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Original poster

Misbah's mother is not pursuing custody

111 replies

JanH · 10/01/2007 10:13

Guardian report

"A combination of ill-health, the emotional strain of the legal case and the recent birth of her latest child were all thought to be reasons why Mrs Campbell had stopped the legal action. She was believed to have had a strong chance of winning her case and, if she had, it would have forced Misbah to return to Scotland."

What about the stepfather locking the mother and baby out of the house in the pouring rain in November? It's not exactly a stable happy home environment, is it?

OP posts:
donnie · 10/01/2007 10:21

misery and strife all round as far as I can see.

Original poster
JanH · 10/01/2007 10:25

What she is asking for instead is regular phone and internet contact, which is fair enough, although I believe Misbah was not allowed that contact with Pakistan before she ran away. Also to be able to go on holiday with her.

I think it will be best for everybody if they can do this deal.

OP posts:
Marina · 10/01/2007 10:31

Me too, Jan. She was clearly passionately keen to go and live with her dad, and I hope they can make it work.

Piffle · 10/01/2007 11:03

I think FWIw she has done the right thing.
Her life sounds pretty awful and those sorts of stories lend weight to the fact that Misbah would have been very unhappy living there.
Her mother sounds miserable too

paulaplumpbottom · 10/01/2007 16:36

I think this is a good thing

nutcracker · 10/01/2007 16:38

Yay am very pleased for Misbah.

peacedove · 11/01/2007 14:53

"She was believed to have had a strong chance of winning her case and, if she had, it would have forced Misbah to return to Scotland."

Really, I doubt it.

"What she is asking for instead is regular phone and internet contact, which is fair enough, although I believe Misbah was not allowed that contact with Pakistan before she ran away. Also to be able to go on holiday with her."

What she is asking for is fir Misbah to come vist her every three months, and for her to be able to visit her in Pakistan. Misbah has refused to visit her mother in the UK. She says she is afraid of her mon's bf who is drunk most of the time, and she doesn't want to live alone with her mother who forced her to drink wine, and do other unIslamic things.

beckybrastraps · 11/01/2007 14:58

According to the Times, she is now boarding in a madrassa in Islamabad, and not living at home with her father.

Original poster
JanH · 11/01/2007 17:16

"What she is asking for is fir Misbah to come vist her every three months" - I hadn't seen that, peacedove - if that is what she's asking for then the poor girl will spend about 8 weeks a year jet-lagged.

Yes, the mother's partner does sound awful - did you see the link I posted in the OP?

OP posts:
peacedove · 12/01/2007 12:35

I read the conditions in print, not online.

Yes I reead the story in the link you provided. Reading the comments in the Scotsman I was surprised some people still want to play the Devil's Advocate on this one.

expatinscotland · 12/01/2007 12:37

I think it's best for Misbah if she remains in Pakistan.

She seems happiest there, and her mother's life has a lot of instability in it, unfortunately.

This is an unfortunate situation all around.

Hopefully, Misbah can work on re-building some sort of relationship w/her mother.

paulaplumpbottom · 12/01/2007 13:15

I think if she has expressed fears of her Mom's boyfriend, which she has, that she shouldn't have to go back there at all.

Pruni · 12/01/2007 13:24

Message withdrawn

donnie · 12/01/2007 13:58

'forced her to drink wine'? where did you read that peacedove?

didn't know the mother's partner was meant to be awful either.

Edam · 13/01/2007 08:57

The father who was campaigning for custody sent her to a madrassa run by a man who boasts he has met Osama Bin Laden 'over 100 times'. Khalid Khawaja fought with OBL in Afghanistan during the battle against the Russians. He organised a press conference in Pakistan for her. He says she failed to appear in court because she wanted to be with him.

She was interviewed wearing a burkah although her father has been careful to make sure all pictures have featured her wearing a headscarf. Khawaja told the Guardian Misbah had left her father to live with him. He now says her father turned up at 2am yesterday to take her back because he feared negative publicity.

Misbah has spoken at a protest rally organised by Khawaja. Khawaja said she did not want to go back to 'that dirty society' ie Scotland. Khawaja was one of the last people to see Daniel Pearl, the US journalist butchered by terrorists.

Looks like at least two grown men are using this 12 year old to gain publicity and make political points. One of them her own father, the man who has painted himself in such a positive light. This isn't the clear cut case the father managed to present. It's a very murky story of adults exploiting a little girl.

Edam · 13/01/2007 12:53

bump because I'd like to see what people who support Misbah's father think about this.

paulaplumpbottom · 13/01/2007 13:00

I hadn't heard any of that. That would change my opinion a bit.

Original poster
JanH · 13/01/2007 13:01

I think , edam - I didn't know any of that.

What do her brothers and sisters think about it, do you know? She was supposed to be living with her family in Pakistan, that was the point - if she isn't then she shouldn't be there - but it still doesn't sound as if living in a house with her mother's partner is a good idea either...where else should she go?

OP posts:
fuzzywuzzy · 13/01/2007 13:05

Studying at a madrassa is not actually unusual for Muslim children. They're pretty much boarding schools with a religion heavy curriculum. There are plenty of Madrassa's in the UK too, girls/boys are given a religious education alongside the conventional GCSE's, I went to evening classes in one, and haven't turned into a two headed monster because of it.....

I'm not sure what to think about the reports of the guy who is said to run the madrassa. Depending on what papers one reads one gets conflictig reports.

paulaplumpbottom · 13/01/2007 13:05

I still agree with Jan that she should not have to go back to her mother.

Original poster
JanH · 13/01/2007 13:15
OP posts:
paulaplumpbottom · 13/01/2007 13:24

She is only 12!!!!!!! Although I do get the sense that she is enjoying the attention.

Edam · 13/01/2007 13:41

Obviously I can only go by newspaper reports, but right from the off I could see this was potentially the pattern of a controlling man who demonises his ex for daring to leave him and not living according to his rules. And the more that comes out about it, the more it sounds as if that could be the case.

It may be usual in Pakistan for children to study in madrassas, but not ones run by Al Quaida associates, presumably. And that's not what her father claimed - he said he wanted Misbah to live with him. Wonder if the courts knew what he was actually planning?

paulaplumpbottom · 13/01/2007 13:47

I wonder if her mother will drop her case now?

suzycreamcheese · 13/01/2007 13:57

i wasnt aware of these aspects of this case;
sad all round really..

interesting to note that OBL et al would have been supported by west whilst fighting russians in afghanistan ( and infact were employed by US during civil war in yugoslavia..)

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