TV broadcast shows the woman being forced into a car outside the Ethiopian consulate in Lebanon. (LBCI)
UPDATE: Ethiopian Woman Beaten on Camera Kills Herself: Vigil for Alem Dechassa
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, March 11, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – The recent, disturbing video of an Ethiopian woman who was violently mistreated outside the Ethiopian embassy in Lebanon, appears to have caught the Lebanese media and authorities by surprise. For many Ethiopians, however, the incident is the latest example of the prevalent culture of violence against female Ethiopian migrant employees in many Middle Eastern countries.
“It is time to end the unchecked exploitation of migrant women in the Middle East,” said Ms. Zewditu Fessehaa,” Chairwoman of the Ethiopian Social Assistance Committee in New York City. ESAC recently hosted a public forum to highlight the plight of Ethiopian female domestic workers in the Middle East. “As the world can see from this video the treatment of domestic workers in that part of the world is inhumane, barbaric, unjust and must be stopped,” Ms. Fessehaa said.
Meanwhile, local media in Lebanon say that the government is calling for an investigation. “The scenes of the Ethiopian domestic worker being beaten outside the Ethiopian consulate were considered as a crime by all those who saw them,” reported the Beirut based Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International. “The Lebanese state mobilized its efforts, especially the cabinet and the Lebanese public opinion that strongly denounced what happened, calling for harsh sanctions against the perpetrator of such acts in the future.”
LBCI reporters identified the abuser seen in the video footage, via his license plate number, as Ali Mahfouz. “Ali tried to justify his act by denying that he beat her; he stressed that the worker tried to commit suicide more than once and that he tried dealing with her humanely, but she refused to go to the airport for deportation,” he told the TV station. Labor Minister Salim Jreissati told LBC that the Ministry of Labor “decided to take the necessary measures to punish the perpetrator who turned out to be an employee in the domestic workers’ office. Jreissati said that the ministry summoned the domestic workers’ office for an urgent meeting on Monday, adding that a formal complaint will be registered.”
In New York, Ms. Fessehaa said she is urging everyone to speak out on behalf of the workers. “Men or women, it is time to break the silence on this urgent crisis,” she said. “We need to demand that our women are treated with dignity and humanity.” She added: “We need to start thinking about alternative solutions to the larger problem that continues to lure them to unsafe work conditions in foreign lands. This issue must be permanently solved.”
Tadias Magazine has contacted the Ethiopian consulate in Lebanon to shed light on the actual circumstances of the woman, her whereabouts, and whether or not she has received assistance. We will update the story if we receive a response.
Watch: Ethiopian Domestic Worker Beaten Outside the Ethiopian Consulate in Lebanon (LBCI)
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Related:
Related:
Photos: Vigil for Alem Dechassa Outside Lebanon Embassy in D.C. (TADIAS)
Maltreated maid in video aired on Lebanon TV kills herself (MSNBC)
Maid Commits Suicide After Attack Video (Reuters via The Root)
Maid hangs herself after scandal (Independent Online)
Lebanon: Abused Ethiopian maid kills herself – VIDEO (Global Post)
In Lebanon Abuse Video of Ethiopian Domestic Worker Surfaces (TADIAS)
Video: Woman seen in Lebanon abuse video kills herself days after this footage emerged
Barbaric is the right description. When is this going to end?
Those men are Cowards.
OH MY GOD PLEASE ETHIOPIA DON’T GO IN THAT STUPID PAGANS COUNTRY.
we need urgent respons from the lebanon govermnment and the Ethiopian consulate about this brutal act of the lebanese citizen If not the result will be bad and I would like to request the Ethiopians should and must react on this issue.
whats this animal kind of foolish ..
what is the ethiopian gov’t doing to safe guard its citizens? We give due respect to intruders where we are considered like a slaughter pig. Come on…we need justice.
I watched the video footage of “Barbarism in Lebanon” against defenseless Ethiopian woman. Someone has to be held accountable for this crime sooner or later. Shame on you hooligans.
In front of the Ethiopian Consulate????
What were the consulate personnel doing when all this happened???
The girl being abused by this barbaric people is one thing, but the fact it happened in front of her country’s consulate is an insult to injury!!!!
SHAME ON COWARD LEBANESE MEN!!
SHAME ON THE COWARD ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT THAT CANNOT DEFEND ITS OWN CITIZENS!!
Just imagine if what happened to the Ethiopian woman were to happen to an American citizen!!!
Stop the madness! This is insane!
am not surprised by the act.they are obvious cruel us,we will wait when they walk up.
great shame on our gov’t….. Weyane should removed from his power by the people….weyane’s suck
this is shame for Ethiopian gov’nt espacially infront of Ethiopian consolute, sorry really really sorry?????????
Ethiopia needs a cabinet level post to handle this mess. Yes, it’s that serious. If I was in charge, I will do three things.
1. Suspend all future domestic worker travel to Lebanon with immediate effect, pending wider investigation.
2. Launch the investigation, change and monitor the rules for the delalas (agents of Arab abuse) who profit on the misery of these women. Impose regular audit of their business ethics and hold them accountable.
3. Negotiate labor laws with each country were most Ethiopian workers request work visas to.
This will be my road to recovery? What’s yours?
I want you to watch the video footage of “Barbarism in Lebanon” against defenseless Ethiopian woman. Someone has to be held accountable for this crime sooner or later. It is a shame and disgrace Lebanon is still in Barbaric Era. I hope once Syria is cleansed from Bashar Al Assad which was and is a master of Lebanon for many decades Lebanon might join a civilized world. No wonder Lebanon learn such brutality from its master Syria.
Ethiopians who watched this video will never forget this brutality and we are calling the international community to held the Lebanon Government accountable for this crime.
Sadly,
Tedla Asfaw
This is outrageous. Justice must be served. Thank you for bringing this to light!
OMG What are those guys doing handling a woman like that??? They act like bouncers mishandling a drank at a nightclub. If you treat your maid in this manner, I don’t think you’re a true man. Cowards. If it was in Ethiopia, she would probably kick your pants off Stupid.
Sad seen!
Ethiopians, make sure that the persons involved in her abuse face SOME kind of justice they deserve. Also make sure the due justice is a lesson to whoever try to abuse your SISTERS like that!
Big thank you to Ms. Zewditu Fessehaa, the Chairwoman of the Ethiopian Social Assistance Committee in New York City (ESAC). I am a recent Law School graduate working in Washington, D.C. My firm encourages its associates to spend a percentage of our time volunteering to provide pro bono legal assistance. I would be more than happy to help ESAC in any way you can utilize my skills.
With Sincere regards,
Daniel
The issue needs a celebrity spokesperson for maximum effect like women’s issues advocates Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai of Kenya! Just a thought!
Shame on Lebanon, Shame on the president of lebanon Michel Suleiman, and Shame on Lebanese people to let this kind of barbaric act happen right under their nose. Shame on Ethiopian Government for not denouncing such act on its citizen in strong term as possible. For those senseless perpetrator, soon or later we the ethiopina people will administer some highly justified justices in appropriate manners that they deserve.
IT IS A SHAME FOR ETHIOPIAN GOVERMENT & LEBANON GOVERMENT I AM PROUD OF MY SISTER SHE IS VERY STRONG SHE BEAT THEM WELL. THER WILL BE A DAY WE ALL RESTOR OUR DIGNETY THX.
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
pls.our Ethiopian Muslim brothers and sisters, you need to denounce this act of inhuman savage act. Thank you.
I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace.
I can promise you that women working together – linked, informed and educated – can bring peace and prosperity to this forsaken planet.
Thank you for reporting this event. If there is any way the public can be involved to stop these atrocities please inform us.
It is very disturbing; needless to say, such an act is barbaric.
This all relates back to the philosophy expounded in one little green book of Arabian ignorance. I forget its name …….
I am grateful that Ms. Zewditu described the unacceptable situation faced by Ethiopian women in the Middle East. As well noted by her the solution has to be mufti pronged approach not only to protect those that are currently suffering but also to find innovative solution to help prevent young girls in the future from being attracted by cheap money to go overseas to work for human rights violators. The problem is simple. It’s lack of education and decent living standard jobs for poor young people in Ethiopia. The solution is simpler. Fill in the gap.
This is very sad and cruel. Watching the video makes me angry and extremely helpless to say the list. I am also a bit shocked to see number of ethiopians who watched this video direct their anger and frustration towards the religion Islam. This has nothing to do with islam. This is how uninformed, uneducated and oppressed people deal with their problems. During my last vacation in Ethiopia. I saw an Ethiopian man bitting and punching what appears to be his girlfriend in public, in a broad daylight at restaurant. I pleaded with few men sitting at bar area to help the poor girl, no one obliged and no one stepped in to help; In fact one of the waiter told me to sit down because the man may be member of the government. This kinds of barbaric acts especially towards women occur anywhere where the men themselves feel they have no control over their own lives and destiny. Violence toward women by men is always about power, domination and a sense of wanting to be in control at least in one aspect of their own lives. We know that life in most arab countries is not good. Even, life in wealthier and supposedly westernized arab countries such as the Emirates are not known for their respect to human rights especially towards most foreign workers. Despite their wealth and natural resources, the residents of those countries have a sense that they don’t really call the shots. They have the sense (justified or not) powerlessness and live in shadow of the West and Israel. Like I said this is not about religion guided moral bankruptcy this about wanting to be in control. We ethiopians however have to realize the pasture is not always greener on the other side.
In his “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” EDWARD ALBEE wrote When people can’t abide things as they are, when they can’t abide the present, they do one of two things … either they turn to a contemplation of the past … or they set about to alter the future. And when you want to change something … YOU BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I am a deeply religious nonbeliever – I happen to believe that religion is the opium of the people. True religion for me is real living; living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness. This brutality is not about religion. It has nothing to do with religion. Just bad apple stupid persons showing off their imbecile, blockheads and behaving like donkeys.
how can they go to sleep “feriwoch?”
Just remember that Lebanon is one of the LEAST likely of all the muslim countries for this kind of abuse to happen. Slavery was only legally abolished in the last century across the entire OIC area, and they often still regard foreign domestic workers as slaves regardless of the statute books.
All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
The media is doing very little to address this issue. How long have those educated and privildeged Ethiopian women in North America and Europe to remain silent when their sisters are abused and dehumnaized on a daily basis?
why is the etio ambassador begging for police? get your own security ababa. you are the ambassador. woy-gooood zendro.
“TV broadcast shows the woman being forced into a car outside the Ethiopian consulate in Lebanon”under the request of TPLF Mafias. This is how our country currently function .
Maferia Hula!!!
@Samuel Hailu, under normal circumstances the responsibility for this shameful act lies with the wronged citizen’s government, not the people who live overseas. From what I see the Diaspora is actually the one that is helping. The real culprits are the fat cats in Ethiopia. Where is the Embassy or is the foreign minster or where is the prime minister on this issue? It seems to me that the public officials are either out to lunch during work hours or they don’t know what they are doing. Either way, they are between a rock and hard place on this one!
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Why this senseless violence, and all the nonsense? It fills my heart with sadness to see this but it renews my spirit and my determination that the world can be a better place if we all work in unity for a common good.
I cant believe nobody even interfered, what a shame. All Ethiopian need to speak out against this kind of behavior..I still believe we have a big responsibility, and obligation to start addressing these problems.
ER BEKACHU BELENE FETARI
Very sad. What a shame.
Domestic workers perform a range of tasks for and in other peoples households. They may cook, clean and wash the laundry, and look after children, the elderly or persons with disability. They may work as gardeners, guardians or family chauffeurs. Most of them are women. They are often excluded, de jure or de facto, from labour and social protection. Part of the reason for this is that domestic work takes place in the home and involves, to a large extent, tasks that women have traditionally carried out without pay. Nevertheless, there has been increasing recognition, nationally and internationally, of the economic and social value of domestic work and of the need to improve domestic workers’ living and working conditions. A number of countries have put in place or are formulating legal and policy measures towards this end. These demonstrate that there are varied ways of regulating domestic work. The specific characteristics of domestic work and diverse realities across the world call for innovative and creative approaches to protecting domestic workers while responding to the needs of families and households that employ them. This website is intended to support initiatives in this regard by facilitating the sharing of information, country experiences and knowledge, and practical tools on domestic work. http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/domestic-workers/lang–en/index.htm
The video is outrageous! What kind of shisha are these knuckleheads smoking?
I was sad when I saw Ethiopian women in vales at Bole Airport going to Middle East as if they were muslims but this was just a show up for job. I knew what awaits them there. I would rather flow land in Ethiopia than go to Lebnon. The government should suspend this domestic workers business till satisfactory investigation is completed. Life is worth than money.
Lebanon is a democracy! We’re investigating the situation and those found guilty will be punished. It’s sad but Ethiopian people need to relax a little. Let justice take its course. I agree aye for an aye only makes the whole world go blind.
In my humble opinion, this is not only atrocious and shameful for The Ethiopian government, this is a classic illustration of “Dereliction of Duty” – officials supposedly elected by 99.9 percent of the population willfully refusing to perform their duties to protect their own citizens abroad who hold Ethiopian passports like this poor woman in Lebanon the government has basically incapacitated itself in such a way that it cannot perform its duties. Clearly these guys are falling asleep on the job; getting drunk and fat, frequenting prostitutes and being unable to perform their duties; or vacating their post contrary to regulations in criminally negligent behavior. If you can’t cook, then get out of the kitchen.
Very sad. This too shall pass.
This is a reply to Hayat Sleiman, are F’m sick or what telling ethiopian people need to relax? i beg you say it infront of me.
People on the street of London find a knive in thre back or neck for disrespect another fella let alone been disrespected in that manner. Relax? what the f do you know about relax when one quier man handle a woman like that for what?
Hayat if you aint got nothing to say it’s best you keep quiet. unless you are another stupid
I am very saddened by the video outrage shown here- It may transmit equivalent message for ethiopians residing in their own country and abroad. This is barbaric act and should be condemned.The ethiopian embassy, the people at home who act and negotiate with the arabes to send our sisters to these countries, and the people who hire these domestic workers would largely be held responsible for this inhuman Activities. As a tradition,Ethiopia is known for treating well the strangers and guests of any kind. When the Arabes come to ethiopia for many reasons, they will be treated well by the people and the Government. They should do the same for any ethiopian citizen when they go to to these countries. But, instead, the people of Arabs severly abuse and miltreat our sisters in any way and any form is not acceaptable. The ethiopian people in diaspora with the collaboration of the government should do the something to prevent this wildish act as soon as possible
This is wrong in God’s eye. This is wrong in human eye. What happened to treating other human-beings the way you want to be treated by others? Does Ethiopia has any men left anymore who can stand up for her? Not men of violence and immaturity that we see today. But men of courage and sense of justice and truth? Men who fear above all only the creator. And only him.
Can you imagine if this poor woman was an American citizen or a British citizen being abused like this in front of her embassy? OMG hell will break loose in England and in America. David Cameron and Barack Obama’s ass would be on fire. That’s called government by the people.
Today in the news.
Ethiopian domestic worker beaten on camera commits suicide.
BEIRUT: The Ethiopian domestic worker whose beating outside her country’s consulate was widely publicized on video committed suicide Wednesday morning, Ethiopia’s consul general in Lebanon confirmed to The Daily Star.
Alem Dechasa, 33, hanged herself using her bed sheets between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., Ethiopian General Consul Asaminew Debelie Bonssa said doctors told him.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Mar-14/166626-ethiopian-beaten-on-camera-commits-suicide.ashx#ixzz1p6VoPkgr
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Mar-14/166626-ethiopian-beaten-on-camera-commits-suicide.ashx#axzz1p6NWIHnd
RIP.
Alem Dechasa is a daughter maybe a mother, aunt or sister in law for one poor Ethiopian family. The poverty that sent her to make money in Lebanon ended up in tragedy. How long our sisters should be treated as money making machine for Woyane Regime who is colluding with their abusers barbarism not to lose business.
Alem Dechasa’s only crime is coming to Lebanon to make some money for her poor family back in Ethiopia. The poverty and death she run away finally caught her in a very tragic way. If she had been beaten back home at least there were family members to run for her defense. There was no one on Beirut street that day for our sister. I am crying at this moment for let her down !!!.
The least I could have done for her was to protect her from the heavy blow she endured that day. I wish I should take that blow for her. There was no one for her that will be a shame for all of us we call ourselves Ethiopians. Our men the defender of family honor failed her. Our sisters did not call for help, no one say “Ou Ou”, it was only her fainted voice we heard while the Arab thugs jump on her.
These cowards and the Woyane representative both are responsible for what happened to Alem Dechasa. Alem is now a symbol of Barbarism against Ethiopian women in the Arab World. I would like to make it clear that the case of Alem Dechasa is not closed even after her death. Independent body has to investigate how she came to Lebanon and all she met while in Lebanon until her death.
There is no one to speak on her behalf and she died with her secrets of abuse and torture. We watched the glimpse of her story thanks to the people who made the footage public. What happened after that until her death is still not known. The Ethiopian Mafia in Beirut has no credibility to speak on her behalf and we demand international women organizations to send their team and come with a report on Alem Dechasa. she is our Visible Woman for the many Invisible Ethiopian housemaids in Middle East.
If there is anything to learn from her death it is now not tomorrow. Many Ethiopian maids return to their home country in body bags if they are lucky. Some whereabouts have been unknown and no one bother to find. This modern day slavery can only be defeated first and foremost if the Diaspora Ethiopian Women take this fight to the doors of Arab Embassies who are torturing and killing our sisters.
Enough is Enough !!!! Let the March in the name of Alem Dechasa begins in Lebanon Embassies all over the world. Abusing of Ethiopian women has been possible because Ethiopian women have no one to speak on their behalf. We are their defenders !!! The so called Ethiopian Council is part of the problem because it is profiting from shipping our ladies for money. It is all about the money generation of our women while they are under captivity.
Sister Alem Dechasa forgive us for not coming to your defense. We will make sure that your name will be read together with Yenesew Gebre who was martyred on 10/11/11 rather than being humiliated in his own village. You preferred to take your own life after being publicly humiliated by the thugs in the Lebanon. We will not rest until justice served
Why this footage is not shown here in America. If it did it would have made a diff. The Ethiopians, in Lebenons with out legal paper should be able to return to their home land, and each and every one of them should be able to regester to wherabouts. What happened to Alem will be happen again . The Ethiopian gove should step in and stop the explotations of young kids in to this kind of work force. As I was leaving Ethiopia, many young kids were leaving to Arabic countries…..I looked at them and said….” This is modern day slavery” I had never felt and betrayed by the so called self loved gov…what had done to our people and country…….We used to be a country with pride….let alone that now….we became invisible and the most abundance unwanted grass on earth… I call this inhuman and a digrace selfish act by Arabic people…..God doesn’t kill people….I don’t know ur God…you have a blood in your hands…in the end Alem killed herself…..How could she? why was she put in mental hospital? she needed a freedom….in the end they killed her to silence the media to defend their actions.We are now labelled as Crazy Ethiopian’s…..We should urge the American station to show this footage..Once your freedom , pride and soul is taken.. you have nothing left..even if she killed herself…justice needs to be served…Every Arabic people have Alem’s blood in their hands..Die with dignity and pride…we are struggling here post 9/11…Justice to all human being
In Ethiopia, humanity is treated as less-valuable than pets do in Europe. I see many comments around here, and most of them are filled with ‘zeal’.
But do we ever recognize, men treated like dogs in the streets of Addis?
Are we zealous about ‘Ethiopia’ the name, or its individual citizens?
Is there any of you, who don’t know the homeless, hopeless and orphan kids spending the terrible nights outside?
Why don’t we mobilize to curb that problem? Why don’t we help Organizations like Mary Joy, Abebech Gobena to end the seemingly ‘endless suffering of homeless’ citizens at least in Addis Ababa?
Dear all Ethiopian netizens, let action speak!
Respect to all of you!
I called this morning several T.v station including Msnbc to report this tragic story….I also Called the Labenon Embassy…We all should do something….stop using the word Maid ” her name is Alem
This is for Sayat. How dare u to tell as to relax? Are you not a woman? Are you not see the video? What is wrong with you? I bet one of them is your son. Who cares about Lebanon democracy & what is the point of having. Country full of ignorant people like yourself. Shame on you as a woman & a human being you should say much better than take it easy. By the way you Lebanon peopl show the world how uncivilized you are.