Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !

Arabia

Rania Flees, ‘Won’t Come Back’

2005-10-08

Saudi television presenter Rania Al-Baz whose near-death assault by her ex-husband Mohammed Al-Fallata was widely reported, has fled the country and decided not to return. Reports of her alleged escape aboard a foods lorry bound for Bahrain and from there to Paris were posted on Arabic websites two days ago. The reports claimed that she was prevented from traveling when she went to Jeddah International Airport last week for a trip to Paris where she was supposed to attend a conference on women’s rights. She has been traveling to Paris regularly to continue her plastic surgery treatment of multiple facial fractures caused by her ex-husband’s brutal beatings. A report in The Guardian newspaper confirmed that she was in Paris and that she “won’t go back”. She said that she was looking for a place to live and find work either in Paris or London. As for the reason why she fled, Rania told the British paper: “I was not safe any more in Saudi Arabia.” She left her children, two boys from Al-Fallata and a daughter from a previous marriage, in Jeddah and was “thinking about” them. Margot Fero, a spokesperson for Rania’s publisher of her book “The Disfigured”, told The Guardian: “She is here in France legally but without the permission of the Saudi government. Yes, it was an escape but she’s OK. Obviously she’s worried about her children.”

Link

Arabia

Rania Al-Baz to Host Show on Al-Arabiya

2005-08-16

JEDDAH, 16 August 2005 — Rania Al-Baz, the TV presenter who became the poster face for abused women in Saudi Arabia after her ex-husband beat her almost to death last year, is starting a new chapter in her life. She looks a whole lot better in the photo in this article. You might recall the pic Fred ran of her shortly after hubbie beat the crap out of her. Rania is co-hosting Al-Arabiya satellite news channel’s morning program “Sabah Al-Arabiya” for ten days until Aug. 24. Although she still has two more major plastic surgeries to do on her face to repair the multiple fractures she suffered from having her face brutally smashed by her ex-husband Mohammed Fallata, she is putting on a brave new face for the audience she loves. “Al-Arabiya invited me to guest host this program. It will be a valuable learning experience for me even if it is just for a short period,” Rania told Arab News from Dubai in a phone interview. She described the new program as a combination of news and general information targeting a new segment of the audience. She appears with a new look and without a veil, which some have criticized, but she feels that there will always be those who support and those who criticize. “Before, I appeared on religious channels and I was expected to wear the hijab, but I normally don’t do that when I travel even though I’m proud of the hijab,” she said. "So please don't hit me!" She is eagerly anticipating the release of a French book in September entitled “The Disfigured”, which showcases the lives of women in Saudi Arabia. Written by a French journalist as told to him by Rania, the book will be distributed in France and other European countries and later translated into Arabic. “There is only one chapter about the abuse experience I suffered. The book is a window for the French people on Saudi Arabia, life here and our culture. There has been a lot of misrepresentation and distortion about Saudi women and their lives here and I wanted to present a balanced view of the positives and negatives,” Rania told Arab News. She recently appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show that raised much criticism by writers and the public here because of the truthful way it portrayed Saudi women. The interview with Rania was aired on Oprah recently as part of an episode on women from different parts of the world, but people here considered it unfair and biased because they said while other women were presented in a positive way, the woman chosen to represent Saudi women was an abused and oppressed woman. Gee, we westerners figured it out immediately. “I’m satisfied with the episode, I don’t think that Oprah and her producers were mistaken,” said Rania. “I think we are too sensitive about anyone criticizing us and this is our problem. Oprah has presented many episodes before on abused women in the US and other parts of the world. The US is more advanced than us in terms of human rights. Yes, they have higher rates of crime but they accept criticism. Those of us who have traveled to the US, studied there or worked there, know that the American people are very warm and friendly and not biased, so we should not make judgments of people just because we don’t agree with their government’s policies.” I think I've just found the chancellor for the Republic of Eastern Arabia, a 50-km wide strip of sand ...

Link

Arabia

Rania Finally Gets Divorce

2005-01-04

On Sunday, by court order, Rania Al-Baz was finally divorced from her abusive husband, Mohammed Al-Fallatah. After failing three times to appear in court, Al-Fallatah was brought in by an official of the area where he lives. "I'm glad it only took four sessions for him to divorce me; I know of other women who can't get divorced for years because their husbands fail to show up in court," Rania said. She was pleased with the ruling even though she had to forfeit SR35,000. She explained, "The judge ordered him to divorce me. He then asked for me to forfeit the SR35,000 which was part of our prenuptial agreement if I asked for a divorce. I agreed to do so and then he had the audacity to ask for custody of our children, claiming that I was an unfit mother. The judge refused to listen to him."

Link

Arabia

Rania Denied Divorce

2004-11-01

Rania Al-Baz's husband is refusing to divorce her except through the court, which could take years. "He has completely refused to settle the case out of court and insists that he wants her back for the sake of the children," said Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, lawyer of Rania, the former television broadcaster. The first hearing of the divorce case took place last week, but because the judge did not show up and neither did her husband Muhammad Al-Fallata, the hearing was rescheduled for December. "A case might be delayed for years because of the judge. In the case of Rania, a divorce sentence might be reached after two to five years because of the judge being absent and him trying to conciliate between the disputing parties," Al-Khouli told Arab News. After the no-show of the judge, Al-Khouli and Al-Fallata's lawyer agreed to meet with Al-Fallata to try and settle the case, but they were not successful. Rania has the option of divorcing her husband, called khula in Islam, which requires her to return to him the dowry he gave her (SR15,000), but that is also done through the court. Although when Arab News asked her before whether she was willing to divorce him and return his dowry, she said yes, but at the court she said that she would not compromise on any of her rights.

Link

Arabia

Six-Months And 300 Lashes

2004-09-03

Riyadh - The Saudi judicial authorities have sentenced the retired artist Mohamad Bikr Youness to jail for physically assaulting his wife Rania Al Baz, the broadcaster and thus causing her serious injuries and facial fracture. The sentence consisted of six-month imprisonment and 300 lashes. Baz informed Al-Hayat that she was expecting a much more severe sentence in the case, which received great media coverage in addition it incited the interference of human rights activists. If she had been standard Saudi breeding stock, nothing would have been done. Because she's a big public figure, they have to do something to show their "outrage". Baz confirmed her comeback to the media circle, after her recovery, to host a big production family variety show.

Link

Arabia

Rania Pardons Husband in Out-of-Court Settlement

2004-07-05

Having served a little over half his jail sentence, Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta, who had beaten his wife Rania Al-Baz almost to death, was released from jail on Saturday after she pardoned him. Rania decided to forfeit her private Shariah right for monetary compensation from her husband and requested his release after “settling the case in a way satisfactory to both sides,” she told Arab News. She declined to give details saying only that she did not want to drag this case out any longer given the massive publicity it has received. Rania’s lawyer Dr. Omar Al-Khouli said both parties signed an agreement regarding their two children that “protects the rights of both parties.” Following Al-Fallatta’s attack on her, Rania said she was chiefly concerned about being granted a divorce and permanent full custody of her two boys.

Link

Arabia

Rania’s Husband Gets Six Months’ Jail, 300 Lashes

2004-05-31

Rania Al-Baz’s husband has been sentenced to six months in jail and 300 lashes for beating his wife almost to death. On April 4, Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta attacked the popular TV presenter, pinning her to the floor and repeatedly smashing her face into the marble tiles and the walls while choking her. He then dumped her unconscious at Bugshan Hospital. She barely escaped with her life, suffering 13 facial fractures, and continues to undergo reconstructive surgery. Doctors say she has a 70 percent chance of complete recovery. Al-Fallatta surrendered to the police on April 19 and originally faced an attempted murder charge, later reduced to severe battery. Judge Ibrahim Al-Jarbou announced the verdict on Saturday in the presence of Al-Baz’s lawyer, Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, the prosecutor and the husband. Al-Fallatta “seemed to accept the sentence,” Al-Khouli told Arab News. The six months include time served since his surrender, leaving four and a half months to complete. The sentence is relatively lenient for such cases, according to Al-Khouli, but the judge took several mitigating factors into consideration. What they were Al-Khouli declined to say. Rania Al-Baz said she did not wish to comment on the sentence, since she is anxiously waiting for the decision on her divorce and a decision on custody of her child. Under Shariah, Al-Baz has a private as well as a public claim. The present sentence covers the public claim only. Al-Khouli expects a judgment in the private claim to come some time before Al-Fallatta is released from jail, though it will probably take another month. If Al-Baz insists on compensation for her suffering, Al-Fallatta could either be ordered to pay damages or, in theory, be given a beating of equal severity to the one he inflicted on his wife. However, in practice the penalty is likely to be monetary, Al-Khouli said. Al-Baz is more concerned about being granted a divorce and full custody of her two boys. According to Shariah, in the event of a divorce, the mother gets custody of the children until the age of seven; after that, a boy is given the option of staying with his father or mother, with the other parent given visitation rights. Girls are given to the father. Exceptions are made in unusual circumstances; however, in Saudi courts, judges usually rule in favor of the father, regardless of his character or ability to support the children. Al-Baz said she stayed with her husband despite his history of violence because she was afraid she would be denied custody of her children. In cases of abuse and other situations in which the father is found unfit to have custody, the wife may get guardianship or permanent custody. Al-Khouli has indicated before that in a case abuse as extreme as Al-Baz’s, the judge could grant her permanent custody. In the meantime, Al-Fallatta is making the case difficult by refusing to agree to a divorce, which leaves the judge with the option of revoking the marriage contract.

Link

Arabia

Unemployed Lounge Singer Surrenders

2004-04-21

Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta, who almost beat his wife Rania Al-Baz to death two weeks ago, has surrendered to police, according to the prominent TV presenter. Rania told Arab News that her husband who is facing charges of attempted murder, surrendered to police on Monday night. Al-Fallatta, who was carrying a prayer rug, told police he had acted in a jealous rage, she said. This could mean the charges would be reduced from attempted murder to wife battery, which carries a lighter sentence. "What's the penalty for wife battery?" "12 hours community service." He will remain in custody until he is seen by a judge in four weeks’ time. The judge will decide in one sitting what happens to Al-Fallatta and also whether to grant Rania a divorce and, if he does, who gets custody of the children. “They only questioned him for 15 minutes but did not take my statement. Nobody called me yet,” Rania said. On April 4, Al-Fallatta attacked his wife by pinning her to the floor and repeatedly smashing her face into the marble tiles and the walls while choking her. According to Rania, he stopped only to give her time to recite the shahada, “because,” he said, “I am going to kill you.”

Link

Arabia

Saudi TV Personality Savagely Battered by Husband

2004-04-14

Shock and anger at the beating of TV presenter Rania Al-Baz by her husband run deep among women here. The story put a face to an issue that had been largely relegated to brief sensational items on the crime pages, with graphic images of Rania’s bruised and broken face appearing prominently in several local newspapers. “It is a very common problem, unfortunately, not just here,” said Dima Al-Sulaiman, director of the volunteer committee at the National Home Health Care Foundation. She believes social values are to blame. “Abuse starts from childhood — in how parents direct their sons and daughters’ behavior,” she said. Other women also blame the family and society in general for making violent behavior acceptable. “Saudi men think that this is the way to solve problems. They don’t know how to discuss things quietly,” said Dina Arif, a businesswoman. She says too often a woman who is beaten complains to her father, who instead of taking positive steps to protect his daughter convinces her to go back to her husband and try to work things out... What the...? The Koran imposes on Muslim men, a strict obligation of spousal battery. It is this simple: if they don’t use their wives for punching bags, they go to hell. Koran 4:34 "...As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and mis-conduct, admonish them, expel them from the marital bed, and beat them..." "Fear"? Could be deemed subjective and male-centrist. Then again, Muslims believe that the Koran is the words of their nominal deity, as recited by the nominal Angel Gabriel to Mohammed (Political Correctness be Upon Him).

Link

Arabia

Rania Al-Baz Lashes Out at Abuse of Women

2004-04-11

Rania Al-Baz, an announcer with Saudi Television’s Channel 1 who is recovering after suffering a brutal attack at the hands of her husband, lashed out at the abuse of women from her hospital bed here yesterday. “I want to use what happened to me to draw attention to the plight of abused women in Saudi Arabia,” she told Arab News shortly after surgery to repair one of 13 fractures to her face. Police are currently looking for her husband, Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta, an out-of-work singer, who is facing charges of attempted murder. According to Rania’s mother, Al-Fallatta was angered that his wife answered the telephone and proceeded to beat her. “Rania told me that when he saw her on the telephone he looked angry and was coming to hit her like he had done so many times before,” she told Arab News. “She begged him not to hit her. His reply was: ‘Hit you? I’m not going to hit you, I am going to kill you.’ “What I came to understand from Rania and the maid who saw the whole thing, is that Al-Fallatta knocked Rania down to her knees, then sat on her thighs so that her legs were bent behind her. He then began choking her while punching her in the face, nose, eyes and mouth. He then grabbed a handful of her hair and started banging her head on the floor. When she got up to run, he grabbed her from behind and began smashing her face on the wall until she lost consciousness,” said Rania’s mother. “He left her unconscious for a couple of hours while he showered and changed then bundled her up in a sheet and put her in the family van. When my daughter regained consciousness, she found herself in the van and thought he was taking her to Obhur to bury her. When he heard her moaning and trying to speak, he must have panicked because he pulled into Bugshan Hospital,” added Rania’s mother. According to security at Bugshan Hospital, Al-Fallatta drove in at 2:30 in the morning. He dumped the injured Rania at the emergency room entrance telling nurses and staff that she was the victim of a car accident and was dead. He then left quickly saying he was going to bring other victims of the accident. Al-Fallatta has not been seen since.

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-10 More