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On a normal flight via an airport in the Arab world, one could not
feel rest with the sight of innocent Sri Lankans who are working for
employers in the Arab countries. Then after you get on the plane which
is bound to Colombo airport, an unpleasant atmosphere slowly sets in.
A decade ago, all most all of my trips were through Saudi Arabia. Now
I no longer include Saudi Arabia on my travel plans whenever I venture
into tourism. Thank God now there are direct planes!
It is very sad to see the faces of young women who are crying in the
plane that is en route to Sri Lanka from Saudi Arabia and other Arab
countries. One day while I was in the plane I witnessed a young woman
who cried and became unconscious.
Another woman who was sitting next to me started talking to me and
explained how she was raped. She was in tears as well. There were many
others with horrible stories. Most of the stories are related to both
physical and mental abuse, rape and unpaid work.
Every year I visited Sri Lanka for the past 15 years and the stories
on a plane departing from an Arab country to Sri Lanka did not change.
Rather, unfortunately, the stories are now becoming part of our
heritage. Some Arab families employ women as sex slaves for their sons,
husbands and friends. They tend to think that we breed those sex slaves.
When an Arab comes here they think our women are for abuse. The
recent event that occured at a shop in Colombo is an example of this
trend of becoming our national heritage. This is why he recounts Sri
Lanka as dirty. There are ample examples on the news media to
subtantiate my claim that many women from poor Asian countries get
raped. I do not have to cite any example.
But it is sad to know that nothing has prevented oil brothers and
daddies from raping and abusing poor women who do all the work for them.
Even the human rights group is silent and perhaps they might regard that
it is not a human right to live and work with dignity for women from Sri
Lanka. Even the UN is silent on non political injustices!
These womens rights groups are hell bent on protesting the
Government's decision to ban the young mothers leaving their children to
work overseas, especially in Arab countries. Their argument is that the
Government is violating the women's right to work in Saudi Arabia.
They clearly know the plight of these young mothers once they set
foot on Arab soil. The human rights group only cares about the right of
the humans but not the humans. Sadly, in the Sri Lankan human rights
group, there is a Sri Lankan woman leader who argues for the women's
right to work in the Arab world.
It is true that women should have equal rights as men, but leaving
behind a toddler for little money or no pay with abuses from the
employer, puts a huge strain on the Government and society to find
solutions.
The destiny of a child who grows up without proper care and love from
parents is duped. The new law can be viewed as a good step in protecting
Sri Lankan woman getting abused in Arab countries.
These abuses are much more than the total human rights violations
that occur in our country due to war and corrupted politicians that work
day and night to tarnish the good image of Sri Lanka and the President.
For example, when you drive a car or any passenger vehicle, you are
required to wear the seat belt. It is for protection and it is the law
in many civilized countries. It contradicts with the right to not wear
the seat belt if one chooses to do so.
The ban on women leaving their toddlers is similar to the seat belt
law and it should be viewed as a measure of protection for both the
toddler and the mother and hence society. Every criminal, every
Samaritan and every leader comes from a mother. Some idiots do not know
this. We must protect all mothers.
It is easy to talk about and charge a Government for the human rights
violations. But how can the right group be inactive with the authorities
in the Arab world, whose strict Islamic rules are enforced for the
foreign workers even for a slightest mistake? Often their own rapists,
women killers and women abusers pass the test of Islamic justice?
It is a law in Saudi Arabia, for example, to cut hands if you steal,
to issue the death penalty killing in public for a Muslim man who
embraces another religion. This is infact an inalienable God given human
right to embrace any religion in accepted norms.
It is my opinion that I wish every Sri Lankan must thank the
Government for introducing this new law. Business people and private
companies should embrace society and feel responsible in hiring young
mothers to work in their workplace with better benefits and dignity.
"Thou shall not sell thy mothers."
JAY DESHABANDU,
via email
I read the letter written by Dr. Tilak Fernando about the traffic
congestion in Borella junction where a suitable solution is required (DN
March 24). As far as I can remember there are two humps on Baseline road
that can be put into good use that means the geographical situation of
the road can be used to ease the traffic congestion.
When you approach from Narahenpita, this Baseline Road starts to
incline towards Borella junction then it flattens at the junction then
starts to decline just pass the hospital and immediately start to
incline again near Wesley College. this is the continuation of Baseline
Road. That means the road goes up and down twice in a small area where
this traffic congestion takes place.
I am not sure whether this is a practical solution but let me make a
possible hypothetical solution. I am trying to make this suggestion with
respect to other countries where they ease the traffic congestion by
having an overhead road or an underground tunnel or two in these areas.
Is it possible to have a tunnel starting from the Borella market area
up until the Dematagoda level crossing or beyond that?
This would give one straight-line flat road that runs under both
little humps including the Borella junction. I am sorry if this is not
practical but just a suggestion only. If this goes as planned, there
could be a one straight road from Dematagoda junction to Borella and it
is possible to ease this traffic congestion.
I am not sure whether it is practical in many points of view but who
knows this could be a future solution?
Dr. HECTOR PERERA,
via email
The Daily News of March 10 carried an article 'Sri Lankan Malays and
their coexistence' by J.M.M. Nizam which gives the origins of the name
Hambantota as follows: "Hamban is a small catamaran in which people can
travel. Muslim merchants mostly travelled in them (I presume he means
Moors as distinct from the Malays since his article is about Malays).
The place where most of the 'Hambans' were parked was called Hamban
Thurai (Hambantota). The people who travelled in them were called
Hambayo.
Many theories are abound as to how Hambantota got its name. Dr
Hussainmiya in his book 'The lost Cousins' has this to say 'It has been
suggested that the town of Hambantota in the south of Sri Lanka owes its
name to the early visits of Malay sailors.
The Malay word for boat is 'sampan' (a word of Chinese origin ).
Hence 'sampan' boat and 'tota' port. In Sinhala the phoneme 'sa' and
'ha' are interchangeable. It is possible that Malay sampans frequented
that place in far off times".
However, I have come across another version of the origins of the
name of that town. 'Hama' in Sinhala means skin and 'ban' is rope. Hence
'hamban' is rope made of skin or leather thongs, 'tota' is of course
port.
So Hambantota is the port of leather thongs which were used to
capture the wild elephants that roamed the jungles in that area. There
is also another version by D.G.A. Perera who claims that 'ham' refers to
hide in Sinhala and 'bana' means a pair. Therefore 'hambana' is a pair
of inflated skins by means of which the local inhabitants crossed the
river.
If one looks at the town of Sammanthurai in the East of Sri Lanka,
one sees again the coincidence of the word 'sampan', 'becoming 'samman'
in the Tamil version and 'thurai' is a port.
Sammanthurai is in the East and populated by the Muslims (Moors).
Perhaps Nizam has confused Sammanthurai with Hambantota. Indeed both
towns may have the same origin.
Perhaps one can safely assume that out of all the theories about the
origins of the name of Hambantota the one about the Malay sampans seems
to be the most likely.
B. D. K. SALDIN,
via email |
