The “problem” of body odor is a social problem that is, more often than not, linked to patterns of racist behaviors.
For the second issue of the Racism Monitor, we wanted to highlight some quotes from the testimonies we received from migrant domestic workers, which document their experiences with racist violations and discrimination against them based on their “Body Odor.”
Migrant-led organization Egna Legna Besidet and the Institute for Migration Studies in the Lebanese American University have released a study titled “Acknowledged but Forgotten: The Gender Dimensions of Sexual Violence Against Migrant Domestic Workers in Post-Crisis Lebanon.”
We have compiled the most prominent racist content and violations of 2021 and the past few months which contributed to reinforcing and perpetuating racism against migrants and refugees in Lebanon, including those that incited violence and published misinformation and false figures.
Vaccine Segregation, Misinformation and Mistreatment of Migrant Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here’s the Weekly News Report for September 18-30 2022.
On August 31, Bashar Abdul Saud, a Syrian detainee, was murdered inside one of the cells of the General Directorate of State Security. Images showed signs of brutal torture, which led to a fatal heart attack, as further investigation showed.
Al Akhbar released 3 articles on August 29, 2022 as part of a dossier titled “Domestic Labor «Crisis»: Left, Never to Return,” in which, recruitment agencies’ structural abuse of migrant domestic workers, as well as the racism and sexism that the workers face, is completely omitted.
The UNHCR granted NM refugee status, however, NM is still detained at the General Security Detention Center.
The Honorary Consulate of Kenya has been reportedly targeting migrant activists. Circumstantial evidence suggests that NM’s arrest initially had to do with her activism during the protests earlier in 2022 against the Kenyan Honorary Consulate.
The General Security (GS) tried on August 4, 2022 to deport Kenyan worker and activist NM, knowing fully that she is an asylum-seeker facing threats in Kenya.
At the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), we are constantly working on a multitude of different activities and initiatives. Most of our activities are only possible with the help of dedicated and passionate volunteers who work in collaboration with our core team.
The Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) was launched in 2010 as a grassroots collective by young Lebanese feminist activists in collaboration with migrant workers and migrant domestic workers.
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