Anonymous [updated]

One of the most frustrating aspects of the sad tale of the Ethiopian woman who was beaten in public and then committed suicide is that we never knew what her name was. (Update: Now we know)

Having her name would have personalized her and made us more sympathetic to her tragedy. It would have made it easier to know that she had people who loved her and cared for her.

But she remained anonymous. She became a statistic, a distant tale of “some woman” who killed herself. We feel bad about it, but we don’t really care. What if we knew all along that her name was, say, Abeba. How much more powerful would it have been if we read the news today that “Abeba has committed suicide”?

It is very telling that no one is releasing her name. Not the police, not the Asylumn, not her ex employees. It’s as if her anonymity is an essential part of some sinister “best practices” we have developed as a society for dealing with rebelling slaves foreign domestic workers.

Update: Apparently the Ethiopian embassy has released her name: Alem Dechasa. Kudos to the Daily Star and other sources who did use it in their report.

Update 2: Al-Akhbar’s piece on her death this morning is entitled: “Her Name was Alem Ashessa”

Update 3: Assafir: Mrs. Alem Dishessa has committed suicide. When will Lebanon stop its racist domestic sponsorship policy?