logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2020
21m 19s

In Lebanon, a domestic worker's last mes...

Al Jazeera
About this episode

Faustina Tay sent dozens of chilling voice messages pleading for help. She said her employers in Lebanon were beating her. "I'm scared they might kill me," said the 23-year-old. Her detailed messages have revealed a disturbing reality in Lebanon, where two domestic workers die every week. We hear from the Al Jazeera journalist who first reported this story.

In this episode:

Timour Azhari (@timourazhari), Al Jazeera journalist in Beirut, Lebanon; Patricia, a caseworker with Canada-based advocacy group, This Is Lebanon.

For more:

The desperate final days of a domestic worker in Lebanon

Lebanon to investigate Ghanaian domestic worker's death

Undocumented in Lebanon: No papers, no coronavirus test

Connect with The Take: Twitter (@AJTheTake), Instagram (@ajthetake) and Facebook (@TheTakePod).

Up next
Yesterday
Can Trump strip Musk, Mamdani and others of their US citizenship?
US President Donald Trump is threatening to strip away citizenship from some naturalized citizens, including billionaire Elon Musk and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. In a country where more than 25 million people are naturalized citizens, who is really at risk? In thi ... Show More
22m 40s
Jul 10
Is direct action for Palestine 'terrorism'? The UK says it is
The UK has outlawed Palestine Action, grouping it with ISIL and al-Qaeda. Supporters of the group now risk up to 14 years in prison, and arrests of protesters opposed to the listing have already begun. What does the decision reveal about the UK’s approach to protest and civil dis ... Show More
20m 40s
Jul 9
What would happen if coral reefs disappeared?
Coral reefs are dying at a record speed, putting a backbone of global food chains at critical risk. More than 80 percent of coral reefs are now hit by mass bleaching. Reefs feed millions, protect coasts and shape economies. What happens when they vanish – and is the world doing e ... Show More
21m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
The ‘Ponzi scheme’ behind Lebanon’s economic collapse
For years, Riad Salameh was praised for his revolutionary financial policies as head of Lebanon’s central bank. But suddenly, the country plunged into an economic crisis. And Salameh left the central bank with a disgraced reputation and, investigators believe, a massive personal ... Show More
21m 39s
Feb 2020
EPISODE 119: Traditional News Reporting with Joseph Haboush
We're joined by Joseph Haboush for Episode 119 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss the difficulties facing traditional media outlets like The Daily Star - Lebanon, and the determination of news reporters to deliver content despite financial woes. Joseph reflects on The Daily Sta ... Show More
40m 29s
Oct 2020
Leaving Lebanon
Lebanon has suffered not just a catastrophic blast that cost around two hundred lives, but also a devastating economic crisis. The value of the currency has plunged and the pandemic lockdown forced nearly a third of businesses to close, leaving thousands jobless. Is Lebanon now a ... Show More
28m 37s
Nov 2021
Lebanon: Anatomy of a failed state
Lebanon is in economic crisis with shortages of food, medicine and electricity on the ground. Today, how did the country, whose capital was once described as the Paris of the Middle East, get here? And is there hope for the future?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the sup ... Show More
30m 27s
Aug 2021
Is Lebanon a failed state?
Gideon Rachman talks to Chloe Cornish, the FT’s Middle East correspondent, on how decades of misgovernance have led to Lebanon’s current political, economic and social crisis. Chloe recounts how the year since the explosion in Beirut, the country’s capital city, has been one of w ... Show More
22m 15s
Sep 2021
Lebanon in dire need
The new Lebanese government has been in place for a week, but with the economy still spiraling, Lebanese people lack confidence anything will be done in the short term to relieve the extreme economic crisis. Mohamed El Aassar, Middle East journalist with Fortune Magazine, tells t ... Show More
17m 28s
Mar 2019
Episode 39 - Pompeo's visit
The discussion on Pompeo’s visit begins at 15:04. In this episode, Nizar and Ben analyze (ok rant about) the recent visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Lebanon, in which he gave a tone-deaf speech about Lebanon and Hezbollah, and avoided any press questions. Also discus ... Show More
36m 36s
Apr 2023
Israel strikes targets in Gaza and Lebanon after days of violence
The strikes follow clashes at al-Aqsa mosque and rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza and southern Lebanon. We get the latest news from Lebanon. Also in the programme: as the 25th anniversary of the historic Good Friday peace agreement for Northern Ireland approaches, the threat of ... Show More
48m 45s
Jul 2022
Lebanon’s silent crisis
For nearly three years, Lebanon has been steadily collapsing under the weight of a financial crisis that is one of the worst in the modern world. But what is life like for those who have to live through the situation on the ground?   To be Lebanese is to navigate a slew of daily ... Show More
20m 27s
Apr 2024
MAYA GEBEILY - The Clear Picture (Ep.396)
A conversation with Maya Gebeily- Reuters Bureau Chief of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. An episode co-hosted by Wael Taleb - journalist at L'Orient Today. Covering Issam Abdallah's killing, the investigation process into the October 13 Israeli attack on Lebanese reporters, Reuters' ... Show More
38m 54s