http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070524/ap_on_re_us/forced_labor
Sounds like the kind of stuff you read happening in Mideast; bring maid over on work visa, keep their passport, and don’t let them leave.
Horrible.
I know people are going to say that well why didn’t they escape or call the police. I am going to guess they were scared by the threats, they couldn’t read, write or understand English, were unfamiliar with how things work in this country, and could not get any help.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
I find it interesting that these two muslim women are now being cared for by a Christian charity. Where are all the mullahs?
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
Isnt this kind of thing happening all over the muslim word from the Land Lords in Pakistan who keep the people under them as virtual slaves to Lazy Saudis and other gulf arabs who employ these servants from Sri Lanka and Indonesia and treat them like animals.
One of these Arabs went to Colorado to study but took his Indonesian Maid with him but when he beat her which is customary for most Arabs, the police was called and now that Saudi is rotting in Jail for 20 years.
Pathetic
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
Interesting to note that people are just as stupid and narrow-minded as before. They go after their own political agendas before anything.
Have a care for these women. Don't bring up your own stupid problems and insecurities. I for one am happy that the women are free, regardless of their political, religious or social ideology.
(No personal attacks please!)
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
CM, you are free to post whatever you choose, but have some manners. No need to throw insults.
There is no political agenda. I also happen to be a muslim. I see these cases and get annoyed that when muslims face trouble in the world, fellow muslims don't help. But the people who do happen to be of other faiths.
Its a fact. You don't like facts. Then don't read them.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
Come on you know me, I have no respect for stupidity. Firstly your statement is based on your own personal bias against Mullahs is it not? If it was not for your own agenda you wouldn't care who is help the women save for the fact that they are being helped. The deed matters not which group does it.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
No, it matters greatly who does it. These same Christian charities will be trying to convert these girls next. Is that accetable to me as a muslim? Not really. But then is there anyone doing anything about it? Not really, and that upsets me more.
Yeah, I don't like hypocrite muslims.
Did I say I'm not happy they're out of that situation?
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
In some ways I agree with you PCG. But more about the Ummah in general rather than blaming the mullahs.
As far as I'm concerned as Muslims we talk big, but most of the time we just sit there twiddling our thumbs. Then we want to blame America and Israel for all our problems, without taking any responsibilty for our decline.
Why are all our best scientists going to America and Europe? Why aren't there any World Class laboratories in our regions? Instead of our people trying to help humanity or even help ourselves we spend so much time debating idiotic questions like "Are these people muslims?" and "Lets find reasons to call this group kafir"
And add to that, that many of us don't even attempt to please Allah...
Actions speak a lot louder than words. And Actions tell us that Christianity is a more peaceful, helpful religion than Islam.
On paper Islam is the best way of life, but as far as action goes...
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
Sad, i hope the perpetrators are dealt with severely.
one would get the impression only mullahs are with money in ummah. everything is turned into muslim bashing. some sick minds at work.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
This is not about Muslim bashing.
Nobody is trying to derail the conversation or take anything away from what happened and how disgusting it is.
Thankfully the women are out of the horrible situation they were in and are safe.
Now...what are we to do with what we have learned? Hopefully learn some lessons and try to improve the situation for the future.
One of the lessons that we need to learn is to take care of our own. We are obviously not doing that as well as we could be.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
Interesting to note that people are just as stupid and narrow-minded as before. They go after their own political agendas before anything.
Have a care for these women. Don't bring up your own stupid problems and insecurities. I for one am happy that the women are free, regardless of their political, religious or social ideology.
(No personal attacks please!)
I'm surprised to find myself agreeing with CM but it's true. It's pathetic to exploit someone's plight to make targeted comments. The Muslim angle here is quite a long shot. These sorta things are part of culture not religion.
There was a similar incident in DC few months back where a woman from India was kept like a slave by a family.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
About these girls - we saw some of this when we lived in Utah. There were a couple of desi families who brought over "relatives" and used them as servants, and an Indonesian family who had a girl working for them. She can't have been older than 12 or 13. The first time we went to their home I was surprised that their "daughter" didn't speak English or go to school, found out later she was their servant.
PCG - You have a valid point. There is a large Somali and Chadian refugee population in my city, and they have repeatedly asked the local muslim community for assistance. This is a community of professionals who is more than able to give financial assistance, but people have refused and said that our mosque doesn't have the resources to help the refugees.
Several have converted to Catholicism, because of the help they've received from Catholic charities, there was an article in the Indianapolis Star highlighting the fact that the refugees have been refused by our local mosque and are dependent on the Catholic charities, and we were even discussed on Talk of the Nation on NPR. It is an embarrassment and a disgrace.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
The apathy among muslims towards human suffering in general and specifically towards other muslims is remarkable.
And the burden falls not just on religious heads but on all muslims.
The Imam at our center heads a muslim family services agency that provides financial, counselling, criminal defence services to local muslims. The majority in the community knows of the organization. But when the same Imam asks the congregation to help a family or individual who has approached him, only a handful of people step up.
I am sure many contribute silently but in such cases charity is to be made publically to incourage general participation.
Its also heart breaking to hear of these incidents. I am just glad that they are free now and were captive of non-muslims and not muslims. Which could have also happened.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
I find it interesting that these two muslim women are now being cared for by a Christian charity. Where are all the mullahs?
PCG, can you give it a rest. If these women had seeked shelter from an Islamic society or if they were aware of their plight... I am sure they would have helped them. Why dont you tell us where is your Asma Jehangir and all those so called revolutionary "prayer leading" cracks ...oh and dont forget where in the world is the condemnation from NOW.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
I love the fellow guppies who are really concerned about the well being of these two women (not girls - they are mothers) but have not unveiled their own personal plans on what they intend to do to help them.
I mean this country has no bar on whom you want to help. Go reach out instead of being an armchair critic.
Get your local favorite muslim charity involved. Take time off and try and go to see them.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
The apathy among muslims towards human suffering in general and specifically towards other muslims is remarkable. And the burden falls not just on religious heads but on all muslims. The Imam at our center heads a muslim family services agency that provides financial, counselling, criminal defence services to local muslims. The majority in the community knows of the organization. But when the same Imam asks the congregation to help a family or individual who has approached him, only a handful of people step up. I am sure many contribute silently but in such cases charity is to be made publically to incourage general participation.
Its also heart breaking to hear of these incidents. I am just glad that they are free now and were captive of non-muslims and not muslims. Which could have also happened.
I agree - there is far too much apathy in our community, and a lot of "Oh, we send our zakat/sadaqah back home - they need it more". I think that our first responsiblity is to care for those in our own backyard, and that Allah will surely judge us when our brothers and sisters turn away from Islam because their fellow muslims were unwilling to help them. They need help on so many different levels it's impossible not to find a way to contribute. There is no reason why a person can't donate meat to a family once a month, give even a little financial assistance, drive them to doctors appointments, or just socialize with them. Too many in our community think that it's enough to dump off a bag of worn clothes at the masjid every time they clean out their basement. There were so many children this winter who didn't even have a winter coat. I was embarrassed when I realized this because my kids have at least a couple of coats. I know that my husband and I don't do as much as we can for these people, and we are looking for ways to do more. Muslims spend so much time grousing about how our muslim brothers and sisters in other countries are being abused and so on that we don't bother to notice that we are abusing and abandoning those who were fortunate enough to make it here.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
Muzna perhaps you havent read the first two comments? especially the doll's one.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
Very unfortunate. By no means its uncommon, though. Which is actually more unfortunate. While this kind of treatment is by no means a speciality of any particular race or ethnicity, since the culprits this time are desis (at least their names sound desi/Indian), let me say that you can take a desi out of desiland, but you can't take desiland out of a desi. Treating servants as sub-humans is a trait common in many parts of South Asia. Too bad for this couple that they were doing it in Good ol' US of A and got caught.
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
I find it interesting that these two muslim women are now being cared for by a Christian charity. Where are all the mullahs?
And where are the secular degenerates...why don't they care for these women...
Re: Wealthy NY couple charged with slavery
quoting the article:
"The women, prosecutors said, were subjected to beatings, had scalding water thrown on them and were forced to repeatedly climb stairs as punishment for perceived misdeeds. In one case, prosecutors said, one of the women was forced to eat 25 hot chili peppers at one time"
One would think why millionaires would have a problem with paying 100-200 dollars a month to the working women, rather than mess with the law. reading the above they sound like they (Varsha Mahender Sabhnani and her husband) are seriously nuts.