Translation of a Tel Quel © Article in English
Investigation. Sexual slavery
They leave their country to work in the Gulf as hairdressers or hostesses, thousands of Moroccan women find themselves confined, beaten and forced to become prostitutes. Looking for a way out, some are imprisoned or even murdered! And Morocco keeps quiet, in the name of "diplomatic considerations". It is time to break this scandalous situation!
The scene happens in the capital of a rich Gulf country: A girl in her nightgown runs inside the Moroccan embassy. In tears, she asks the officials to repatriate her right away to Casablanca. "Please hurry, I implore you! Otherwise, they will come get me and take me back and force me to work at the cabaret!” she cries out. Obviously, the girl is alarmed. She does not stop turning around to make sure no one has followed her. The embassy officials ask her for her passport. "I don’t have it on me. My employer confiscated it since my arrival here", she replies. The employees of the embassy end up helping her with her request and undertake the preparation of the laissez-passer (Permit to go through without papers) that will allow her to go back to Morocco…
Forced prostitution
THE STORY of this girl at the embassy, a recent one, is not an exceptional one, nor is it an isolated case. She is one of hundreds of Moroccan girls who leave to work as nannies, hairdressers or hostesses in the countries of the Gulf, to find themselves hostages of human traffic networks. Confined, often mistreated, they are forced to work in the night environments, the next step for them being: Becoming prostitutes. "I made the error of my life when I allowed them to leave. What relieves me is that I managed to save them before they ended up in the realm of prostitution", said Ahmed, well into his fifties, while telling the story of his two girls, 23 and 25 years old. The two were held for long weeks in Jordan, after they refused "to dance and sleep with the customers" of the five star hotel where they were supposed to work as welcoming hostesses. "Since their return, they’ve refused to talk about what happened to them. The subject became taboo in the house", he said with teary eyes.
Over the years, this topic of which one speaks only in muttered words, has taken nevertheless an unprecedented extent. The different countries (Morocco included) have yet to react to it openly. Many people are thus sacrificed on the altar of diplomatic relations, economical issues or simply to safeguard "the national honor", poked every time the word "Moroccan" is pronounced in any of these petro-monarchies. In the imagination of Middle-Easterners, as it has often been confirmed by witnesses, a Moroccan is seen at worst as "a prostitute", at best as "a husbands’ thief or a witch".
Behind this stereotype lie true tragedies. On condition of anonymity, a top ranking official of the ministry of the Jordanian interior talks about more than 30,000 Moroccan girls living in Jordan, working in various activities. The figure appears rather excessive, for a country that counts only 5.3 millions inhabitants. At any rate, it is greatly contested by Moroccan authorities. "These exaggerated numbers are the result of a war between networks. All in all, there are 141 Moroccan girls registered as artists", says a Moroccan consular employee in Amman. In Jordan, the word "artist" is used to save face; under it are all the workers of the night (barmaids, dancers, singers…). When they land on Jordanian territory, the young women are supposed to register themselves with the union of the artists that gives them "an authorization to exercise". But most often, this card is used to cover other night activities.
It remains nevertheless difficult to establish a reliable census of the Moroccans living in Jordan, because of the clandestine immigration networks. "During the last five years, thousands of Moroccans entered Jordan, as tourists, coming from other countries of the Gulf, particularly the United Arab Emirates", assert Jordanian security sources. This shows that prostitution networks have become transnational in this region of the globe: it is normal that prostitution networks move their "dependents" to a neighboring country or sell them to a local network.
Result: the calculations are messy. Example: during the war in Lebanon, last summer, Moroccan authorities believed to have repatriated all Moroccan nationals. But at the end of the hostilities, surprise! Four hundred Moroccan females suddenly appeared in the Lebanese streets. They were not indexed by any immigration service consulate or embassy.
The law of the silence:
What is sure on the other hand is that the Moroccan executives get really mad as soon as one mentions the sensitive issue of the pseudo-slavery of Moroccan girls in the Middle East. This phenomenon conceals financial issues that surpass them. To supply the tourist machine, which turns to full system thanks to the request of the Arabic riches, the tourist operators of the Gulf recruit foreign girls regularly: Eastern Europeans, North Africans, Egyptians and Asian. As a reason and result, the locals hardly ever take part in such activities. A Jordanian or a Syrian girl cannot work in night clubs in fear of death. In this region of the world, honor killings are still well anchored in the morals… and “punished” by the justice system with little clemency.
Morocco is thus between a rock and a hard place. Certain Moroccan embassies speak openly of the phenomenon, as is the case in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, doubtlessly because of the aggravated problems there. The opposite happens in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, the laws and the mentalities are much more closed. So, the embassies prefer by far using caution… till when? "We confer with the Jordanians, but without giving an official character to our consultations. We cannot police what goes on at their place", says a "well informed” Moroccan source in Amman. In 2005, two girls were found dead in doubtful circumstances. "The Jordanians refused to give us the report of the autopsy. Nevertheless, we know that one committed suicide and that the other must have been killed", specifies our source. Why did Morocco abstain from communicating officially its discontent? Out of fear to unveil a reality that does not suit anyone?
In any case, the Omertá of the countries keeps things unclear even at the borders’ level. Officially, the entry in Jordanian territory is not subjected to a visa. But the authorities of the country do not hesitate to perk up expulsions and deportation every time a scandal bursts in the media. Now, Moroccan women under the age of 40 years old cannot go through the airport of Amman without the company of their husbands or a male relative, unless they have a professional “convincing” invitation. Result: Moroccan women invited within the framework of their profession paid the expense of these irrational procedures. Example: a journalist from Attajdid, moreover veiled, had to spend the night at the airport of Amman while awaiting an entry authorization, delivered directly by the Jordanian ministry of the interior. Another journalist underwent the same treatment: "The policeman looked at me for a while and told me provocatively: 'This has got to be the first time I see a Moroccan working as a journalist!'", she said.
Fighting against sexual slavery by closing the borders does not seem to be a realistic and viable solution. Let’s note that not all Moroccan women who immigrate to Gulf countries are necessarily victims of human traffic networks or of sexual slavery. A big part of them chose to go there looking for financial resources, to each her own approach.
It is for this reason that the consular agents are disillusioned. "The problem must be resolved in Morocco first. Authorities must investigate each girl that desires to go to a Gulf country. The work contracts must be validated by the ministry of employment and the consular services", said a person working at the embassy of Morocco in Syria. Such a solution is hardly conceivable for two reasons. First, no visa is required to go to Bashar Al Assad’s country and the girls travel there as tourists. Second, what rights would the Moroccan authorities have to prevent them from traveling? Then, investigating all the ones who want to go to a Gulf country will not resolve anything.
Due to the tougher measures to check people boarding on flights bound for certain countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar), the girls currently go through three stops where the visa is not required: Tunisia, Turkey and Syria. Once on the spot, their "guardians" transport them without problems towards the final destinations. Certain girls go as far as Thailand before heading to a country of the Middle East. Under these conditions, how is it possible to resolve the labyrinthine ways of these networks fueled by money from sex?
"My curiosity arises as soon as I see a single girl who does not know how to sit properly in an airplane chair without assistance", says the sociologist Abdelfettah Ezzine.
For 4,000 DH ($450) a month
Despite the serious measures taken at the airports of the host countries, the phenomenon continues to escalate. Every day, the Moroccan embassy in Syria receives an average of three Moroccan females looking for help. Last year, the embassy addressed a virulent missive to Rabat, requesting an urgent intervention of the government to stop the flow of Moroccan "artists", of which the number is close to 2,000 in Damascus alone. The embassy got to a point where it started denouncing possible complicities in the Syrian security device.
At the foundation, explains Mohamed Khachani, expert in migrations, the problem lies in the institution of the kafil (the guardian). No foreigner can reside in the countries of the Gulf without a supposed guardian "to protect her". Now, the not so scrupulous kafils do not hesitate to exploit their dependants in other trades than those specified on potential work contracts. They withdraw their passports and their return tickets, putting them in the spot. "I attempted to commit suicide when I was asked to dress provocatively and serve the bar customers. I cried the whole time and I refused to eat. At the end of 28 days, they were forced to let me return to the country", relates Khadija, native of Tadla, that spent 28 days in Syria.
In case of resistance, the girls are beaten and deprived of their small “pay”. "Once, I refused to accompany an old man. He pulled me by the hair and almost raped me. Not only I was not paid, but my guardian locked me in my room for two days without food", remembers Saïda, another victim of the Syrian system. Constantly escorted by overseers the rare times where they go out in the city to do their shopping, some girls manage to escape and ask for assistance. But they are very few. "Their ‘buyers’ make them believe that they will be put in prison if they contact their consulate", asserts a diplomatic source. They then give up, and wait that an “admiring suitor” marries them and delivers them from sexual slavery. The runaways, when recovered by the police, are detained, while waiting to be given back to “their guardian”. Going out without the permission of the kafil is, in fact, considered as an offence. "Because of a spoiled escape attempt, my girls remained in prison in Amman for 18 days. Over there, they met Moroccans that had been rotting in jail for months", relates Mustapha. The incompatibility of the laws between Morocco and the countries of the Gulf is in fact the true problem behind the development of this modern-time slavery. But the associative workers feel that it is necessary to fight the networks at their basis, going upstream; meaning: Starting in Morocco. According to a magistrate, the mafias in Morocco are directed by Jordanians, Iraqis and Syrians. The complicity of a Moroccan that is usually an intermediary to the coveted girls is systematically used. Their hunt lands are classical: hairstyle parlors, hammams, coffee shops or private evenings. Recruited in the modest environments and the countryside, these girls "of third class", according to the expression used by a connoisseur of the file, leave with work contracts for which they paid between 10,000 and 30,000 DH. On the spot, they are confined and forced to prostitute themselves to pay their stay expenses. The salaries, announced in the basic contract, and that are already modest (4000 DH at the most), are tapped of a half and given… to the employer!
The mobilization of the NGO
Since a few months ago, the associative environment began getting active to dispel the silence on this drama and pushing politicians to act. At the occasion of the consultations conducted on the future Counsel of the MRE (Moroccans residing Abroad), three members of the CCDH carried out a visit in certain countries of the Middle East to inquire about the state of the Moroccans of the Gulf, "the ones forgotten by history", as university professor and expert in migratory movements Mohamed Khachani calls them. The latter did a study, soon to be published, for the Hassan II Foundation. The objective of his work is to attract the attention on this community soiled by prejudice and misconceptions. The picture of the "prostituted Moroccan" and of the "Moroccan procurer" induces collateral damages. "My sister is a director in a multinational corporation in Dubai. She was invited to a reception. Once home, she received a phone call from one of the guests that asked her for a rendezvous. Since that night, she has been hiding her Moroccan identity. In the corporate world, she became henceforth Algerian!" said an upset Moroccan living in Europe.
For Mohamed Khachani, it is times to set things straight. "This investigation made me anxious as I saw how much our women suffer over there", he said. The testimonies that he managed to collect in Libya, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Jordan resulted in a report that confirms the one released by the Moroccan embassies: to avoid putting the entire responsibility on the countries of the Gulf and to cure the problem from within, in Morocco. "It is necessary to analyze the reasons of this obsession that Moroccans have to leave the country despite the incurred dangers", specifies the professor.
"We are not in a denouncing logic, but we want to sensitize and call the Moroccans to more vigilance", admits the sociologist Abdelfettah Ezzine, who lived for four years in a country of the Gulf. An international network of solidarity with the Moroccans of the Gulf was recently started in Europe. Why not in Morocco? "It is easier to lobby from the old democracies", we were told. Morocco can thus avoid a direct confrontation with the rich emirs that come to invest within the country. Formed by famous personalities as well as active NGOs in Europe, the network started by circulating a petition asking the governments to assume their responsibilities. So far, more than 6,500 signatures were collected (www.gopetition.com). And a report will be given to the UN in July. Let’s just say that the scandal of the Moroccans of the Gulf is about to become an international subject!
Guardianship. The all powerful kafil
If there is a common denominator between the countries of the Gulf, it has to be the institution of the kafil. To live and work in the one of these countries, all foreigners, even Arabs, must have a kafil, a guardian that is an interface between the host society and the guest to protect him/her lawfully. This law applies as much to the men as to the women. Guardianship, or kafala, can be exercised by a physical or moral person. All citizens of the Gulf desiring to welcome foreign working hands must deposit an authorization request to the ministry of the interior of their country. This one notifies the embassy in the residence country of the future employee, for it to deliver a work visa to the worker. The origin of the kafala goes back to the traditions of the Arabia Bedouins. In the tribal corporations, the foreigner had to be put under the protection of a guardian, supposed to caution him/her against danger. Nobody in the tribe could then approach him/her or engage in any activity with the guest without the approval of a kafil. In the tribal conception, any foreigner is not there to stay by default. He/She cannot obtain goods under his/her name nor benefit from the same advantages that the autochthonous people get. He/She is there just for the work. The non-recognition of the rights of the immigrants, in the modern direction of the term, is a taboo subject in the Gulf. In the international meetings, the kafala is often considered as a system that blocks the competition in an economy and perpetuates archaism.
Testimonies. "My husband bought to me to my guardian"
Saïda, 26 years-old, Casablanca "I left for Syria when I was 19 years old, to become a dancer. Naturally, I did not tell my parents. For them, I left to work as a waitress in a restaurant. I had to pay 50,000 DH for my work contract. Once there, I was taught how to dance. Later, I worked at a cabaret. Confined all day, I went out only on evenings to go to work. The girls had numbers. If one of them interested a customer, she was forced to accompany him in a reserved suite in the same hotel we lived. I was told that I would win 8,000 DH a month. At the end, I got only 20% of this sum. The remainder was given to my guardian. I could not protest or tell the truth to my parents, for I had lied to them since the very beginning. Once, one of my admirers proposed to marry me. I accepted right away. He had to pay an important sum to deliver me from slavery".
"18 days in prison without knowing why"
Salima, 23 years old, and Leila, 25, Kenitra "On the Internet, we met Abou Adnane, a Jordanian who offered us a “job” in his country. We both had an average school level and were unemployed. Our father accepted, but behind his back, we signed a proxy to the Jordanian, he was supposed to watch over our future over there (kafala). At the airport of Amman, the police let us pass without problems, but they stamped nonetheless our passports with a mention that “work is not allowed during the three months of tourist visit”. We asked for explanations from our Jordanian guardian, who then told us not to worry much about it… that "it is only paperwork for the airport police". Once at the hotel, Abou Adnane showed his true colors. He introduced us to the director of the hotel telling him the following: "Your merchandise arrived". We did not actually understand the stratagem until we were told to dress very lightly and "come down” to the cabaret. For 28 days, we dove in a world of smoke, alcohol and human sweat. Once, we attempted to escape, but the police quickly found us. They put us in jail for 18 days without ever telling us why. It was our father who got us out of it all. He managed to bring us back thanks to the union of the feminine action, which was able to mobilize Jordanian NGOs as well. Since that time, our life has changed. We are still unemployed. But who cares!?”
"I believed I would work as a hairstylist…"
Khadija, 23 years, Tadla "I wanted to emigrate in Spain, but a cousin assured me that I could earn a better living in Arabic countries, where the trade of hairdressers is in great demand. I went to Syria by the intermediary of my uncle’s ex-wife. I did not know that she was a procurer. She sent her own daughter over there. When I got to the hotel, I discovered another world. My cousin, who was supposedly very conservative, smoked and drank alcohol all day long. The girls were practically nude and went out only to serve the Libyan and the Saudis in the bar. They immediately withdrew my passport and asked me to dress provocatively. I refused. I told them that I’d rather die than show my body to these "wild beasts". I no longer ate. Seeing that I was not being productive, my guardian let me return to Morocco. My cousin followed me a few months later".
Prostitution as a career
"In Dubai, the most accessible Moroccan prostitutes is paid 3,700 DH a night". This follower of the night joys is an amateur of the Morocco label. "A Moroccan, that’s the top", he insists. She adapts herself easily, can speak the language of her customer and in his accent, and insure him the whole comfort that he wishes for. In this prosperous emirate, Moroccans are very demanded, despite the competition of the Eastern Europeans and the Asians. The Morocco product followed the evolution of the market. The girls that choose this emirate are generally more educated, more refined and look for a spot in the prostitution networks of luxury. Nothing to do with the little Moroccan that spends several years in the Gulf before she can afford to buy herself an apartment in Morocco! Today, the "girls of Dubai", as one calls them, play women matters, roll in nice cars and follow the lifestyle of bourgeoisie. "In Dubai, there is very little exploitation. The girl has the choice to prostitute herself or not", indicates a Moroccan journalist living in the area. Generally, the career plan is established in advance. The girl begins first at the bottom of the ladder, as a hostess in a bar. This period "of initiation" lasts 2 to 3 months, enough time to get used to the places and the morals, before making the next step. The next steps are explained by a "girl of Dubai": "The beginner starts out by giving her telephone number to some of her admirers. When one of them makes the call, she makes him languish, taunts him for a while, all the while asking him to get her out of her condition, so that she can focus on him completely. If the fish bites the hook, he then gets her an apartment, often bought under his name, and can even go as far as asking her to marry him". The ones that marry keep in mind that it is necessary to take advantage to the maximum of their current position, they caution themselves against the expulsion risks. Once "the sheep is well drained of his oil," they can ask or provoke the divorce by any means. Simultaneously, they undertake discovering other birds. "A professional always begins by consolidating her network of “friends” in the high spheres, which facilitates the obtaining of the precious visa and the protection against the hazards of the trade. They act generally in closed environments, combining wealth and preparing a sum for their old days. As they get older, they orient themselves progressively towards recruiting newbies", concludes our source.
Panorama. The rush towards the Gulf
If Lebanon had not known civil war, the phenomenon of the Moroccans in the Gulf would not have attained such spectacular dimensions. "In the middle of the 1970s, the Saudis and Kuwaitis were evicted from Boulevard Al Hamra in Beirut because of the civil war in Lebanon. They rushed towards Morocco right away", explains the sociologist Abdelfettah Ezzine, who leads the first historic social work on the feminine emigration in the countries of the Gulf. Due to the lack of documentation regarding this matter, the researcher used oral tradition to explain this evolution: the sketches of Casablanca’s tandem Zaâri and Dassoukine, rich with popular jokes about the Saudis and girls that prostitute themselves for the love of the petrodollars. Overtime, and in front of the heightened mistrust of Moroccan folks in public places, most of these “customers” chose to adopt the clothing style of the Moroccans to fit in. In the 1980s, for more safety measures, Saudis began sending for the girls to be brought “home”. "That does not mean that all the girls who live over there are prostitutes. The problem is their condition as women; which makes them more vulnerable in the eyes of society", specifies Ezzine. The flows towards the Gulf increase because of work opportunities in tourism. The war in Iraq did not halt this trend of immigration towards the countries of the petrodollar. The migration canals are even more diverse nowadays. The work contracts are getting more expensive, especially to Dubai, the paramount center for the sex industry in the Gulf.
Further. Moroccan and proud of being so
In a seminar regrouping natives of the countries of the Gulf, a Moroccan declines her nationality. They undress her with their looks. Mischievous smiles draw on their lips. The young woman gets the message immediately. This is not the first time. She is very bothered. She wants to scream to these “gentlemen” that Moroccans are not all "Wh%$*s…” But how to scrape clean the collective imagination of the Arabs built on a few misconceptions and a lot of ignorance? Even in Morocco, not so long ago, girls who went out in the evening or had blonde highlights were easily labeled as "Saudi Wh%$*s". Machos in search of a proof to their virility cast these insults on them in the street to humiliate them and to make them feel worthless. The petition, that circulates the collective effort in the defense of Moroccan women in the Gulf currently, breaks a taboo long maintained by the silence of the countries involved. Its aim is "to fight against this phenomenon degrading the humanity of the woman and reducing her femininity to fantasizing stereotypes ". A courageous initiative of course, but it is conducted by the Moroccans of Europe. Feminists of Morocco, Wake up! The problems of Moroccan women are not limited to the Moudawana and the laws on citizenship. It is necessary to rehabilitate their image in the Arab world for the simple reason that a lot of socially disadvantaged Moroccans are concerned. Take a stroll in popular neighborhoods, the beauty shops, and the hammams and you will be surprised to discover that several girls daydream about immigrating to the Arabian Peninsula, to make some money and get out of their financial hardships… Feminists of Morocco, our compatriots of the Gulf want to recover their dignity; they don’t want to face the prejudiced looks inherited from the sex ambassadors. They simply want to be able to introduce themselves as Moroccans without having to turn red!
They leave their country to work in the Gulf as hairdressers or hostesses, thousands of Moroccan women find themselves confined, beaten and forced to become prostitutes. Looking for a way out, some are imprisoned or even murdered! And Morocco keeps quiet, in the name of "diplomatic considerations". It is time to break this scandalous situation!
The scene happens in the capital of a rich Gulf country: A girl in her nightgown runs inside the Moroccan embassy. In tears, she asks the officials to repatriate her right away to Casablanca. "Please hurry, I implore you! Otherwise, they will come get me and take me back and force me to work at the cabaret!” she cries out. Obviously, the girl is alarmed. She does not stop turning around to make sure no one has followed her. The embassy officials ask her for her passport. "I don’t have it on me. My employer confiscated it since my arrival here", she replies. The employees of the embassy end up helping her with her request and undertake the preparation of the laissez-passer (Permit to go through without papers) that will allow her to go back to Morocco…
Forced prostitution
THE STORY of this girl at the embassy, a recent one, is not an exceptional one, nor is it an isolated case. She is one of hundreds of Moroccan girls who leave to work as nannies, hairdressers or hostesses in the countries of the Gulf, to find themselves hostages of human traffic networks. Confined, often mistreated, they are forced to work in the night environments, the next step for them being: Becoming prostitutes. "I made the error of my life when I allowed them to leave. What relieves me is that I managed to save them before they ended up in the realm of prostitution", said Ahmed, well into his fifties, while telling the story of his two girls, 23 and 25 years old. The two were held for long weeks in Jordan, after they refused "to dance and sleep with the customers" of the five star hotel where they were supposed to work as welcoming hostesses. "Since their return, they’ve refused to talk about what happened to them. The subject became taboo in the house", he said with teary eyes.
Over the years, this topic of which one speaks only in muttered words, has taken nevertheless an unprecedented extent. The different countries (Morocco included) have yet to react to it openly. Many people are thus sacrificed on the altar of diplomatic relations, economical issues or simply to safeguard "the national honor", poked every time the word "Moroccan" is pronounced in any of these petro-monarchies. In the imagination of Middle-Easterners, as it has often been confirmed by witnesses, a Moroccan is seen at worst as "a prostitute", at best as "a husbands’ thief or a witch".
Behind this stereotype lie true tragedies. On condition of anonymity, a top ranking official of the ministry of the Jordanian interior talks about more than 30,000 Moroccan girls living in Jordan, working in various activities. The figure appears rather excessive, for a country that counts only 5.3 millions inhabitants. At any rate, it is greatly contested by Moroccan authorities. "These exaggerated numbers are the result of a war between networks. All in all, there are 141 Moroccan girls registered as artists", says a Moroccan consular employee in Amman. In Jordan, the word "artist" is used to save face; under it are all the workers of the night (barmaids, dancers, singers…). When they land on Jordanian territory, the young women are supposed to register themselves with the union of the artists that gives them "an authorization to exercise". But most often, this card is used to cover other night activities.
It remains nevertheless difficult to establish a reliable census of the Moroccans living in Jordan, because of the clandestine immigration networks. "During the last five years, thousands of Moroccans entered Jordan, as tourists, coming from other countries of the Gulf, particularly the United Arab Emirates", assert Jordanian security sources. This shows that prostitution networks have become transnational in this region of the globe: it is normal that prostitution networks move their "dependents" to a neighboring country or sell them to a local network.
Result: the calculations are messy. Example: during the war in Lebanon, last summer, Moroccan authorities believed to have repatriated all Moroccan nationals. But at the end of the hostilities, surprise! Four hundred Moroccan females suddenly appeared in the Lebanese streets. They were not indexed by any immigration service consulate or embassy.
The law of the silence:
What is sure on the other hand is that the Moroccan executives get really mad as soon as one mentions the sensitive issue of the pseudo-slavery of Moroccan girls in the Middle East. This phenomenon conceals financial issues that surpass them. To supply the tourist machine, which turns to full system thanks to the request of the Arabic riches, the tourist operators of the Gulf recruit foreign girls regularly: Eastern Europeans, North Africans, Egyptians and Asian. As a reason and result, the locals hardly ever take part in such activities. A Jordanian or a Syrian girl cannot work in night clubs in fear of death. In this region of the world, honor killings are still well anchored in the morals… and “punished” by the justice system with little clemency.
Morocco is thus between a rock and a hard place. Certain Moroccan embassies speak openly of the phenomenon, as is the case in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, doubtlessly because of the aggravated problems there. The opposite happens in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, the laws and the mentalities are much more closed. So, the embassies prefer by far using caution… till when? "We confer with the Jordanians, but without giving an official character to our consultations. We cannot police what goes on at their place", says a "well informed” Moroccan source in Amman. In 2005, two girls were found dead in doubtful circumstances. "The Jordanians refused to give us the report of the autopsy. Nevertheless, we know that one committed suicide and that the other must have been killed", specifies our source. Why did Morocco abstain from communicating officially its discontent? Out of fear to unveil a reality that does not suit anyone?
In any case, the Omertá of the countries keeps things unclear even at the borders’ level. Officially, the entry in Jordanian territory is not subjected to a visa. But the authorities of the country do not hesitate to perk up expulsions and deportation every time a scandal bursts in the media. Now, Moroccan women under the age of 40 years old cannot go through the airport of Amman without the company of their husbands or a male relative, unless they have a professional “convincing” invitation. Result: Moroccan women invited within the framework of their profession paid the expense of these irrational procedures. Example: a journalist from Attajdid, moreover veiled, had to spend the night at the airport of Amman while awaiting an entry authorization, delivered directly by the Jordanian ministry of the interior. Another journalist underwent the same treatment: "The policeman looked at me for a while and told me provocatively: 'This has got to be the first time I see a Moroccan working as a journalist!'", she said.
Fighting against sexual slavery by closing the borders does not seem to be a realistic and viable solution. Let’s note that not all Moroccan women who immigrate to Gulf countries are necessarily victims of human traffic networks or of sexual slavery. A big part of them chose to go there looking for financial resources, to each her own approach.
It is for this reason that the consular agents are disillusioned. "The problem must be resolved in Morocco first. Authorities must investigate each girl that desires to go to a Gulf country. The work contracts must be validated by the ministry of employment and the consular services", said a person working at the embassy of Morocco in Syria. Such a solution is hardly conceivable for two reasons. First, no visa is required to go to Bashar Al Assad’s country and the girls travel there as tourists. Second, what rights would the Moroccan authorities have to prevent them from traveling? Then, investigating all the ones who want to go to a Gulf country will not resolve anything.
Due to the tougher measures to check people boarding on flights bound for certain countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar), the girls currently go through three stops where the visa is not required: Tunisia, Turkey and Syria. Once on the spot, their "guardians" transport them without problems towards the final destinations. Certain girls go as far as Thailand before heading to a country of the Middle East. Under these conditions, how is it possible to resolve the labyrinthine ways of these networks fueled by money from sex?
"My curiosity arises as soon as I see a single girl who does not know how to sit properly in an airplane chair without assistance", says the sociologist Abdelfettah Ezzine.
For 4,000 DH ($450) a month
Despite the serious measures taken at the airports of the host countries, the phenomenon continues to escalate. Every day, the Moroccan embassy in Syria receives an average of three Moroccan females looking for help. Last year, the embassy addressed a virulent missive to Rabat, requesting an urgent intervention of the government to stop the flow of Moroccan "artists", of which the number is close to 2,000 in Damascus alone. The embassy got to a point where it started denouncing possible complicities in the Syrian security device.
At the foundation, explains Mohamed Khachani, expert in migrations, the problem lies in the institution of the kafil (the guardian). No foreigner can reside in the countries of the Gulf without a supposed guardian "to protect her". Now, the not so scrupulous kafils do not hesitate to exploit their dependants in other trades than those specified on potential work contracts. They withdraw their passports and their return tickets, putting them in the spot. "I attempted to commit suicide when I was asked to dress provocatively and serve the bar customers. I cried the whole time and I refused to eat. At the end of 28 days, they were forced to let me return to the country", relates Khadija, native of Tadla, that spent 28 days in Syria.
In case of resistance, the girls are beaten and deprived of their small “pay”. "Once, I refused to accompany an old man. He pulled me by the hair and almost raped me. Not only I was not paid, but my guardian locked me in my room for two days without food", remembers Saïda, another victim of the Syrian system. Constantly escorted by overseers the rare times where they go out in the city to do their shopping, some girls manage to escape and ask for assistance. But they are very few. "Their ‘buyers’ make them believe that they will be put in prison if they contact their consulate", asserts a diplomatic source. They then give up, and wait that an “admiring suitor” marries them and delivers them from sexual slavery. The runaways, when recovered by the police, are detained, while waiting to be given back to “their guardian”. Going out without the permission of the kafil is, in fact, considered as an offence. "Because of a spoiled escape attempt, my girls remained in prison in Amman for 18 days. Over there, they met Moroccans that had been rotting in jail for months", relates Mustapha. The incompatibility of the laws between Morocco and the countries of the Gulf is in fact the true problem behind the development of this modern-time slavery. But the associative workers feel that it is necessary to fight the networks at their basis, going upstream; meaning: Starting in Morocco. According to a magistrate, the mafias in Morocco are directed by Jordanians, Iraqis and Syrians. The complicity of a Moroccan that is usually an intermediary to the coveted girls is systematically used. Their hunt lands are classical: hairstyle parlors, hammams, coffee shops or private evenings. Recruited in the modest environments and the countryside, these girls "of third class", according to the expression used by a connoisseur of the file, leave with work contracts for which they paid between 10,000 and 30,000 DH. On the spot, they are confined and forced to prostitute themselves to pay their stay expenses. The salaries, announced in the basic contract, and that are already modest (4000 DH at the most), are tapped of a half and given… to the employer!
The mobilization of the NGO
Since a few months ago, the associative environment began getting active to dispel the silence on this drama and pushing politicians to act. At the occasion of the consultations conducted on the future Counsel of the MRE (Moroccans residing Abroad), three members of the CCDH carried out a visit in certain countries of the Middle East to inquire about the state of the Moroccans of the Gulf, "the ones forgotten by history", as university professor and expert in migratory movements Mohamed Khachani calls them. The latter did a study, soon to be published, for the Hassan II Foundation. The objective of his work is to attract the attention on this community soiled by prejudice and misconceptions. The picture of the "prostituted Moroccan" and of the "Moroccan procurer" induces collateral damages. "My sister is a director in a multinational corporation in Dubai. She was invited to a reception. Once home, she received a phone call from one of the guests that asked her for a rendezvous. Since that night, she has been hiding her Moroccan identity. In the corporate world, she became henceforth Algerian!" said an upset Moroccan living in Europe.
For Mohamed Khachani, it is times to set things straight. "This investigation made me anxious as I saw how much our women suffer over there", he said. The testimonies that he managed to collect in Libya, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Jordan resulted in a report that confirms the one released by the Moroccan embassies: to avoid putting the entire responsibility on the countries of the Gulf and to cure the problem from within, in Morocco. "It is necessary to analyze the reasons of this obsession that Moroccans have to leave the country despite the incurred dangers", specifies the professor.
"We are not in a denouncing logic, but we want to sensitize and call the Moroccans to more vigilance", admits the sociologist Abdelfettah Ezzine, who lived for four years in a country of the Gulf. An international network of solidarity with the Moroccans of the Gulf was recently started in Europe. Why not in Morocco? "It is easier to lobby from the old democracies", we were told. Morocco can thus avoid a direct confrontation with the rich emirs that come to invest within the country. Formed by famous personalities as well as active NGOs in Europe, the network started by circulating a petition asking the governments to assume their responsibilities. So far, more than 6,500 signatures were collected (www.gopetition.com). And a report will be given to the UN in July. Let’s just say that the scandal of the Moroccans of the Gulf is about to become an international subject!
Guardianship. The all powerful kafil
If there is a common denominator between the countries of the Gulf, it has to be the institution of the kafil. To live and work in the one of these countries, all foreigners, even Arabs, must have a kafil, a guardian that is an interface between the host society and the guest to protect him/her lawfully. This law applies as much to the men as to the women. Guardianship, or kafala, can be exercised by a physical or moral person. All citizens of the Gulf desiring to welcome foreign working hands must deposit an authorization request to the ministry of the interior of their country. This one notifies the embassy in the residence country of the future employee, for it to deliver a work visa to the worker. The origin of the kafala goes back to the traditions of the Arabia Bedouins. In the tribal corporations, the foreigner had to be put under the protection of a guardian, supposed to caution him/her against danger. Nobody in the tribe could then approach him/her or engage in any activity with the guest without the approval of a kafil. In the tribal conception, any foreigner is not there to stay by default. He/She cannot obtain goods under his/her name nor benefit from the same advantages that the autochthonous people get. He/She is there just for the work. The non-recognition of the rights of the immigrants, in the modern direction of the term, is a taboo subject in the Gulf. In the international meetings, the kafala is often considered as a system that blocks the competition in an economy and perpetuates archaism.
Testimonies. "My husband bought to me to my guardian"
Saïda, 26 years-old, Casablanca "I left for Syria when I was 19 years old, to become a dancer. Naturally, I did not tell my parents. For them, I left to work as a waitress in a restaurant. I had to pay 50,000 DH for my work contract. Once there, I was taught how to dance. Later, I worked at a cabaret. Confined all day, I went out only on evenings to go to work. The girls had numbers. If one of them interested a customer, she was forced to accompany him in a reserved suite in the same hotel we lived. I was told that I would win 8,000 DH a month. At the end, I got only 20% of this sum. The remainder was given to my guardian. I could not protest or tell the truth to my parents, for I had lied to them since the very beginning. Once, one of my admirers proposed to marry me. I accepted right away. He had to pay an important sum to deliver me from slavery".
"18 days in prison without knowing why"
Salima, 23 years old, and Leila, 25, Kenitra "On the Internet, we met Abou Adnane, a Jordanian who offered us a “job” in his country. We both had an average school level and were unemployed. Our father accepted, but behind his back, we signed a proxy to the Jordanian, he was supposed to watch over our future over there (kafala). At the airport of Amman, the police let us pass without problems, but they stamped nonetheless our passports with a mention that “work is not allowed during the three months of tourist visit”. We asked for explanations from our Jordanian guardian, who then told us not to worry much about it… that "it is only paperwork for the airport police". Once at the hotel, Abou Adnane showed his true colors. He introduced us to the director of the hotel telling him the following: "Your merchandise arrived". We did not actually understand the stratagem until we were told to dress very lightly and "come down” to the cabaret. For 28 days, we dove in a world of smoke, alcohol and human sweat. Once, we attempted to escape, but the police quickly found us. They put us in jail for 18 days without ever telling us why. It was our father who got us out of it all. He managed to bring us back thanks to the union of the feminine action, which was able to mobilize Jordanian NGOs as well. Since that time, our life has changed. We are still unemployed. But who cares!?”
"I believed I would work as a hairstylist…"
Khadija, 23 years, Tadla "I wanted to emigrate in Spain, but a cousin assured me that I could earn a better living in Arabic countries, where the trade of hairdressers is in great demand. I went to Syria by the intermediary of my uncle’s ex-wife. I did not know that she was a procurer. She sent her own daughter over there. When I got to the hotel, I discovered another world. My cousin, who was supposedly very conservative, smoked and drank alcohol all day long. The girls were practically nude and went out only to serve the Libyan and the Saudis in the bar. They immediately withdrew my passport and asked me to dress provocatively. I refused. I told them that I’d rather die than show my body to these "wild beasts". I no longer ate. Seeing that I was not being productive, my guardian let me return to Morocco. My cousin followed me a few months later".
Prostitution as a career
"In Dubai, the most accessible Moroccan prostitutes is paid 3,700 DH a night". This follower of the night joys is an amateur of the Morocco label. "A Moroccan, that’s the top", he insists. She adapts herself easily, can speak the language of her customer and in his accent, and insure him the whole comfort that he wishes for. In this prosperous emirate, Moroccans are very demanded, despite the competition of the Eastern Europeans and the Asians. The Morocco product followed the evolution of the market. The girls that choose this emirate are generally more educated, more refined and look for a spot in the prostitution networks of luxury. Nothing to do with the little Moroccan that spends several years in the Gulf before she can afford to buy herself an apartment in Morocco! Today, the "girls of Dubai", as one calls them, play women matters, roll in nice cars and follow the lifestyle of bourgeoisie. "In Dubai, there is very little exploitation. The girl has the choice to prostitute herself or not", indicates a Moroccan journalist living in the area. Generally, the career plan is established in advance. The girl begins first at the bottom of the ladder, as a hostess in a bar. This period "of initiation" lasts 2 to 3 months, enough time to get used to the places and the morals, before making the next step. The next steps are explained by a "girl of Dubai": "The beginner starts out by giving her telephone number to some of her admirers. When one of them makes the call, she makes him languish, taunts him for a while, all the while asking him to get her out of her condition, so that she can focus on him completely. If the fish bites the hook, he then gets her an apartment, often bought under his name, and can even go as far as asking her to marry him". The ones that marry keep in mind that it is necessary to take advantage to the maximum of their current position, they caution themselves against the expulsion risks. Once "the sheep is well drained of his oil," they can ask or provoke the divorce by any means. Simultaneously, they undertake discovering other birds. "A professional always begins by consolidating her network of “friends” in the high spheres, which facilitates the obtaining of the precious visa and the protection against the hazards of the trade. They act generally in closed environments, combining wealth and preparing a sum for their old days. As they get older, they orient themselves progressively towards recruiting newbies", concludes our source.
Panorama. The rush towards the Gulf
If Lebanon had not known civil war, the phenomenon of the Moroccans in the Gulf would not have attained such spectacular dimensions. "In the middle of the 1970s, the Saudis and Kuwaitis were evicted from Boulevard Al Hamra in Beirut because of the civil war in Lebanon. They rushed towards Morocco right away", explains the sociologist Abdelfettah Ezzine, who leads the first historic social work on the feminine emigration in the countries of the Gulf. Due to the lack of documentation regarding this matter, the researcher used oral tradition to explain this evolution: the sketches of Casablanca’s tandem Zaâri and Dassoukine, rich with popular jokes about the Saudis and girls that prostitute themselves for the love of the petrodollars. Overtime, and in front of the heightened mistrust of Moroccan folks in public places, most of these “customers” chose to adopt the clothing style of the Moroccans to fit in. In the 1980s, for more safety measures, Saudis began sending for the girls to be brought “home”. "That does not mean that all the girls who live over there are prostitutes. The problem is their condition as women; which makes them more vulnerable in the eyes of society", specifies Ezzine. The flows towards the Gulf increase because of work opportunities in tourism. The war in Iraq did not halt this trend of immigration towards the countries of the petrodollar. The migration canals are even more diverse nowadays. The work contracts are getting more expensive, especially to Dubai, the paramount center for the sex industry in the Gulf.
Further. Moroccan and proud of being so
In a seminar regrouping natives of the countries of the Gulf, a Moroccan declines her nationality. They undress her with their looks. Mischievous smiles draw on their lips. The young woman gets the message immediately. This is not the first time. She is very bothered. She wants to scream to these “gentlemen” that Moroccans are not all "Wh%$*s…” But how to scrape clean the collective imagination of the Arabs built on a few misconceptions and a lot of ignorance? Even in Morocco, not so long ago, girls who went out in the evening or had blonde highlights were easily labeled as "Saudi Wh%$*s". Machos in search of a proof to their virility cast these insults on them in the street to humiliate them and to make them feel worthless. The petition, that circulates the collective effort in the defense of Moroccan women in the Gulf currently, breaks a taboo long maintained by the silence of the countries involved. Its aim is "to fight against this phenomenon degrading the humanity of the woman and reducing her femininity to fantasizing stereotypes ". A courageous initiative of course, but it is conducted by the Moroccans of Europe. Feminists of Morocco, Wake up! The problems of Moroccan women are not limited to the Moudawana and the laws on citizenship. It is necessary to rehabilitate their image in the Arab world for the simple reason that a lot of socially disadvantaged Moroccans are concerned. Take a stroll in popular neighborhoods, the beauty shops, and the hammams and you will be surprised to discover that several girls daydream about immigrating to the Arabian Peninsula, to make some money and get out of their financial hardships… Feminists of Morocco, our compatriots of the Gulf want to recover their dignity; they don’t want to face the prejudiced looks inherited from the sex ambassadors. They simply want to be able to introduce themselves as Moroccans without having to turn red!
posted by Zainabest at 9:50 AM
3 Comments:
Hello there Zainab,
I found your blog through a link posted by Hicham Ouazzani allover Facebook (lol). You did a good job translating that article because an English speaking audience is far huger than a French speaking one and the subject is well worth becoming aware of.
Sexual slavery has been going on for ages (all over the world actually) in the Gulf countries and in particular in Saudi Arabia. It has more to do with their Arab/Bedouin tribal heritage than with Islam. Unfortunately, they would twist anything to give “legitimacy” to whatever they are doing. They are hypocritical bigots as far as I am concerned. I stopped hating them. I wouldn’t give them the privilege of having any feeling for them. On the level of humanity, they are worthless. I cannot deny, however, that they infuriate me. They bring in me every evil feeling I am striving to get rid of.
You see, I am Egyptian. So, it goes without saying that Saudi Arabia and Saudis are pretty much a part of our daily life. Every Egyptian personally knows of someone who works in the KSA or the Gulf area. And you will never imagine the stories we hear. And you will never imagine the humiliation. There is a saying: “He who does not own his daily bread, does not own his decision.” Well that’s us. The wishes and whims of the Oil empire are our commands. And our government is making it crystal clear: they have precedence over us. So not only we have to eat their s***, but we also have to like it and beg for more.
Here, we have another form of sexual slavery, a masked form of prostitution, because you see, we Egyptians just love to be different, so we improvise. It is Jawaz al Mut’a, literally translated as The Marriage for Pleasure. Girls as young as twelve are sold to a 50 yo Saudi sheikh for the price of a cow or the price of a tiny piece of land, depending on how young she is and if she’s pretty or not. She is turned into a slave, not only for him but for his whole family. There was an Egyptian movie made about this issue (I am not particularly fond of Egyptian movies but this one was good. Its director, Inas El Degheidy is very controversial and without taboos. She makes really daring movies) called Lahm Rekheis, Cheap Meat. Yes, that’s what Egyptian little girls are becoming, cheap meat no more. And with the blessing of their family, their government and their religious Imams. May God have mercy on us.
But you see Zainab, it’s not only girls they like. Boys are not spared. I don’t know if you are aware of the Egyptian Doctor story that happened maybe 10 years ago. In brief, this doctor worked in Saudi Arabia. His son was, as far as I remember, 12 yo at the time and was molested/raped by the Doctor’s kafil. When the doctor dared to confront him, he was brought to Saudi “justice” and administered 80 lashes in public so he can serve as an example. Of course our government buried the story as fast as they could.
Here are some links I could find, if you‘re interested:
Saudi Arabia Remains a Fertile Ground for Torture with Impunityhttp://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde230042002
Saudi Arabia: A SECRET STATE OF SUFFERING
http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/saudi/report.html
Saudi Arabia's Apartheid
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A15193-2001Dec21?language=printer
And of course there are the stories that are not documented, stories of poor average people that go there and endure all sort of humiliation to provide for their family. I have a butler who used to work at one of the Saudi princes in Riyadh. They made him empty the pool with a bucket because the pump was not working, all night long and in freezing weather. That’s just one example of a very long list.
And now Zainab, for my personal experience. I went to Saudi Arabia twice: for U’mrah in 2000 and, 2 years later, I went for Hajj. Hajj was divine in every single way. Maybe if/when we get to know each other better, and you have time and are interested, I will tell you all about it. :)
Now for U’mrah. I was 40 at the time. I was never so humiliated, degraded, reduced to less than dirt by the Mutawaeen, you know, religious police-like males of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Women are just trash to them. They can verbally abuse you whenever they feel like it. They can hit you with a stick whenever they feel like it and you are not allowed to even look back, let alone, ask why. When you go into any shop, you’d better stay quiet until every single male gets attended to first, whether he came before or after you. Otherwise, you will be punished.
I was verbally abused on several occasions. You see, I don’t look very Oriental. I am usually mistaken for a European. They would come to me and insult me because I was not covering my face. They would shout at me: slut, infidel, you will never see paradise, God hates you, why did you come here. Once, I fell in the street and my knee got hurt real bad and it was bleeding. Instinctively, I raised my Jilaba to see what was wrong. It was bleeding real bad. Of course I was oblivious to what was going on around me and didn’t notice the “Fitna” I was causing. I was brought back to reality by one of the Mutawaeen. He hit me first on my head with his stick and when my friend told him I was bleeding, he hit me again, twice, on my knee.
Anyway, I think I got carried away and a bit off subject and I apologize for that. It was just to let you know that Sexual Slavery is just the tip of the iceberg. What goes on in this part of the world is far more repugnant than we will ever imagine.
Forgive me again for that rather too long venting. :)
Wow! Mandou, I can relate to your article, although I've never been to Saudi. Some of my friends have and they shared with me similar experiences to yours.
My mother is a Omrah addict, she goes every year in Ramadan. A few years ago, she wa there for Hajj, and Saudi women attacked her and an Egyptian lady she was sitting next to calling them names and saying that Moroccans and Egyptians are husband thieves! Quite interesting!! My mom's response was simple: None. Later on, one of them followed her and kept on provoking her. My mom told her that with such a pushy attitude, even the most enamored man would leave!
My mother is in her sixties and this happened about 12 years ago, yet the women are just as bad in some instances as their men!
I've had my share of personal experiences with them! (Well, around them I guess would be more appropriate) and my very first experience goes back to 10 years ago in none else but Egypt! A seventy yo man playing with his granddaughter was hitting on me and my (male) cousin, both 15 and 14 at the time! I didn't quite comprehend the situation at first but came to realize it later.
In the cab, the Egyptian driver we once hired told us of horrible things he went through during the few years he lived in KSA. The stories are countless.
Zawaj al Mut'a is a growing phenomenon everywhere. I was asked for it here in the US by a Lebanese Shia guy. I laughed and left! Quite pathetic, eh?
As for little boys, a friend of mine recounted once that he went to perform Omrah with his father and some Saudi pig followed him to the bathroom. He was 12 then, the guy wanted to have his way with him, Thankfully, my friend has always been robust, even as a child, he hit the man with his elbow in the chin and ran out to complain to a Mutawa (All inside the Haram)
Then they speak of virtue and morals! hah!! Hypocrites!
Of course, I give the benefit of the doubt to the .5% that don't adhere to that mentality, but I sometimes wonder how come they're not extinct!
Salam to you Zainab,
Thank you so much for taking the time and the effort to reply.
Yes, I know exactly what you mean about Saudi women and their “husbands’ thieves” ideology. It makes them feel good about themselves. It’s not their husbands’ fault, the poor things. It was beyond them. Sure, we are thieves, we are the devil’s tools because Saudi men are so irresistible, the little angels. Give us a break, for God’s sake !!! They cannot see their husbands as the disgustingly voluptuary sybarites they really are. You know, I cannot perceive this expression. What does it mean? To steal a husband? Is he so will-less? Isn’t he actually the initiator? Wasn’t it his pathetic lustful overindulgence in the first place? Why is it always the woman that has to be blamed? Well, you are right. Saudis, women or men, are just as bad. Maybe it’s from having to much Oil? ;)
I am so sorry you were exposed to such a bad experience in Egypt. You know, every child/teenager gets molested/abused/hit-upon at least once in his/her life before maturity. Unfortunately, it’s very common. Social and moral norms, however, do not allow us to talk about it. They burden us with the feeling that we brought it on ourselves. They make us think the shame is of our own doing and we deserve it. The victim become the accused. I have two kids, a 15yo son and 9yo daughter. I pray every single minute that neither will be exposed to such experience. I made it perfectly clear to both of them, should it happen, I want them to speak up freely. I want them to come up to me and tell me even if it’s someone very close because it usually is.
I’ve been following the discussion that followed your note on Facebook. I find it extremely interesting and of very high quality. I particularly enjoyed Houda’s posts. Fadwa’s too, but I kind of agree with Houda on almost the lot of her posts, in principle that is. Throw in the "human" factor and I might disagree, but just a bit I hope. :)
You see, I think there is a huge difference between what is and what should be. Yes, absolutely, some people, at a first glance, "deserve" what they get specially if it's a consequence of their choice. But who are we to judge? I know exactly what she means by "ya haram you're from Morocco". In Egypt too, Moroccan girls get the same reaction, unfortunately. Morocco here means: Easy girls and hashish. Even if the attitude of some Moroccans is dubious (actually like every other nationality/ideology/race/religion), does this justify the labelling of a whole country?
People, unfortunately, tend to see the "bad" not the "good". It makes them feel good about themselves and gives them a false sense of security about being untouchables: "Yes it happens but not to me, it happens to someone else, always to someone else. I have no part in it. I would never do such a thing. I am better." Yes, those females, who became what they are by their own choice (but will we ever know what compelled them to make those choices? It’s very easy to be highly moral when you are not in need), have a share of the responsibility but, personally, I believe the ones pointing the finger have the greater share.
I am a believer and I believe only God can judge us. No human should give himself the right to judge another. Why is it that people has the audacious tendency to feel divine !!!
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