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Kuwait man slaps Egypt cashier

July 28, 2020 at 12:59 pm

A screenshot from video of a Kuwaiti man hitting an Egyptian cashier in Kuwait, 26 July 2020 [alshalahi_q73/Twitter]

A video of a Kuwaiti man hitting an Egyptian cashier is circulating online.

In the video a woman standing behind the man tries to stop him, but he pushes her away and slaps him three times.

Eventually a security guard intervenes. Activists have said the cashier wanted to make an official complaint but that he was discouraged from doing so by security officials.

https://twitter.com/alshalahi_q73/status/1287411764154576899

 

For activists, the video has once again underscored racism against the 35 million foreign workers in the Gulf state, most of whom are Indian and Egyptian.

In May, Snapchat influencer Reem Al-Shammari called Egyptian workers in Kuwait “servants”.

“We don’t like Egyptians, because they’re the dirtiest group. I won’t say all but 90 per cent of them are filthy.”

“We pay you to serve us, why can’t you understand that?” she asked.

Earlier this year there were calls for the expulsion and deportation of Egyptian workers in Kuwait.

A Kuwaiti artist called for Egyptians to be thrown into the desert, saying that her country should not have to bankroll medical care for Egyptians who have contracted coronavirus.

READ: Egypt sentences TikTok female influencers to 2 years in prison

Lawmakers have drafted a law proposing a quota system for employing foreigners, under which Indian workers would not exceed 15 per cent of the overall Kuwaiti population and Egyptians ten per cent.

Egyptian authorities have tried to downplay the incident in the supermarket.

Consul General of Egypt in Kuwait, Ambassador Hisham Asran, has said that it is an individual incident and does not represent the strength of bilateral relations between the two countries.

He added that it does not affect the stability of Egyptian workers in Kuwait.

Kuwait’s prime minister has praised Egypt for being what he says, an “essential pillar for the security and stability of the Arab world.”

Last year the two countries signed three framework agreements worth $1.086 billion, including for the Sinai Development Programme.