A Saudi mother has been appealing for support on Twitter following the suspension of her personal bank account at the request of her ex-husband. Aishah Almrzok, who has two young children from different fathers, fled the Kingdom after she was denied custody of the children, aged seven and ten. She claims the judge acted illegally in the decision making process.
عموما انا برا السعوديه هربت ببناتي بعد ان ضيق علي القاضي وابوان بناتي. واهلي ولم اجد من ينصفني اللي وقف حسابي في الراجحي لاتحسب اني برجع
— AishahAlmrzok (@Aishah_Almrzok) November 28, 2016
I am outside of Saudi Arabia, I fled with my children after the judge and the fathers of my children put pressure on me. And my parents. I haven’t found anyone who will treats me fairly. They cut off my bank account at the Rajhi (bank). Don’t think I’m coming back.
Aishah told Al Bawaba she had undergone a seven year struggle for custody, battling an obstructive judge and intransigent ex husbands, all with no family support.
She originally took to Twitter earlier this year to seek solidarity against the injustices in her former partners’ treatment of her. However, she now claims that her funds were frozen as a result of this social media activity.
“They asked me, why are are you talking on Twitter?” she told Al Bawaba.
“For that reason they stopped my bank account, despite the fact that I pay for my children through that bank account, and [at the same time] they do not pay [for the children].”
Aishah posted this picture yesterday of one of her daughters.
بنتي تقول ل@SAMA_GOV ماما تنفق علي ليش وقفتوا حسابها كيف بعيش !وبابا ماينفق وتاركينه بابا تاجر في #المجمعه ليش متسلطين ع ماما ؟؟ pic.twitter.com/A7ZMbfOoFf
— AishahAlmrzok (@Aishah_Almrzok) November 30, 2016
My daughter says “Mummy pays for me, why have you stopped her bank account, how can I live when Daddy doesn’t pay, and has left us? Daddy is a tradesman at the #assembly."
She has alleged that both of her children’s fathers have refused to contribute financially to the their upbringing. In Saudi Arabia a husband must financially support his divorced wife and any children from their marriage if she is unable to.
On why she fled the Kingdom, Aishah says “I had to run away, I will not be mistreated and forbidden from my daughters”.
Aishah blames the judge responsible for her case, Ibrahim Abd al-Karim al-Mazini, for turning the fathers of her girls against her, and for urging them to issue complaints against her and refuse child payments.
Apparently, Judge al-Mazini himself had requested from Aishah to enter into a form of marriage with reduced rights for the woman. Known as “al-masayar”, this arrangement is often associated with a temporary, but legitimized, sexual relationship, without the taking on of responsibilities. She refused him and argues that this caused him to treat her case in an unfair manner.
“He violated the Article 92 of the Saudi justice system, which stipulates that if there is a dispute between the judge and one of the parties in the case, he must step down,” she said.
“Of course the judge [in my case] refused to step down, even though I have requested more than once. He says: who are you that I should step down for you?”
Following the ordeal, Aishah has gained considerable support on Twitter.
@Aishah_Almrzok ربي يوفقك ويقويك توكلي على الله هو حسبك وعيشي حياتك ،
—(@Lastsongmine) December 1, 2016
سعيدة من اجلك انت والبنات
Lord help you and God give you strength. God is sufficient, he will provide for you. Live your life, happy for you and for your girls.
@Aishah_Almrzok الله يقويك وينصرك على من ظلمك
— الرغد(@__wa6n) November 30, 2016
May God give you strength, and make you victorious over those who have oppressed you.
@Aishah_Almrzok مبروك الحرية بتمنالك السعاده وراحة البال انتي وبناتك بعيد عن الظلم والاستغلال
— Trapped (@chandelier_900) November 30, 2016
Congratulations on your freedom, I wish happiness and mental comfort for you, and for your girls, far away from oppression and exploitation.
As for life away from Saudi Arabia for Aishah and her daughters, she says that “thank God, I have found comfort”. She continues, however, to call upon the public prosecution to loosen the restrictions on her bank account to allow her to pay the costs of raising her young children.
RA
