Saudi Princess Granted British Asylum
What an intriguing way to get residency in the UK:
A Saudi Arabian princess who had an illegitimate child with a British man has secretly been granted asylum in this country after she claimed she would face the death penalty if she were forced to return home. The young woman, who has been granted anonymity by the courts, won her claim for refugee status after telling a judge that her adulterous affair made her liable to death by stoning.
Her case is one of a small number of claims for asylum brought by citizens of Saudi Arabia which are not openly acknowledged by either government. British diplomats believe that to do so would in effect be to highlight the persecution of women in Saudi Arabia, which would be viewed as open criticism of the House of Saud and lead to embarrassing publicity for both governments.
The woman, who comes from a very wealthy Saudi family, says she met her English boyfriend - who is not a Muslim - during a visit to London. They struck up a relationship.
She became pregnant the following year and worried that her elderly husband - a member of the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia - had become suspicious of her behaviour, she persuaded him to let her visit the UK again to give birth in secret. She feared for her life if she returned to Saudi Arabia.
She persuaded the court that if she returned to the Gulf state she and her child would be subject to capital punishment under Sharia law - specifically flogging and stoning to death. She was also worried about the possibility of an honour killing.
Since she fled Saudi Arabia, her family and her husband's family have broken off contact with her.
The woman has been granted permanent leave to remain in the UK after the Immigration and Asylum tribunal allowed her appeal.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/20/adulterous-saudi-princess_n_240...
either by the government or her family. What part of Mars are you from again? :-)
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Yup fubar that's the case I was talking about. And I KNEW more Saudi women would appeal for asylum. LOL. Watch out Britian, the Saudi women are coming for you! LOL.
either stoning or beheading, so I think it's easy to understand why she would be granted asylum (especially with the baby's father being British).
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Ummmm....
So although I said: "I don’t think she was motivated by getting permanent leave to remain in the UK because she likes red buses and warm beer. I think it had something to do with her wanting to remain alive."
You think I really meant:
"fubar,so you're saying she wanted to give up the palace,the Merc's,the designer clothes,seemingly limitless bank account to live like a commoner in the UK out of choice??..."
I can see why you're confused. I was so unclear in my post.
And as for not wanting to take a chance by returning, I obviously wasn't clear when I wrote this either:
"And if family members kill girls for using Facebook, then perhaps she's better not taking the chance of returning."
@ fubar,so you're saying she wanted to give up the palace,the Merc's,the designer clothes,seemingly limitless bank account to live like a commoner in the UK out of choice??...i think not mate,as for this debate on weather she'd actually be killed or not,would you take a chance on that if you were in her place?...i think not,they're not going to roll out the red carpet for her & whisk her through the VIP terminal @ Riyadh or wherever else if she does choose to go back,that's for sure,what's not sure is what action they'd take & it's not a chance she's willing to take,on herself or her newborn child,actually there doesn't seem to be much else she can do except seek asylum is there?...
The case of princess mishaal was featured in a documentary called “Death of a princess”.
I’ve posted that some time back here on QL
http://www.qatarliving.com/node/121894
Gypsy, is this the case you were referring to:
Princess Mishaal bint Fahd al Saud, the 19-year-old great-niece of the late King Khalid, was shot several times in the head in 1977. Her death is thought to have been ordered by her grandfather, Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, the King's older brother. She was unmarried but had confessed that she had committed adultery.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/fate-of-another-royal-found-guilty-of-adultery-1753012.html
And in other news:
Ten Saudis seek asylum after princess is allowed to stay
Ministers are considering asylum applications for 10 Saudi Arabian nationals who claim they are at risk of persecution if they are forced to return to the Middle Eastern kingdom, it emerged last night.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ten-saudis-seek-asylum-after-princess-is-allowed-to-stay-1754396.html
And if family members kill girls for using Facebook, then perhaps she's better not taking the chance of returning:
Saudi woman killed for chatting on Facebook
A young Saudi Arabian woman was murdered by her father for chatting on the social network site Facebook, it has emerged.
The unnamed woman from Riyadh was beaten and shot after she was discovered in the middle of an online conversation with a man, the al-Arabiya website reported.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1583420/Saudi-woman-killed-for-chatting-on-Facebook.html
...has the right to get pregnant with anyone she wishes. Why should she be stoned to death. UK has once again proved how 'kind' it's immigrations laws are. A good move to provided shelter to a tormented soul.
Life is Beautiful...Indeed!
well then fubar, consider yourself destroyed.
It's a matter of royal title, they must get different treatment from others, this makes them ROYAL, the local people scared to talk about them also. No news about these people will ever come out. If it happens then they will destroy that person.
That's probably a little far fetched, but, technically she would be up for it.
The danger of an "Honour Killing" may be there, but I was referring to her claim that " she would face the death penalty if she were forced to return home."
At the end of the day who really cares. I hope she's happy with her decision and she and her boyfriend live happily ever after.
But Brit I have heard of a case of a Saudi Princess being killed by her Grandfather for having relations with a man out of wedlock, so her fear may well be valid.
There are different levels of Royals...
thousands of Prince and Princess in Saudi Kingdom so doesnt count that much.
If she is from the Royal family, nobody can talk about her in Saudi Arabia, it's a true KINGDOM.
Does anyone serously believe that she would be killed ???
OK, I can picture her being sidelined or not allowed to leave the country, but killed ?
WOW Saudi princess and a common British peasant? fairy tale love with a twist...wonder if any princesses would like to live in India...hmmm
Good Fortune always comes knocking at your door...when you are sh*tting in the toilet!! :)
_[]~SMoKE~[]_
fubar, I agree with you completely. You will see that if you read my posts.
Labda, I don’t think she was motivated by getting permanent leave to remain in the UK because she likes red buses and warm beer. I think it had something to do with her wanting to remain alive.
IMHO there was no need for her to be given residency. This is just politics.
Sssssshhhhhh Fubar! You'll cause a rush of Saudi women to England!
Thats not what I meant fubar, it's just that most women who seek refugee status come from impoverished countries. Others flee for political and in this case religious persecution. So when you say "What an intriguing way to get residency in the UK", I hardly think it was a ploy on her end.
Does this only work for wealthy princesses who can afford good lawyers, or can any woman do this?
with an American...
You can't teach experience...
Adultry in Islam is a big crime and punishment is death sentence by stoning.
What a great way of the UK to observe basic human rights, fubar.
She's from a wealthy family, I dont think this was a ploy to get residency, though you never know. She got pregnant and we know all too well how women who have committed adultery in Saudi are treated. What other options would she have had?
Wow, adultry and an illgitimate child. Looks like someone was getting be-headed. :P
how can she sleep with other man , if she was married before and has a husband
its totally false throwing stones , there is no such punishment now a days , I worked there for 2 yrs