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Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Chairman and Founder of Gift of The Givers. Photo: Moeletsi Mabe
A Cape Town mother and her two young children have been freed in a dramatic rescue carried out in a remote corner of Pakistan and spirited out of the country by SA officials and the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers.
The rescue, carried out in a raid organised by Pakistani police and intelligence operatives, came after Sajida (*surname witheld) alerted SA embassy officials in Islamabad to her plight.
As she was unable to give authorities details of her location, Pakistani police and intelligence agents began a massive search, eventually locating her and her young daughter and son in a rural area where they had allegedly been held captive for two years. The woman said she had been abused physically, verbally and emotionally.
Once they had traced her, authorities placed her and her children in a closely guarded safe house, where they stayed for five days.
Through arrangements made by SA High Commission officials, Gift of the Givers – an internationally recognised humanitarian relief organisation – put the mother and children on a plane on Tuesday bound for SA.
Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said he strongly believed there were many more South Africans who were being held against their will, “especially in Africa”.
“The position that the family were in was terrible,” he said.
“Held without being allowed to contact one’s family is an emotional disaster.
“The abuse of South African women by foreign nationals is apparently a huge problem that is kept under wraps.
“Over the past few days we have been given the impression that… South African women (are) lured into marriage by smooth-talking, convincing, loving and caring foreign nationals… (leading) to severe oppression, abuse, emotional trauma and intense hardship.”
Sooliman said Sajida had married a Pakistani national and moved to Pakistan with her husband and daughter in 2010 just after the birth of their son.
He said that according to SA officials, Sajida was at breaking point. “She presented a 10-page testimony in a Pakistani court on Monday that detailed months of emotional, physical and verbal abuse, including prolonged periods of ‘captivity’, allegedly by her husband and his family.”
The isolation of the mother and her children had allegedly been done, according to her husband and his family, to “culturalise” them.
But Sooliman said what was done to Sajida and to others like her was “inexcusable”.
“We need to determine the prevalence of such dehumanising abuse and ensure that it is stopped.”
Sooliman said Sajida was expected, with her children, to be reunited with her family on Wednesday. She would receive trauma counselling.
Anyone aware of similar cases may call Gift of the Givers’ toll-free care line 0800 786 786. - Pretoria News
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COyZAn, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
In Islam a woman: When she is a DAUGHTER, she opens a door of Heaven for her father When she is a WIFE, she completes half of the Religion of her husband When she is a MOTHER, Heaven lies under her feet. 'If everyone knew the true status of a Muslim women in Islam, even the men would want to be women" (Shaykh Akram Nadawi)
@Anonymous 07:07pm, wrote
So are those passages preive or deive? Can you tell the difference? Also is that your answer to Reality_check below? If so..they do say the best form of defence is attack, hey?
Anonymous, wrote
WOMEN : Forbidden to open their mouths in the Church - ".. for it is a SHAME for women to speak in the Church." 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-3 . RAPE : Brother rapes and commits incest with his sister - (a) "Howbeit he (Amnon, one of the sons of David) would not hearken unto her (his sister Tamar's) voice: but, being stronger than she, forced (raped) her, and LAY (had sex) with her." 2 SAMUEL 13:14 Son commits incest and rapes his mothers wholesale! (b) "So they spread Absalom (another of the sons of David) a tent up on the top of the house; and Absalom WENT IN (had intercourse) unto his father's concubines (same as "wives", see KETURAH in the index) in the sight of ALL ISRAEL." 2 SAMUEL 16:22
Anon, wrote
Well done to all those that helped rescue this woman and her 2 young children - you deserve a medal of honour!
Anonymous, wrote
Can a muslim here care to tell us how many women a man is entitled to once he is in paradise according to your book? Is it 72??? You have such a great view about women apparently they are there in the paradise waiting for you to satisfy your sexual lust.
Anonymous, wrote
@nissa you compare veiled muslim women to that of nuns. I have not seen a nun's face completely covered so that only the eyes are visible!! thats scary because you dont know who is behind the mask. Can you tell us why muslim women are not allowed in the mosque as man are? can you tell us why a muslim man is allowed to marry several women but the woman can have only one husband? dont you think this is an immoral practice? you act like a frog in a pool, come out of the pool, use some common sense and you will see how no religion can allow such practices. Look into other ures and know the difference.
Irfaan, wrote
I take exception to being lumped with uncounth Pakistanis. I am a Muslim of Indian descent and there is a clear distinction between us and those barbarians that live in Pakistan. IN fact EVERY South African should be wary of these Pakis as they are common thugs, thieves, murderers and rapists who are capable of hurting you, robbing you etc. in ways you could only imagine. I have twice been swindled by their cons and have witnessed them harrass young white females in malls, drinking themselves into a stupor and causing fights in Lenasia and Fordsburg. These scum need to be deported without delay.
Reality_check, wrote
@Anonymous 3:50pm. The context as I understand it, and correct me if I'm wrong - if you fear your wife is arrogant you can strike her. What if you're the arrogant one, can she strike you? Isn't that equality after all? What if your fears are unfounded? Does an independent mind equal arrogance?
Queen B, wrote
Ronnie, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
@ Reality_check - I suggest you study the context in which the verse was revealed and also that you ask ANY knowledgable Muslim woman whether she is liberated or not.
Buttercup, wrote
I watch Aljezeera to get an insight into Islam. It seems very male dominated. Classes advertised that they are "strictly segregated". Why? Why do they think women and men are going to misbehave? Is the sin not already in the heart? Are the men so sex mad that they will attack a woman? It seems that sex is behind it all. So sad. We in the "free world" are just that, "free". Most of us dont behave like you see in the movies, thats just escapism and often depraved. And I bet that the Muslim men watch all of the porno that they can get. I beleive woman should be as free as men, and not expect to be sexually assualted just because their hair can be seen, everyone has hair. Moslem men are actually very selfish.
Anonymous, wrote
Hey Hey there you guys.......Sh*t happens in any household, religion, culture , country and nation...women,men children abuse >> FRAUD,MURDER, RAPE etc etc, idea is LOOK WITHIN YOURSELF before pointing fingers...”GOOD WORK, Gift of Givers, may God GIVE u strenght and Power to do more..BLESS YOU !!
Reality_check, wrote
To all those Muslims trying to convince us that women are respected in Islam, are considered 'queens' and that women being treated as second class is cultural and not Islamic, should go back and read their Koran - Surah 4:34
Geyser, wrote
Paper marriages will stop instantly if our Government makes a law that does not give automatic residence rights to foreign spouses. Home Affairs also needs to weed out corrupt officials who are selling SA ID documents and passports for money. There are a lot of foreigners who are not eligible for residence in SA but are given all rights here. Most of them are also abusing these privileges and feel that they own this country. We need a special task force to fight illegal immigration.
mynaar, wrote
i hope other woman read this and realise thta these foreigners cannot be trusted, they bloody parasites and will say and do anything to get what they want. there are currently to many in this country illegaly it's time home affairs did it's job and send the packing. the last thing S.A needs is another tikka outlet and fake dvd sellers.
Lesirela Letsebe_Mogorwane, wrote
Asia, Africa and some Arabic nations are still so backward! Women can only be their own liberators as they best understand their course and sufferings and therefore new struggles must still be waged against this backwardness. How can intelligent people believe in the containment of another equal soul, this is barbaric. So sisters, you leave us your potential husbands in this beautiful and democratic country to be induced by the smooth-toned from these backward countries at your own risk. In this country the law is fully all on your side. This sister is lucky to have met the social workers and for that I praise the Creator because it was surely not by chance that she met them – the Creator heard her lamentations and answered.
Delailah2012, wrote
Has absolutely nothing to do with religion... its a world wide phenomeon... so perhaps you thinking of the word CULTURE... two different things init. I believe if you havn't actually researched a religion...be it christianity, hinduism or islam for that matter then you have no right to pass your judgement or 2 cents about religions.
ak, wrote
The religion of Islam and the culture of Muslims must be separated. The major problem with people who have accepted Islam is that they are still clinging to the beliefs of their forefathers which has absolutely nothing to do with Islam. Women in Islam were liberated more than 1400 years ago. Genital mutilations, forced marriages, oppression of women have no place in Islam. So before pointing fingers at the religion of Islam look at the cultural background of the so called muslims. The source of the Islamic way of life is the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) the rest is culture.
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