Racism is a problem in the Arab world, yet too many people in the region deny it. Last week, an Ethiopian domestic worker fell from the balcony of her employer’s home in Kuwait. It was caught on camera, and though the woman survived, she later
revealed that her employer was trying to kill her.
"The lady put me in the bathroom and was about to kill me in the bathroom without anybody finding out," the worker said.
"She would have thrown my body out like rubbish, so instead of staying there I went to save myself and then I fell."
This isn’t an isolated incident. Many Arab countries have maintained the kafala – or sponsorship system – which ties the legal status of low-wage migrant workers directly to their employer, giving the latter power to take away workers’ passports, withhold their salaries, and subject them to harrowing abuse.
The Arab world needs to admit: It's racist