A Saudi woman, Umm Faisal, has accused her sons of beating her and throwing her out of her house after calling her crazy. She said that her sad story started when she married one of her relatives and they went to live with his family in Riyadh. She explained that her husband's family did not get along with her and alleges that her brother-in-law used to beat her. Then her husband decided to move to the Eastern Province where he had found a job. “We lived there 28 years and had seven sons and seven daughters. My eldest son was 25 years old,” said Umm Faisal, “when one day, my husband got sick and, because of this, was fired from his job. He became disabled and was not even able to move. Our financial situation became so bad that I was forced to ask three of my sons who had jobs to help us financially, but they refused claiming that their salaries were barely enough to support them. I had then to explain my financial problems to the Imam of the mosque next door who helped by encouraging our neighbors to help me. However, that only served to infuriate my sons, and one of them slapped me in front of his handicapped father. His father then kicked him out of the house because of what he had done to me. Nonetheless, I asked my husband to forgive him and to allow our son to return to the house, and he did.” She said that one of her sons insisted that she travel and check the condition of a house which they had bought in an Arab country. Four days after her arrival in that country, her son called her and asked her to come back to the Kingdom immediately because his father's health had deteriorated. “When I came back, I found my sons with their uncle greeting me with a smile. They did not look sad at all. Their uncle said that the one who used to defend me was dead and that I was then under his mercy,” said Umm Faisal. “He then tried with my sons to kick me out of the house, but I refused to leave. I called the police who came and forced my sons' uncle to leave my house, but then my sons beat me and threw me out of the house. I stayed for two days at my neighbor's house, and then returned to my house. But my daughter threatened that if I did not leave the house, she would send me to a mental hospital. I had no choice then but to leave,” Umm Faisal explained. She added that she became homeless for months until someone donated some money to rent her a room. She worked in a charity society as an office assistant but her sons would not leave her alone. She alleged that they and their cousins followed her and hit her with their car. “My leg was fractured, and after I left the hospital, my sons and their cousins came to my room and beat me badly. One of them tried to stab me with a knife, but I screamed out calling for the neighbors' help. I was sent again to the hospital. I left the hospital but again they returned to my room and took me to the mental hospital. I was released from there after three days when the doctors said that there was nothing wrong with me mentally,” said Umm Faisal. She took her case against her sons to the Governor of the Eastern Province. After six months, she was surprised to find that her case was sent to Riyadh. “I came to Riyadh and I gave my papers to the organization dealing with human rights and I am now waiting for my case to be heard. Sayer Al-Kerithi, a lawyer, commenting on Umm Faisal's story, said that what her sons did is a serious crime and they should be arrested. If the police do not arrest them, then she should explain her case to the Emir of the Province. She has to bring all the witnesses and the medical report from the hospital that treated her. If her sons are found to be guilty, they will be sentenced to a long time in prison, he explained.
