JEDDAH, 7 January — A number of Saudis who were released from American jails recently have described their experiences.
Abdul Rahman Al-Qarshi’s parents never believed that their son would be behind bars in the US, particularly because he used to say that he was fascinated by the wonders of American life.
He used to admire the government’s guarantee of protecting individual’s rights. The Saudi Embassy in Washington recently announced the release of 22 Saudis who were arrested following the Sept. 11 terror attacks from US jails. The embassy later announced the release of 12 more. Most were detained on charges of violating visa regulations and other petty crimes.
Assam Awad Al-Habsi, 27, who was a second-year computer science student, said he was arrested on Nov. 29 because a university employee gave a false report about him. He was unable to make contact with his embassy.
He recalls: "I was in my class in the university at Springfield in Missouri when two policemen arrested me and bound me with such heavy chains that I haven’t even seen in the movies. Over two days they interrogated me rigorously. They wanted to know all the details of my personal life, my friends and my interests. Afterward, I was allowed to call my Saudi colleagues, who informed the embassy about my plight."
He said he did not mean to be harsh with the US consul in Jeddah when he met him on Saturday at the consulate to report about his arrival in the Kingdom. But when the consul asked him to apply for the renewal of his entry visa to the US, he asked him that after the indignities he was made to suffer almost continuously during his detention period, did they really expect that he would want to return to the United States? "I am frustrated and my spirits are totally broken."
Another Saudi student in Washington, Abdullah ibn Musayyar Tewala, who wants to continue and complete his studies at any cost, said he was arrested when he borrowed his brother’s jeep which had an expired tax license.
He told Arab News over the telephone from the his flat in Washington that he was picked up by the police on this traffic violation.
"The judge told me that I confess to the violation, and then pay the fine. After that I walked out of the court and now continue my computer studies course."
On being informed about his arrest, the embassy appointed an attorney to act on his behalf. He was released from the police station after an hour.
Tewala said he had not suffered any harassment but several of his friends in the Kingdom nevertheless urged him to return home.
"I have no worries about my future in the US. I live among thousands of people and have not been exposed to any awkward situations or given any indication that I am unwanted in the United States," he said.
