Kuwaiti police have detained a woman for filming her Ethiopian maid falling from the seventh floor in an apparent suicide attempt without trying to rescue her, media and a rights group said on Friday.

The Kuwaiti woman filmed her maid land on a metal awning and survive, then posted the incident on social media, Al-Seyassah newspaper reported.

The 12-second video shows the maid hanging outside the building, with one hand tightly gripping the window frame, as she begs for help in an apparent last-minute change of mind.

The terrified maid is seen screaming “hold me, hold me”, just before her hand slips and she falls down to hit the awning, which appears to soften the impact.

The employer made no reaction as she continued filming.

Kuwaiti woman held for filming maid attempting suicide (Gulf Times)

Thanks John Gallen

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108 thoughts on “The Help”

  2. Harry Molloy

    I, unfortunately, came across that video last night.

    The culture in the middle east towards “the help” is absolutely disgusting, they are seen as dogs or less than dogs. It is the most visible and most under condemned human rights issue out there today. Ask anyone who has spent time in the UAE.

    I don’t know why amnesty aren’t a hell of a lot more vocal, there seems to be a reluctance to condemn some Islamic societies because Muslims face persecution elsewhere.

    Persecution is persecution, regardless of where it happens and who the perpetrators are.

      1. mildred st. meadowlark

        Seriously Clamps is this the time to be having another go at ‘the evil left’?

        It doesn’t matter where your political and social preferences lie, this is absolutely hideous. I’d like to think that most decent people, the world over, would find it awful, because that’s exactly what it is.

          1. mildred st. meadowlark

            Sorry, but I’m not sure if I understand the relevance of the link -I really do think I’m missing something here – can you explain it?

            My point was that stuff like this… really sick stuff, it happens the world over, and it really doesn’t matter what your creed or beliefs or whatever, because a horrible act is still a horrible act, and most people can recognise one when they see it.

          2. Clampers Outside

            He mentioned that speaking about the ills in Muslim countries is often difficult and I gave an example of why it is difficult – SPLC is a leftist body. Used to do good work, not gone hard left as evidences in the labeling of the two advocates for Muslim reform as ‘hate figures’…. Hirsi has a fatwa out on her, and she’s a hate figure now, says the left, the regressive left.

            The people who, as Happy says, make it difficult for moderates to speak up.

            I hope you see the connection now.

          4. LW

            If I might be so masochistic, what precisely do you think the Southern Poverty Law Centre has to do with this? And how are this American group making it hard for you, an Irish citizen, to “speak up”? Given your absolutely constant “speaking up”, which is frequently making up, for anyone to make it any easier for you we’d have to give you a prime time television slot. And do you really consider yourself a moderate? You blame the left for every ill in the world, even a woman leaving a maid fall to her potential death. You think all feminists are hypocrites. You think all Muslims are incompatible with Western values. Which of these beliefs is your moderate one?

          5. Clampers Outside

            LW…. it’s not about me pet. it’s about moderate and advocates for reform of Islam and their being silenced.

            You alright man, big miss that.

            The speakers get black listed and lose and have speaking opportunities cancelled because of the SPLC rating.

            If that’s not shutting down a conversation then I dunno what planet you’re on.
            it’s ntentional black listing to silence voices the SPLC disagree with, nothing more.
            All very straight forward.

            On your other assertions yes. Any feminist who believes on the doctrine of the ‘patriarchy’ as applied in The Duluth Model and then stands up and claims her or him self to stand for equality…. I say hypocrite.

            Your… ‘Muslims can’t live in the West’ assertion is you having a spittle fest… probably need a wipe for that screen.

            Have a nice night

          6. LW

            A spittle fest? I must have you confused with the other Clampers, the one who has a weekly mutter about the ‘failed forced multicultural experiment’

          8. mildred st. meadowlark

            Ok, thanks for the clarification.

            Not sure if I necessarily agree with you, but I see where you’re coming from, and your original point.

            Enjoy your weekend dearest Clamps.

        2. Lush

          Is it just me, or is Clampers just fair game at the moment?
          I agree with Mani, it’s all a bit reactive here of late.

          1. Sheik Yahbouti

            Get a grip. This constant axe grinding and airing of personal grievances on EVERY topic can get really wearing. Are you saying that nobody has the right to disagree with anybody else? If that is so…….

          2. Clampers Outside

            The fact that you only see them ws personal says more of yourself, I believe.

            Not that I do personalise all my comments, only on occasion, which i flag in fairness…

            …. but if I did, shouldn’t you… em..

            …you being an ardent and staunch feminist and stuff, shouldn’t you be praising anyone who politicises the personal, isn’t that a tenet of feminism… get every *woman’s story told, kinda funny that, that you would use the accusation of such as something to be ridiculed.

            Come to think of it, that’d cause problems on dealing with intersectionality theory too…

            Hmmmmm… you sure you’re a feminist boss man?

            *clearly I’m not a woman, but, if it’s an equality movement in the egalitarian sense then that wouldn’t matter… but it does, doesn’t it.

            ..dang it.

            Nite nite

          3. mildred st. meadowlark

            I think that there are certain figures who… enjoy enraging Clamps, but you’d have to be mad to suggest that he isn’t courting some of it.

            With all due respect to Clamps, he can be relentless with his… agenda (for want of a better word). He frequently shoehorns comments on the ‘evils’ of the left/feminists into topics that are wholly unrelated, and fights his point doggedly, and there are times where the tone of his comments could considered… provoking.

            That said, he’s as entitled to his opinion as the rest of us, even if its completely wrong and utterly mad ;p

          4. Sheik Yahbouti

            No-one has ever said he is not entitled to his ‘opinions ‘, Mildred. However, other people are EQUALLY entitled to disagree with his opinions. You, and some others, appear to suggest that this isn’t so (perhaps because you ‘know and like’ him). No matter what your reasoning I would suggest that it is unfair to other posters. I would have thought that the success of this, and other, fora would rest on diversity of opinion and comment.

          5. mildred st. meadowlark

            Did I suggest that no one should disagree with him? I frequently disagree with him, and you’ll see from my comments above that I disagree with him on this topic. I just prefer to (for the most part) to be respectful of the fact that what he’s posting is an opinion, as is what I post, and I don’t believe anyone ought to be ridiculed or hounded for his/her opinions.

            I’ve poked a little fun at his tone, or perhaps the hyperbolic nature of his comments, and had outright fights too, but just because we disagree on certain topics that doesn’t mean I should be a cow about it. I like pretty much everyone who posts here, even if they post utter crap, or stuff I feel fundamentally disagree with, I like most commenters here because they are, by and large, a funny and interesting bunch.

            That includes you, dear Sheik.

          9. Sheik Yahbouti

            PS, what’s ‘intersectionality ‘,? I blush to admit that I’ve no clue – uneducated oik that I am.

          11. mildred st. meadowlark

            I had to google it.

            I wish I had a Venn diagram to explain, but I’m rubbish at maths, and I barely understood the definition.

            It’s to do with overlapping social identities, who have a system of oppression or discrimination in common, coming together, or intersecting, to form a new group/social identity/thing which is separate to the original social identity.

            Please someone, for the love of socks, tell me I got that right.

          12. Sheik Yahbouti

            Haven’t a breeze, Millie. BTW the remark about “the mere possibility ‘ etc was for you – somehow Clampers got in the middle :-D

          14. Clampers Outside

            it’s what Oppression Olympics points are scored from… in a nutshell. The more negative intersections in your life, the more you are oppressed. Peak unoppressed is a cis-white male, the head of the Patriarchy, naturally.

          18. Clampers Outside

            I know no other commenter on here, not out in the real world, no.

            Remember too, Avatars are like online dating, you really don’t know who is on the other end until you talk face to face :)

          19. Sheik Yahbouti

            My Avatar is particularly appealing – it’s Peter O’Toole at his height – as Lawrence of Arabia!! Only gorgeous lads. It ‘s me twitter persona and appears everywhere – except here. Dunno why.

          23. Clampers Outside

            Well said on the rest.

            My only agenda is to stop the lies seen in my sphere of my own experience and seen to be perpetuated by certain ideologies that happen to permeate most of society and so are legitimately brought into many subjects a vast majority of the time.

            Yes, I have thrown in comments to provoke.

            Nite again…. me bus is pullin’ in in a bit

          24. LW

            Opinions are like the bit between the cheeks of your bum, everybody has one. An opinion based on facts has merit, one based on bull excrement doesn’t. So I can respect, but not agree with, the opinion of a commentator who believes that bus eireann is too expensive to sustain, for example. I can’t respect the opinion of someone who thinks Sweden has legalised child marriage, because he half read an article on some fake news site. Opinions are fine, but the idea that every opinion is sacred is the greatest load of rubbish…. in my opinion

          25. Sheik Yahbouti

            LW. The voice of reason – and I’m not being sarcastic. People may have suffered in life – those sufferings may warp their opinions, which is understandable . However we do not help people by entertaining false premises.

          28. Deluded

            Yes Millie.
            A crude analogy: a mate is gay but plays sports, so he’s alright, but his partner is “a bit much”.
            However if he was straight and his wife was hot then they could be bottomholes and get away with it.

        1. mildred st. meadowlark

          I feel like you’ve misunderstood the point Moyest.

          Because the PC thing clearly is not the issue, as we are all aware.

        2. Happy Molloy

          Middle Eastern Oil Rich societies are the problem.
          And we are the problem for not criticizing and trying to influence them.

          Christ, we often whinge about the no blacks, no dogs, no Irish days, the immigrant workers in those countries have it infinitely worse.

      3. bertie blenkinsop

        Not to sidetrack the argument and I’m open to correction on this but I thought those “No blacks, no dogs, no Irish” window signs were a myth

      4. Kieran Nice Young Chap

        They weren’t, Bertie. Research over the last couple of years has uncovered evidence in the US and UK.

      6. MoyestWithExcitement

        “And we are the problem for not criticizing and trying to influence them.”

        You think you’re going to modernise societies in the Middle East by talking to other white western Europeans about how uncivilised you think they are? White people talking to each other about how uncivilised Arab society is. There’s probably a word for that.

        1. Happy Molloy

          you’re so argumentative Moyest my aul flower. I wonder are you smiling or sneering when you post your comments.

          1. Sheik Yahbouti

            Happy, he /she that is moist has a very valid point. Bizzarrely (!) financial and other sanctions are what would work. I have oft laughed at Elon Musk and other entrpreneurs but they or their like are the only ones who can break the west’s dependence on oil – and thus bring an end to pernicious dynasties. Talking about you – House of Saud.

        2. Sheik Yahbouti

          No Moyest, but we might start by not selling arms to them and by any available means reducing our dependence on oil. The Saudis have survived by being huge customers of the UK, USA, France and others. Easy to overlook their role in fomenting terrorism when they wave their big cheque book. Rotten.

      1. petey

        thanks nigel. this is an antique rightwing rhetorical trick, “where is amnesty/HRW/the libruls” when the writer doesn’t bother to look in the first place.

        1. Deluded

          +1
          I think the point of it is that bald assertions are easy to take on board whereas the complex rebuttal can easily get bogged down, derailed.
          (This can be used by anyone on the political spectrum though).

      1. Nigel

        Yes, because AI are quite well known for their focus on prisoners held without trial. It’s their thing.

        1. GiggidyGoo

          There’s a difference in being ‘held without trial’ and ‘held pending trial’.
          Amnesty International. ‘Protecting people’s rights worldwide’, ‘freedom justice equality’.
          Amnesty is a worldwide quango as far as I’m concerned.

          1. Nigel

            ‘Pending trial’ only works if the trial is actually held within a reasonable period of time and in reasonable circumstances. I question your judgement and find your opinion without credibility.

      2. EightersGonnaEight

        Actually Amnesty Ireland are NOT interested in freeing “the likes of Halawa”. That’s part of the problem. Because he is Muslim and not a fan of same sex marriage he has no human rights worth defending…

    4. petey

      to be “more vocal” the corporate press would have to give them coverage. what are you doing to fix that, harry?

    5. Happy Molloy

      OK, the amnesty comment was none too popular, and to be fair it was lazy on my part.

      I didn’t check to see what amnesty had or had not said. I guess the reason my mind went to amnesty (and I didn’t think much before I posted, I’m usually on public transport or in the jacks using this thing :-)) is that I was thinking of human rights dialogue and the west, and amnesty is often the mouthpiece there.

      So I retract that but the rest of my comment still stands. I have plenty of experience with the middle east and it is frightening how certain ethnicity are seen as sub human. Don’t even get me started on the Indian caste system which is dying off in the sub continent but is strong as ever with the Indian workforce is the UAE, despite the fact they would all be seen as lowly by society.

      And I can’t understand how such clear and blatant human right abuses are discussed so little when they’re so close to home when we live in a world of outrage at just about anything else.

      This is one that pisses me off a lot, and that video, which I don’t recommend you watch, captures it perfectly.

      Anyway, I’ll not argue on this anymore, life’s too short, I just made a comment on the internet.

      1. Sheik Yahbouti

        The caste system isn’t dying off nearly as quickly as it should imho. An absolute classic illustration of how the purpose of religion is to keep the lower orders in check. Doesn’t matter what religion it is, the purpose and outcome is the same.

        1. Steph Pinker

          Sheik, I’m playing Devil’s Advocate here, but how would you imagine a world with billions of people devoid of [any] religious beliefs? As per your concluding sentence, do you not think the purpose and outcome would be the same, regardless of religions?

          1. Sheik Yahbouti

            The world might well be just as cruel and unfair (in fact it’s the most likely scenario, given human nature), but at least we wouldn’t have to suffer the phoney justifications. People could still be b*stardi, but would, I hope, have to admit it. In a couple of centuries perhaps some progress could be made – or not :-(

          2. Steph Pinker

            I don’t know if you’re au fait with Hannah Arendt, but you might find her thinking interesting, she had a wonderful mind, and heart. I’ve only read three of her publications: The origins of Totalitarianism; The Human Condition; and, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil – so, I’m not an expert on her, or her writings, obviously, but, she’s definitely worth a read… as is Nietzsche :)

          1. Nigel

            That’s more like where cringing crosses the line into muscle cramps. The banality of banality, as opposed to the banality of evil.

  4. jeremy kyle

    Terrible, hope that woman makes a full recovery and the person recording is punished. Sociopathic behaviour.

    1. Sheik Yahbouti

      Jeremy, that wagon’s ‘property ‘ either jumped or fell. No punishment whatever will fall on that filthy, entitled, sack of excrement. Bear in mind that it is a mother!! Fabulous example to the next generation.

  6. Brother Barnabas

    Bodger, I’ve had dozens…hundreds of comments deleted on BS; have never challenged or asked why (usually been pretty obvious). But can you please tell me why you deleted my comment on this thread? Somewhat unsettling.

      1. mildred st. meadowlark

        I believe they are… extracting the Michael, dear BB.

        I can hear the malicious chuckles right now, in fact.

  8. m.e.

    Lived in the UAE. One cannot say that this is the attitude of all Gulf people towards their domestic help, but far far too many.

  11. B

    Yeah, fupp this place nowadays.

    “Fupp” my own pre-emptive moderation, I could say a hell of a lot worse.

    The mouth piece of a maniac and a circle jerk for others.

  12. dav

    Documented evidence of the indifference of the rich towards the poor and yet they are allowed to mass more and more wealth every year

  14. Junkface

    That video was disgusting. To just film someone who needs help and is terrified is pure evil. I hope they are seriously prosecuted. Its amazing that the poor woman survived the fall.

  15. Kenny U-Vox Plank

    Disgusting lack of empathy for a fellow human being. So, so depressing the world we live in.

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