Racial Discrimination in UAE - Essay Example

Discrimination between UAE Nationals and Indians within the UAE. Introduction to Racial Discrimination Racial discrimination as per the “International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”(Smith and Anker, 2005) is defined as any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. It has the purpose and effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise on an equal footing or human rights and fundamental freedom (Smith and Anker, 2005). Racism is an ideology (Leslie, 2001), a multi-dimensional formula (Rattansi, 2007), used by powerful groups to promote their social, cultural, and economic interests. The dominated groups accept it as an ideology of inferiority (Ahmed, Mohammed, and Williams, 2007). Rattansi (2007) uses a simple formula to define racism. Racism is the sum of prejudice and power nourished by the individual. Racism assigns hierarchical status to a particular race, for preferential allocation of goods and resources. (Ahmed, et.al., 2006). It gets reflected as prejudice at the individual level, and at mass level, in discriminatory institutional structures like restricting marginalized groups to live in undesirable residential areas. Racism results in increased vulnerability to unemployment, financial constraints and lack of medical care. (Ahmed et.al, 2006). Discrimination against Indians UAE is a federation of seven semi-autonomous emirates, with an estimated resident population of 4.5 million, of which only 21 percent are citizens. The demographic distribution shows that UAE is a multi-cultural country. UAE is heavily reliant on workers from South Asia (hrw.org, pdf). According to the US Department of State more than 50 percent of foreign workers were estimated to have come from the Indian subcontinent. 98 percent of the private sector workforce is comprised of non-citizen (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 2005). Indian migrant population, though constituting a significant section of the population, is often at the receiving end of workplace discrimination. The discrimination practised between UAE nationals and Indians in UAE can be broadly studied as a question of race and ethnicity. The word ‘ethnic’ is derived from Greek word ‘ethno’ and is today used for minorities or to ‘others.’ (Hann, 2000). Indians thus are significant ‘others’ in UAE. According to Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2005) societal discrimination though legally banned in UAE, occurred in daily life, including employment, housing, social interaction, and healthcare. Many accused of practicing racism adopt the escape route that their claims revolve around ethnic and national culture and not race. Very little tangible information is available on discrimination practised on Indians. However, since the Indians constitute more than three-fourths of the migrant worker population in UAE, we can make sound inferences about racial discrimination practised against Indians, from the treatment meted out to the workforce by private employers and the government. The UAE government has consistently denied any discrimination being practiced in the UAE as stated by President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “Article 25 prohibits discrimination based on race, nationality, religious belief or social status.” (Ferris-Lay, 2008). Despite the Presidential assurance, news reports print a dismal picture. A BCC report says, “ The Asians, who make up the entire labour force, are worst paid, are forced to live in out of the town labour camps. Labour’s package has not been revised for ten years while the cost of living has doubled and trebled (Alam, 2006).” Sending back home the income for subsistence keeps the Asians to live the life of despair, servitude, exploitation and hope (Alam, 2006). The practice of giving different salaries for similar work experience and qualification based on the ethnic origin is rampant. According to Zumfuli as cited in Stratford (2006), pay related discrimination is big issue in UAE (Stratford, 2006). The reasons are but obvious. ‘No citizens right to change the government and no popularly elected representatives of any kind’ is as a probable reason for human rights violations. (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 2005). However, no statistics are made available to the government of UAE to prove allegations of differential pay packets. Besides, there are 300 thousand domestic servants, male and female, in UAE, of which significant share is of South Asians. This segment of labour is not covered by the labour law. Some employers abused domestic workers by excessive work hours; non-payment of wages; verbal, physical, and sexual abuse; and restriction of movement. There are glaring examples of discrimination in other aspects of life too. Non-citizens were denied access to many free or reduced-cost services provided by the UAE government to citizens including child and adult education, health care, housing, and social and recreational club memberships. Citizens HIV patients have access to continuous, and free health care, but non citizen migrant workers who contract the disease are denied health care and deported (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 2005). Lack of, civil government and democracy only worsens the situation for democracy is a means for unification of society on equal terms. (Dunn, 2005) rightly states that democracy alone has the capability of embracing and confederating the various interests of the population and territory (Dunn, 2005). One of the largest employers of labour in UAE is the construction industry. Construction industry in UAE employs half-a-million construction workers 95 percent of the UAE workforce in private sector is absorbed in the construction industry. Wage exploitation, indebtedness, and exploitation is common. 20 percent of construction workers are from South Asia. A construction worker received $140 a month whereas average income of UAE is $2106 a month (Hrw.org, 2006). The government receives complaints regarding wages but there is no tangible evidence to suggest relationship between racial discrimination and less wages (Kouri, 2006 cited by Stratford, 2006). According to Khouri, no racism is practised by the public sector staff and only private establishments are prone to racial discrimination. It is suggested further that there is a need for greater interference in the affairs of private organisations. Janet (2008) suggests that increase in the number of Indians in professional community, has decreased discrimination that was more targeted at skilled and unskilled. workers. Conclusion The right of the people to live and work in a discrimination free world is a right to state of affairs (Sen, 2002) and a passive right (Frieberg, 1973 cited by Sen, 2002). This view makes it contingent upon the UAE government to provide a work and living atmosphere that is discrimination-free. Such a state of affairs requires setting-up right institutions through procedural means rather than look for good outcomes only (Sen, 2002). In pure form such a procedural approach of welfare-economic tradition contrasted with consequence approach requires value formation through participation in decision-making process. (Sen, 2002). With Thoreau,. we are to believe that a free and an enlightened State needs to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power. Only such a State has the power of becoming g a glorious state (Thoreau, 1848). The government of UAE though cannot influence the past can take decisions to improve the lot of Indian immigrant workers in future. Annotated Bibliography Ahmed, A, T., Mohammed, A, S., William, A,R.,(2007) Racial Discrimination and Health: Pathways and Science, Indian J Med Res, 126, October, 2007, pp 318-327. The article studies how discrimination, residential and otherwise, affects the health of the people. The article studies various ethnic groups of America and how their health is affected by societal discrimination. While tracing health patterns related to discriminatory practices, the article also throws light on important definitions, terms and ideas related to discrimination. Alam, M., (2006) A Pakistani Laments Dubai, The BBC Website, www.bbc.co.uk. Accessed October 10th 2008, < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6171909.stm> This is a first hand report of the travails of the migrant workforce in Dubai. The author provides intricate details of the poor lifestyle, plight, and sufferings of the construction workers and how rising cost of living is adding to their woes. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2005): UAE: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: US Department of State. www.state.gov, Accessed October 10th http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61701.htm. This is an objective report on the state of human rights in UAE. While mentioning the shortcomings of the UAE government in not checking the prevalence of violations, the report makes positive suggestions for improvement in conditions of the workers in privately-owned establishments. Dunn, John. (2005) Setting the People Free, Atlantic Books, London. The book traces the history and development of democracy as a means of organising people. It focuses on the issue as to why democracy is more relevant more today than in the past. The book traces the evolution of democracy in the distant past of Greeks and the important events like the French Revolution and the American War of Independence to the contemporary times. Ferris-Lay, C., (2008) UAE President Rejects IVF Law, www.arabianbusiness.com/ Accessed October 10, 2008 < http://www.arabianbusiness.com/522357-uae-president-rejects-ivf-law-?ln=en> In the report the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan rejects a draft law on in vitro fertilisation (IVF), citing discrimination concern. The President also clarifies the constitutional standpoint on discrimination. Hann, C., (2000) Social Anthropology, Teach Yourself Book, Hodder and Stoughton, UK. Social Anthropology provides intuitive knowledge on the subject and how it relates to the entire spread of humanity. The book traces the importance of social anthropology, over various ideologies, cultural dimensions, lifestyles, religions, ethnic and language groups. The book tries to dispel the notion that social anthropology provides a limited perspective on far flung communities and helps us to develop a comprehensive view of the social and cultural evolution of the homo sapien. HRW.org (2006) Building Towers, Cheating Workers, November 2006, Volume 18, No. 8(E) “ Human Rights Watch Website,” www. http://hrw.org Accessed October 2008, http://hrw.org/reports/2006/uae1106/index.htm . This is an academic report prepared by Human Right Watch, a Non-governmental Organisation on the plight of construction workers in UAE. The report while observing rights violation in UAE makes extensive recommendations to the governments of the countries from which migrant labour comes and to that of UAE to improve the lot of the workers. Leslie, C, (2001) Scientific Racism: Reflections on Peer Review, Science and Ideology ed. Jennings and Cashmore (2001) Racism, is a part of the anthology of 38 articles that comprise the book Racism. It is Leslie’s viewpoint that scholarly means of addressing racism and development of scientific stereotypes is ‘scientific racism’. Rattansi, A., (2007) Racism: A Very Short Introduction: Oxford University Press, Oxford. The book makes an insightful reading on Racism, concepts and related issues. While defining the core of the Racism, the book raises important ‘why’ and ‘how’ aspects of this inhuman practice. The book, however, carries a lot of personal ideas and opinions of the author. Sen, A. (2002) Rationality and Freedom, Oxford University Press, Oxford. UK. In this book, Amartya Sen invokes two concepts of welfare model of state that bear a reciprocal relationship to one another. Rationality is reflected in the individual and social choice. Collective freedom is dependant upon the valuations and preferences of independent thought. Sen sets the agenda for economic emancipation through individual freedom, social choice and justice. Smith, R, K, M., Anker, C, V, 2005) Human Rights, Oxford University Press, Oxford. The book provides exhaustive information and historical perspective, on Human Rights movement various international treaties, laws, protocols and conventions. The terminology regarding Human Rights and is arranged in an alphabetical format. Strafford, C, (2006): Discrimination a Big Issue, Labour in the UAE, The Gulf News Website, “http://gulfnews.com” Accessed October 10th 2008, http://archive.gulfnews.com/indepth/labour/more_stories/10043265.html. The report, by the way of illustrations, tries to highlight the practice of workplace discrimination and exploitation of migrant employees. It also elucidates the viewpoint of the government that there is no evidence about the prevalence of discrimination. Thoreau, H.D., (1848) Walden and Civil Disobedience, ed (1966) Thomas Owen, WW Norton and Company, Inc. Henry D. Thoreau, the great American Transcendentalist, in the essay Civil Disobedience, states that the state and its unjust means of governance are is the greatest impediment spiritual and moral emancipation of mankind. Below the yolk of slavery, and an unjust system is the ‘man’ that is not an iota different from the rulers. The social and economic emancipation precedes moral and spiritual freedom. UNDP (n.d) Human Rights Profiles: UAE, Accessed, October 10th 2008, www.arabhumanrights.org The report is a part of the text that tracks the record of human rights activities in the Arabian Peninsula. The report covers wide range of Human Rights issues like the International Conventions, their implementation, the problems and difficulties in context to UAE. Janet (2008), in the interview provides an inside view of workplace discrimination against Indians as observed by a foreign national. There are no institutional structures that provide basis for discrimination. All racialism is borne out of exploitation. The exploiters are not always UAE nationals but ethnic Indians also. The whites are considered equal in socio-economic hierarchy to the UAE nationals. Read More