Smile

Amidst my own problems and questions of life, I couldn’t help but have my heart drop further down when I read this article. I am having my exam today. I told myself that I should concentrate as I have not studied at all. I woke up in the morning and I read about this. My heart is bleeding. What in the world am I doing worrying about my studies and my situations and just be ignorant to the world around me. As much I have needs, I can’t believe I am so selfish. I had to write this! I had to! Its my holy discontent!

If you don’t already know, Dubai is probably the most beautiful city in the world now. With the tallest building coming up, longest bridges, billboards, amazing architecture are a marvel and splendor. I long with all my heart to be there one day. Another reason I long to be there is what this article I read talks about. Among all the wonderful splendor of all this mans inhumanity towards man has manifested itself. All these beauty is what the people who so called pay for it take pride in. But what about the hands of these men that do it?

“All of these men are part of a huge scam that is helping the construction boom in the Gulf. Like hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, they each paid more than ¬£1,000 to employment agents in India and Pakistan. They were promised double the wages they are actually getting, plus plane tickets to visit their families once a year, but none of the men in the room had actually read their contract. Only two of them knew how to read.

Once they arrive in the United Arab Emirates, migrant workers are treated little better than cattle, with no access to healthcare and many other basic rights. The company that sponsors them holds on to their passports – and often a month or two of their wages to make sure that they keep working. And for this some will earn just 400 dirhams (¬£62) a month.”

In certain areas up to 20 men share a room. UN agencies estimate that there are up to 300,000 illegal workers in the Emirates

At the end of long days, after up to 18 hours of work, they are taken back to the camps

I can’t believe I can sit here in my comfortable seat and complain about my pains and not do a thing about their situation. I want to do something. I must do something. But here and now, I can’t. What can I do!!!! I just can’t stand sitting here.

The thing I can do best prepare myself for opportune time to help. I can’t believe I’m worried about exams and all and meeting expectations and my responsibilities when these people need the message I have come to know. A message of hope. The truth. I cannot bear to see this injustice happen and yet we live our lives in ignorance.

I’m studying 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy now. All the mentioning about the wasting of our time arguing about matters and issues that are not important but only cause dissension has cause me to be even more convicted. Why are we wasting time arguing about our differences when these people and many others die each moment we waste away? There are more important issues at hand. Love one another. Feed the needy. Help the sick. Talk to your neighbor. Spend time with your children. Love your loved ones. THERE IS JUST SO MUCH WE CAN DO! Thank God for this reporter who wrote this. I pray the church will no longer plea ignorance.

Ok I’ve talked too much. Time to study. Please take time to read this article. All photos and quotations are courtesy of Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. I hope he doesn’t mind me using his work. It has inspired me. Click here to read

Tags: injustice, pain, suffering