In a punishment not altogether unfamiliar in the Muslim world, a woman from India who was working as a domestic maid in Saudia Arabia has had her hand chopped off, allegedly by her abusive employer. Now the Indian Minister of External Affairs has become involved.
Kasturi Munirathinam has been in Riyadh for about three months. She began to complain to her family back home that her employer was not only withholding her pay, but was abusing her physically. It is alleged that her employer chopped her hand off as punishment after discovering her pleas for help.
In a video from the hospital that began making the rounds on Twitter, Munirathinam can be heard explaining in Hindi, "I pleaded with the woman not to harm me, but she kicked me, punched me and cut off my arm."
"I want to go back home," she cries. "Please help me.”
The Indian government is demanding justice. Sushma Swaraj, India's Minister for External affairs, took to Twitter overnight to express her outrage with the situation and the Islamic nation.
Chopping of hand of Indian lady - We are very much disturbed over the brutal manner in which Indian lady has been treated in Saudi Arabia.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 9, 2015
This is unacceptable. We have taken this up with Saudi authorities.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 9, 2015
A spokesman for the ministry told the Indian Express that the Embassy in Riyadh "has taken up the matter with the Saudi Foreign Office and asked for strict action in the matter and severe punishment for the sponsor. We have also sought an independent probe in the incident and urged that a case of attempted murder be lodged against the sponsor so that he is punished, if found guilty as per law."
Abuse of domestic servants is a problem in Saudi culture, one that sometimes gets exported when Saudis move to other countries, including the United States. Abuse of maids in particular is also a huge problem in Indonesia and Malaysia.
