Think about it

Following the events of 9/11, the image of Arabs around the world changed for the worst. Before these catastrophic events, Arabs were portrayed as terrorists in the media, especially Hollywood. From Arnold's "True Lies" to more recently Jamie Foxx' "The Kingdom", the image of Arabs around the world has only deteriorated. Through such stereotypes, discrimination against Arabs or Middle Easterners was felt globally. Most Arabs I know have gone through some form of discrimination. Whether at airports, universities, or a regular grocery store, most Arabs I know have had the displeasure of going through such an experience. This has lead to an outcry from the Arab communities around the world, whether in the Middle East or in Canada, Arabs are unhappy with the treatment they receive in their everyday life. The plea to put an end to this can be heard from all corners of the globe as they attempt to portray themselves as the victims.

Except when looking at the Middle East itself, all countries included, an even more ruthless form of discrimination is being carried out by the Arabs against other races. Everywhere you look in the Middle East you find foreigners from Southeast-Asian origin. From Sir Lanka, India, Pakistan, Philippines, etc. Hopefuls come to the Middle East in search of better opportunities. For the men, unfortunately, this usually means hard labour. Not your typical hard labour you find here in Canada or anywhere in the western world for that matter. These "workers", using the term loosely, are required to work 12-16 hour days in the sun. Of course everyone knows how hot that can be on a summer day. With temperatures reaching over 55 Degrees Celsius in countries like Qatar and Kuwait. These workers are considered second class citizens and are paid very little. Usually, they share rooms with more than 6 or 7 people in order to be able to support their family back home. A family they rarely get to see. The Arabs that exploit these workers benefit from the cheap and endless supply of labour. Ever wonder why projects in the UAE are completed so fast? As for the women, their opportunities are usually found as stay-in nannies. Part of her duties include, being available 24/7 to attend to the needs of those she serves. These duties include cooking, cleaning, looking after children (more accurately raising the children, this is not an exaggeration) while also getting paid very little. These women usually have their children back home whom they send money to. They put up with a lot for very little and Arabs are exploiting the suffering that these foreigners are willing to endure in order to live a lavish lifestyle. This is not to say that all Arabs of the world fall under this category, far from it. But for those living in the middle-east, more specifically the gulf, this is commonly found. Before pointing out others' injustices, and in order to bring an end to racism and discrimination altogether, we, as Arabs, have a duty where we are not only the victim but culprit as well.