The Infamous Kafala System in Saudi Arabia

By Danny Gonzales-Hyde, Staff Writer

On November 4, I spoke with a Saudi Arabian national named Yahya about the kafala system in Saudi Arabia. The kafala system is a legal system that gives the employers almost complete control of their employees, who are migrant laborers. This system provides cheap, controllable labor for the employer, since the migrant workers lack protections that other workers enjoy. Consequently, this has resulted in poor working conditions for the migrants and, in extreme cases, the abuse of the migrant workers by their employers. 

Saudi Arabia isn't the only country with a version of the kafala system, it also operates in a variety of other countries in the Persian Gulf Coast region such as Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and others. Yahya had once employed kafala migrants before the Saudi Crown Prince announced in March 2021 that he would be making major changes to the system. These changes make it easier for the employee to change employers, while also making it possible for the employee to leave the country temporarily and then re-enter. Nevertheless, all these newly granted worker rights would need to be approved by the Saudi government on an individual case.

Kafalas in Saudi Arabia are mostly from poorer countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Lebanon and their salary is based on the migrant worker's country of origin. For example, Bangladeshis, such as the kafala who works in Yahya’s apartment complex, would receive some of the lowest pay while Lebanese people would receive some of the highest pay. While kafalas are employed, they are subjected to do whatever labor their employer demands of them, regardless of their own wants or needs, in exchange for being taken care of by their employer. I asked Yahya what he provided for his kafalas and he said that besides basic housing accommodation and a salary, he also pays for the kafalas’ flights in and out of the country. When I asked about how easy it would be for a kafala to leave if they wanted to, he told me that if he wanted them to stay, they would because he was in possession of the kafalas IDs and passports which would be necessary to leave. This is common practice for the kafala employers. Furthermore, when I inquired about the living conditions provided for the kafala he employs in his apartment complex, he said that he is provided with his own private living space with both a private bathroom and kitchen. Yahya claimed that this particular kafala migrant buys Pepsi and other beverages and then resells them to the construction workers across the street who are also the kafala’s main friends according to Yahya. 

Oftentimes in the workplace, the employee and employer don't always see eye to eye for a variety of reasons. For Yahya and his kafala, their arguments usually involve differing opinions about the most efficient way for work to get done, nothing that would be punishment worthy. When I inquired about what kind of actions would be punishment worthy and what that punishment may look like, Yahya recounted a story of a male Bangladeshi worker who had gone to Yahya’s uncle's house to look at the girls’ party and after being caught, they brought him back to Yahya’s house. Upon arrival back at Yahya’s house, they invited all the Pakistani and Indian workers who lived in the same housing accommodation to watch as they proceeded to beat the man's feet with a wooden stick. Yahya claimed that such offenses like this one are justifiable reasons for punishment. When asked about the drawbacks of employing a kafala migrant after the recent reforms, Yahya pointed to how he can no longer depend on the kafala to exclusively work for him, as they can now seek new employment elsewhere if so desired. 

The exploitation of the kafala migrants has put the system under much scrutiny from the international community and human rights organizations in recent years as parallels have been drawn between it and labor systems that have been discontinued such as indentured servitude, sharecropping, and slavery. The dehumanizing nature of the kafala system also leaves us with more questions than answers as to why a system like this exists in today's world. But in order to further dismantle this system, we have to ask ourselves who are the beneficiaries of exploiting the kafala migrants labor and from there we can gain a better understanding as to why it remains in place.

Just Stop Oil: Activism or Vandalism?

By Vivian Pham, Staff Writer

On October 14 at the Nation Gallery in London, two environmental activists were reported to throw canned soup at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers. After the scandalous act, both young activists took off their jackets, revealed to be members of the Just Stop Oil organization. They then glued themselves to the wall beneath the painting, and proceeded to give out a speech about environmental awareness.

“What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? More than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?” said one of the activists, Phoebe Plummer, from London. Accompanied with her was Anna Holland, from Newcastle.

The two activists were arrested shortly after. Fortunately, according to the gallery, the painting was confirmed to remain unharmed, although minor damage was detected on the external frame.

What exactly is Just Stop Oil? And what is its purpose? On their official website, Just Stop Oil claimed to be “a coalition of groups working together to ensure that the government commits to ending all new licenses and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.” This group of environmental activists aimed to put a stop to global warming and prevent the UK government from fossil fuel production. Even though the message they tried to deliver is reasonable and aligns with most environmental activist groups, their way of delivering is usually controversial, which receives negative responses from the public and mass media. Prior to the scandalous soup throwing, the group staged a sit-down protest around London, infuriating drivers and commuters for disrupting traffic during rush hours. Subsequently, the scandalous act at the National Gallery proved to escalate its tactics.

One of the spokespersons of Just Stop Oil, Alex de Koning, spoke with several reporters outside of the National Gallery shortly after the soup throwing incident, “…this is not The X Factor. We are not trying to make friends here, we are trying to make change, and unfortunately this is the way that change happens.”

Additionally, Just Stop Oil publicly claimed to receive funding from Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) – a U.S. network set up in 2019 to fund climate activism. Ironically, CEF turned out to be part-funded by Aileen Getty, a U.S. philanthropist whose grandfather was the founder of Getty Oil petroleum company, J. Paul Getty. Needless to say, it is not always the case that the heirs of these petroleum multimillion dollar fortunes have no intention to overcome the damage caused by their predecessors. CEF is said to financially contribute for numerous environmental activist organizations. Nevertheless, critics fear that the elites might utilize these activist groups for tax evasion or tax-related purposes. 

Midnights: The Taylor Swift Album to Rule them All

By Sandra Vo, Staff Writer

At midnight on October 21, Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album “Midnights”, to a world who had long been awaiting her return. Under the power of a dedicated fanbase, “Midnights” crashed Spotify upon its release and sold over a million copies in just one week. For Swifties everywhere, “Midnights” was the culmination of everything that Swift represented: love, heartbreak, self-realization, and raw, personal emotion. 

But what exactly makes “Midnights” a distinctly Taylor Swift album? For one, the usage of musical elements from Swift’s previous music breathes both new life and nostalgia into her latest tracks, reviving the pieces of Swift eras long gone. 

In “Anti-Hero”, Swift embraces the gated reverb, a muted electronically modified drum sound that originated from the 1980s. As a result, the song becomes reminiscent of her 1989 album, her previous ode to the funky pop of the 80s. She juxtaposes the upbeat pop melody with lyrics about how her own self-confidence wavers in her day-to-day life. Her music video portrays two versions of herself that interact with each other in a mentor-mentee relationship, where one Swift teaches the other about the cynicism and the fact that she, herself, is the problem in all of her relationships. At the end, three Swifts convene on a rooftop to share a drink, resolving her struggles with self-esteem with a simple toast.  

This interaction between multiple versions of herself isn’t contained to just “Anti-Hero” however. Swift also addresses herself again in “You’re On Your Own, Kid” which initially appears to be about her naivete as a young woman and the bitterness that she has developed in her later years. However, later in the song, Swift subverts her original narrative by saying that her independence is actually a strength that’ll allow her to move past any moment by herself as she sings, “You’re on your own, kid. Yeah, you can face this. You’re on your own kid. You always have been.” Swift fans who can recall the song “Fifteen” from her namesake album will immediately spot the similarities to the ending of “Fifteen” where she tells her former 15-year-old self to “Take a deep breath girl. Take a deep breath as you walk through the doors.” The theme of her future self reassuring her former self of their resilience pervades throughout her experiences and journey as a musician. 

In “Snow On The Beach” (ft. Lana Del Rey), Swift and Rey sing about dreamlike romances and surreal moments during love. Both of them have a light, airy melody line that aligns with the theme about being in the hypnotic clutches of love. Combined with the soft, lower-pitched instrumentals that accompany their voices, this song sounds a little bit like it belongs in her “Evermore” and “Folklore” albums. She utilizes the same gentle rhythms and tender percussion to give “Snow On The Beach” a comforting, warmer feeling. 

And perhaps the most obvious nod to her former music is the song “Vigilante Sh–” The spoken, monotone words followed by a bass drop is definitely an element that she explored in her “Reputation” album. Knowing that “Reputation” embodied the idea of being a “bad b—-,” it’s no surprise that the message of “Vigilante Sh–” is all about revenge and independence. 

But even despite the wide range of musical elements and themes, Swift wraps her Midnights album nicely with one overarching theme: the simultaneous ending and beginning of her journey. She reflects on her previous experiences (“Midnight Rain” and “Question..?”) but also notes the direction that she wants to move forward (“Labyrinth” and “Lavender Haze”). And perhaps there has never been anything more “Taylor Swift” than to know that reflection does not trap a person in the past, but instead, gives them an avenue to move forward.