Job termination ads violate rights: NHRC
MUHANAD AL NIDAWI - DOHA The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) seems to have taken a serious note of the allegedly demeaning practice of advertising in newspapers the termination of services of expatriates in Qatar or their departure from the country for different reasons, and wants an end to it.
The NHRC, which considers this phenomenon a violation of the human rights of the victims and an insult to human dignity, is seriously thinking of taking up the issue with the local press and the concerned government authorities in an effort to evolve a mechanism that guarantees expatriates’ human rights and respect for their right to privacy violated as a result of ads in newspapers about termination of services or exit from Qatar.
According to the information accessed through the NHRC website, the committee thinks there is a genuine need for a ban on such advertisements. “Ads announcing termination of services, layoff or departure from Qatar for forever in local newspapers accompanied by a photograph of the expatriate in question are a form of disrespect to an individual that violates his right to dignity. Such an ad published along with the photograph creates a negative image of the person concerned in the minds of readers.
This is a demeaning act that could hurt one’s reputation in society, affect his/her professional life and career besides lowering their dignity,” the website content says. There is also mention of the ads about the availability of domestic labour, which is also a demeaning practice which not only lowers human dignity but also turns human, by implication, into a commodity to be traded. This too is a gross violation of one’s human right to live with dignity and respect.
Stressing on the universally accepted fact that human beings are not a commodity which can be traded, the NHRC report says, “Human dignity and respect for humans are something guaranteed by the human race’s destiny as the highest form of life in the universe.” It may be noted that the NHRC move follows a heated debate on the subject raised during a talk on the local press’ role vis-à-vis human rights issues which was part of the workshop for journalists organised jointly by the NHRC and Dar al Sharq Centre for Training and Information on Human Rights.
Qatar Tribune, 2/02/09
