U.K. Council Officer Advocates Slapping Maids, UK Dr. Charged With Modern-Day Slavery

Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of what kind of job they do, and especially those in thankless, menial, often demeaning jobs like domestic servants. But maids are often treated as slave labor, forced to work long hours, for little to no pay, especially foreign maids working for wealthy families in the U.K. And the U.K. seems to have a growing problem with regards to the use of trafficked women used as slave labor. and what's most appalling is the attitude by some regarding the problem.

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After a recent debate on a U.K. television programme called "Britain's Secret Slaves" about the issue of abuse of foreign maids, a woman of Sri Lankan heritage, Rehana Mohamed (who also happens to be a senior council officer), posted on her Twitter account the following:

'Oh this is so self-righteous. 'That b****y maid needs a good slap. Some ppl [sic] here have no idea what it's like having servants. 'I'm sorry but being on call 24/7 and not having a day off for months and not being allowed to leave the house DOESN'T make you a slave.' 'Damn right they should get up and make what you want. That's their job. 'We never let out female servants for their own safety.'

Of course this caused a huge furor, and Mohamed went into 'fix it' overdrive by claiming she had only said those things "in jest". But we all know there is truth in jest, and she obviously wants to repair any damage she might have caused to her reputation, since many people are not very happy with her callous, insensitive remarks.

Sarah Teather, Brent Central MP and Education Minister, called the remarks 'unacceptable'. The Liberal Democrat MP added: ''I am extremely shocked by these comments. 'Anybody who is working on policy on a council like Brent needs to be sensitive to the issues. 'The council should ask whether it is appropriate to employ a consultant who holds such views to work in policy for the most ethnically diverse borough in the country. 'The Dispatches programme raised the very serious issue of abuse of domestic servants in this country.' Brent Council said it is considering what action to take.

Yes, Mohamed has apologized:

'I sincerely apologise if I offended anybody with my remarks.

'I realise that my remarks were insensitive and did, at the time, apologise for causing offence.

'However, I would like to say again that I am very sorry for the flippant way I commented on a serious issue.'

And even if it was said in jest, this is a serious problem that should not be mocked with flip comments on a social media like Twitter, where words can be misinterpreted. Perhaps she will think twice about what she says. But I would venture to say she's probably more concerned about the anger it has aroused, rather than what she said. And the fool is still tweeting about the situation. 'I have become a hate figure.'

To makes such remarks about an issue that is a major problem in the U.K. is unconscionable. Apparently, every year there are at least 15,000 domestic workers that arrive in the U.K., and often these servants are forced to work up to 20 hours per day, and paid a mere pittance for their hard labor.

Aidan McQuade, director of charity Anti-Slavery International, said: 'Many instances of domestic servitude in this country are forced labour - a classification that includes retention of passports and wages, threat of denunciation and restriction of movement and isolation.'

In fact, a wealthy 68-year-old doctor, Saeeda Khan, is facing charges in the U.K. courts for "modern day slavery". She smuggled in a woman from Tanzania, and she and her husband used her as a slave, with very little pay, and forced her to sleep on the floor. And this is not an isolated case.

We need to start treating each other in a decent manner, no matter who they are.