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Petitions and activism

Please support my mum and baby brother, trapped in Dubai.

125 replies

rab1010 · 24/01/2014 02:14

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to help my mum get some support for a campaign that I am trying to run to secure her freedom.

My name is Rabbhi, I am a 26 y/old graduate living in London and right now my mum and baby brother are trapped in Dubai. They have been stuck there for over 3 years. In October 2013 my mums son was snatched from her and she hasn't seen him since. She's spent every day with him since he was born.

My mother was the victim of domestic violence from her (now) ex husband, a French expatriate whom she married and moved to Dubai to be with. Shortly after their marriage he started to abuse her physically and emotionally. I was there to witness some of it and since then it has been an absolute nightmare for my family. We've lost almost everything trying to battle a system that is entirely prejudiced towards women and does not recognize violence against women.

Right now I am trying to raise awareness, in any way I can to help secure their freedom. My mum is mired in web of false cases instigated by her husband who is using Dubai's archaic and incredibly prejudiced sharia law to persecute my mum .

Some articles have been published in the past few days highlighting my mothers plight. Please see these links:

t.co/SEWF4LynLk - Huffington Post
fw.to/YIYWPbc - Telegraph

I am trying to do everything I can to help my mum get justice, get her son back, and hopefully return rightfully to the UK.

This is a long shot but I really hope you can get invovled and support our cause. I tweet alot about it (twitter.com/Rabbhi) and am hopeful that social media and online action can force the UK government to actually step up and do the right thing.

If you have any suggestions (I'm new to this entirely!) I can be contacted on [email protected]

Please help me get my family home.

Thanks in advance for your support.

OP posts:

Report

caramelwaffle · 22/02/2014 06:13

Hope things are moving forward for your family. Good luck x

rab1010 · 20/02/2014 16:48

It is difficult duchesse! But thanks for asking.

I am managing at the moment and thankfully have some support from friends and some family. I've come to accept that things will likely be very busy from now on!

Got to keep paying the bills :(

OP posts:

duchesse · 20/02/2014 16:21

How are things going, Rabbhi? Are you managing to get any work done alongside all your efforts to help your mother?

rab1010 · 20/02/2014 15:32

sorry, that's freeafsana.com/news/

Our petition is also on the homepage :) pls continue to spread the word and if you are on twitter we have quite a movement of activists and concerned people and groups who are helping me by getting behind my Twitter campaign :)

It is @ twitter.com/Rabbhi

:)

OP posts:

rab1010 · 20/02/2014 15:31

unashamed bump :)

thank u all so much for the continued support

u can read our press and media coverage here: freeafsana.com

OP posts:

MrsBungle · 20/02/2014 12:11

Signed and shared.

Imwoodword · 20/02/2014 11:49

Bump

duchesse · 19/02/2014 21:23

Bump.

fusspot66 · 16/02/2014 16:28

Signed and shared to Facebook.

SquidgyMummy · 16/02/2014 16:19

Hope you have been able to make more progress this weekend and your Mum is reunited with Louis very soon

ImNotAFlower · 15/02/2014 20:52

All signed in our house, I hope your mum and brother are home safe very soon.

LurkingNineToFive · 15/02/2014 20:30

I hope there is a happy ending for your family soon.
Bump

CrimsonDay · 15/02/2014 20:07

I will share on Facebook and Twitter too.

Such a sad and frustrating story, I hope you get the result you are hoping for soon.

Timetoask · 15/02/2014 19:47

I really really hope that you get some justice done and your family can return home. I am so sorry this is happening.
I have signed the petition and will be following your story. On the positive side, your mum is lucky to have someone like you by her side. I am sure there are many foreign (and local) women out there suffering without any support.

rab1010 · 15/02/2014 19:18

Hi Laura

No he had not been ordered to live with his father. My mum had custody of him at the time.

The reason she didn't turn up was because he had assaulted her several times on previous visits. When reporting this to police/ authorities they just dismissed her. I was the one who told my mum not to turn up- eh subject yourself to sustained beatings?

Yes, she was convicted because of this but that doesn't make it right. The judge didn't want to hear her witnesses or see her evidence. That's blatant persecution.

Yes it's a different country but they position themselves as progressive and as a 'safe' destination which values the ideals of women's rights etc- even if the opposite is actually true as can clearly be seen.

My mum did nothing wrong which is why I'm campaigning for her and Louis's freedom. What they endured is a nightmare and it has happened in broad daylight for the UAE and UK authorities to see but ignore,

Thanks for commenting and hope you can get behind us.

My website freeafsana.com is an honest and open account of the ordeal.

Thanks all :) x

OP posts:

AnandaTimeIn · 15/02/2014 18:45

I suspect the best advice for others is be very careful of marrying a foreigner as on divorce you may lose your child.

I would go even further and say "Don't get married at all" - and not just to a foreigner!
That way you keep your independence and power!

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.....

Married a Muslim - albeit from Africa and a relaxed culture..

Luckily he came over here, couldn't settle, (started telling me what I could and could not do, even tho we were 75% living on my wages), went back, DID threaten to take our DS, but just a little power game. He couldn't even take care of himself.
(still living with his sister's family 20 years on).

But that's a different story.....

Rabbhi, I'm so sorry for what you and your mum and little brother are going through....

I'd never heard of this story so kudos on you for highlighting it on here (I have shared the Huff and Telegraph links on FB).

Yes, you don't have to marry an Arab to get you into trouble. This guy is French....

So hope it will all work out. Will sign the petition.

The foreign office should be ashamed of themselves.

Peppermintlover · 15/02/2014 18:04

Have signed your petition, come on mumsnet, help this poor family.

Mishmashfamily · 15/02/2014 17:51

laura if that was possible I'm sure it would have been implemented.

I think your post is very unhelpful.

hackneyzoo · 15/02/2014 16:36

Have signed and shared this. Good luck to you and your family Rabbhi.

LauraBridges · 15/02/2014 16:29

Good luck.

So she failed to bring him back on time when he had been ordered by the court to live with his father? I am afraid in many countries that is not allowed.

I suspect the best advice for others is be very careful of marrying a foreigner as on divorce you may lose your child. Secondly do not live and work in countries with unjust legal systems.

Could she not make a life for herself in Dubai and live there and share contact with the boy there as a compromise?

Mishmashfamily · 15/02/2014 16:23

Signed

Hope you get them both home xx

rab1010 · 15/02/2014 16:13

thanks so much for the suggestion - I'll add it to the todo list for this weekend :)

OP posts:

rab1010 · 15/02/2014 16:12

Thank you all. I can't say that enough.

The Guardian published my account of what my mum and Louis had to endure.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/15/my-mother-trapped-uae-nightmarish-legal-system?commentpage=1

Please read and share :)

Heartfelt thanks, keep following and hopefully let's get my mum and Louis home :)

Enjoy the weekend

OP posts:

Fairylea · 14/02/2014 17:59

Signed.

I feel so sorry for what your family is going through. All my best wishes for a happy ending.

SomethingkindaOod · 14/02/2014 17:56

Signed and shared. Following you now on Twitter as well.
Good luck.

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