they all deserve to be treated much better then the quasi-slaves like these racist Emiratis treat them.

[DMuMajor]

Dotheads

[AlLyddawi]

This is why the prophet cursed the arabs east of medina!

[WarGuardian18]

where the hell does this crap come from?!

i'm a Sharqi and i do not deny this. but c'mon! where do you get the prophet cursed ANYONE.

[AlLyddawi]

its called the hadith of najid, he didnt actually curse them but warned against them for reasons you see here and for their support of nonmuslims against islam. you can google it if you want.

[AM4CG]

How the hell did this turn into a religious discussion and a racist rant?! The video is about the injust labour going on in Dubai...

[liviti]

It's a really sad situation. We all need to do what we can such that all of us in the world can live and work with dignity.

[liviti]

I just returned to Canada from the UAE. I have many close relatives working as laborers there. They were gracious hosts in spite of their humble conditions. My relatives in the UAE are of Pakistani origin and inhabiting the camps in Al-Quoz and Mussafah. Their living and working conditions are poor, however they are willing to endure it and being away from home for years at a time because the conditions in their home country, as far as employment and opportunities are so much worse.

[MishoRAK]

They are not SLAVE LABOR....

If they dont like the way that they live in Dubai they can simply go to another place or another country...

no one FORCED THEM.. The job is by their choice, if they have a Certificate that qualify them to another job/better one, then they would'nt work in the sun... I think it was a contract between them and the government, they read it and made their choice, So why they complain????? isn't that their CHOICE???

Take it or Leave it ^^

[dxb13]

OH YEAH TYPICAL NARROW MINDED comment... let me guess your sitting in your palce with your maids and being waited on every minute...pfftttt just typical idiotic mentality

[dxb13]

these poor men are treated like animals... it doesn't matter where your from, who you are, what your USED TO in your home country, everyone is equal and deseves respect... the wages they make and conditions they live in are worse than a horses stable and smaller than one too...

[arsenewenger]

its fukers like you who are fuking up the world

[snoopy75]

i think an ignorant mother fucker like u should get fucked in there ass in public by rapest dogs and pigs in burning heat maybe then u might understand what these poor are going through..they are uneducated!!..they cant read!!there lied too by these countries!!

u dumb fuck..there pasports are taken away and they dont get paid for months so they cant leave..they pay money from there pockets which is taken as a loan from back home so they can get a job which they can only recover in 3 to 4 years

[inder19852000]

Then Muslim migrants in Europe should shut up their mouths and live according to the rules here.Europeans are much more humane than Arabs.They give equal pay,citizenship,equal rights,right to study in their school and colleges,which one cannot expect in a gulf country

[MADHURIMAROX]

As for that ******* indian in dubai who couldn't be bothered about the fate of such people, he is one of those few who live on wealth earned by cheating. He is probably in some way robbing these poor people of their hard - earned money!

I appreciate Al-jazzera's effort to bring about this huge problem in its true colors!

[MADHURIMAROX]

about the situation in the west, there is one minor difference and one major similarity. the diference is the environment they are working in. here in the middle east they keep working even when the temp touches a 50 not that they want to, but they are forced to. As for the similarity, the workers here or there, are still the same third world nations people who fall prey to such inhumanity. Have you ever seen a developed contry's national working in such conditions. NO.

[MADHURIMAROX]

Look you people you are missing the whole point of the video. these people are real life people whom we have seen everyday on our way to do something. Al jazeera has captured the real truth.

[judarama]

The reason these are not shown in the US, because if the WTO has their way, the children or at least our grandchildren maybe seeking the same work as these men.

[antwone52]

thats the oldschool way to make "much" money - normally u use the way of kapitalism.

[aideed7000]

please aljazeera dont act like other media and be hypocrates and double standard please i request u go check what are the labour condition how injustice is in west like america and britain how they are racialy abuse on the basis of there background and how they are blackmail by the law

[HeadRattling]

Spoken like a true islamist. The West is the source of all evil, what a piece of bull. You guys in the middle-east are exploting pleople all because you can and are in a possition to do so. This is what islamic law looks like ...

[aideed7000]

what about labours conditions in west in america and britain how they discremated and racialy harrased

[afkamistan]

Bullshit. Research Anti-discriminatory education programs that are used for our toddlers and how extreme they are before faecal matter pops outta your mouth

[nuralian44]

STRABAG

[cjfogel]

Great journalism. Top rate.

[spidermonkies008]

Wonder why we don't see these things on U.S. news

[farleyong]

Cause U.S. news sucks. BBC America and BBC World are great. Also, there's a Belgium news show..all on PBS.

[lesmcluffalot]

Kewlios

[bleueetgrise]

Also, to the person who said that the caste system plays a part in this. While I will not say that's completely wrong, I'll tell you that the wealthy Indians in the Gulf consist of the so-called "lower caste" people as well, and they could care less either. My cousin was of the "upper caste" and he endured the same conditions. I say it has more to do with the wealthy's disregard for the poor rather than the caste system.

[bleueetgrise]

It's not that the Arab and Western employers don't know the situations that these labourers live and work in, it's just that they don't care. South Asians are nothing more that dirt to Arabs. Think of all the South Asian maid in the Gulf- abused, raped. It's part of an racism that wealth and education has done nothing to dispel. Make the owners recognize these people's humanity and then the condition will improve.

[xcadx]

believe it or not, that is a small thing from what is happening in the gulf.

see this for more

uaeprison. com

[rosethequeen]

WHAT A DRAMA!!!

[killer7442]

dude this is all real....

[lankanexile]

Boycott the Gulf. It is about time all right thinking westerners reconsider their investments in the Gulf. Do not visit Dubai..Disinvest in companies that do business in this slave camel kingdom.

Organize.. organize now.

[omerlives]

yeah please boycott the US govt also, along witht hat of India, and China.

Organize oraganize please.

[ktzenz]

I'm sorry Amirahasm but it's just the same in Oman, if not worse. Dubai gets more attention so it is sadly, a little better than some other places. I lived in Saudi, where it is a shame, and even in Dubai you hear of wrose cases than this story, such as workers striking (illegal and inviting deportation) because they were denied electricity and running water in their camps, in July, to save money.

[amirahas]

MulV6, I don't know how it is in Oman, perhaps it's better than what I've seen elsewhere. I hope it is.

But just because these workers might have a better life (or higher income) in the Gulf than back home, it still doesn't make it okay for any exploitation to take place.

[meekhon]

I lived in Dubai for a year and moved on as it is weird place. Internet is blocked and censored yet thousands of prostitutes work every where. You have people who have nothing and there life is hard walking past Bentleys and Ferrari's.

I never forget being at the airport and seeing a big group of men lined up who had arrived to work on the construction sites. They were all smiles and awe, you see them later on and they have a dead thousand yard stare.

[MulV6]

i truely believe that yes some countries in the gulf exploite workers but im speaking from experience in oman its not like that. they live better here then most of them will ever live back in their home countries

[MulV6]

to tell u the truth he is a coward for running away from commitment like that.u kill yourself to run away and let your family bare the burden ??

anyways we own a priv company that employ workers and they tell us how most of their money is taken away by their own poeple in their own country. .

[MulV6]

just one question.......they might have it hard working in the gulf but they have it WORSE if they stay in their own countries.......

[brick4sale]

UNION!

[amirahas]

vid isn't loading 4 me, but after rdg the description I must say: YES. Yes yes yes. As an Arab & a Gulf resident for 22yrs I've witnessed this problem w/ my own eyes. We think, "What can we do? That's the way it is." Any sympathy is soon 4gotten-not b/c of an inherent immorality(as one poster harshly suggested)but b/c ppl are hesitant to speak loudly & act. In the Gulf it's still not so easy to rock the boat.

Time to stop the silence. Pls dub & show on Arabic Aljaz.

[buzzin1975]

I like it how the human rights watch albino blames it on the villagers for their illiteracy, rather than on the rapacious immorality of the Arabs and Whites.

[meekhon]

You say that buzzin1975 - yet when I spoke to most Indians (there are some very rich Indians in Dubai as well) they would ask me, why am I bothered about these people? So you could easily see the caste system in practice still.

The only people I know of that go out of there way to help these workers is an old white Christian couple who take clothes and food up to the camps every weekend.

[noseMF]

he its right but no the countries should be the people from those countries that make desicions and the first desicion should be to change that situation there, they need instead of suicide to run for the goverment where they live and then its no need to emigrate no where because they will stop this nonsense.

[segits]

yes! and those who enjoy all the wealth and opulance built through the humiliation of these slaves, deserves

God's Anger !!! will get it and feel it if human enough

[ariakokoschka]

Another form of slave bonding. Next time you stay at a Dubai hotel or a resort, you know whose blood is shed to accommodate your stay.

[kakapi]

please dont suicide for financial reson or any other reason, suicide is number one sin, all the problem has the solution in the world one day. every thing will change step by step and slowly. Be patience, you will be given good reward for your patience one day

[souljaEXVOTO]

Ten Million slaves ?!!!!