RIYADH, 6 August 2004 — The story of Rania Al-Baz, the announcer on Saudi Television’s Channel 1 who was brutally assaulted by her husband Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta on April 4, 2004, has changed dramatically following her husband’s Saturday evening interview on MBC-TV. Al-Fallatta was released from jail on July 3 after serving half of his jail term of six months. He appeared calm and composed and in a frame of mind different from what the media had projected him to be.

Rania, who escaped death despite 13 facial fractures after her husband’s assault, decided to forgo her private right to monetary compensation from her husband and requested his release after settling the case with him in a satisfactory manner.

Surprisingly, she decided to return to her husband. Although he admitted that he made a huge mistake when he brutally beat his wife, he still refused to reveal the reason behind his outrage, claiming that each family has secrets which should not be revealed in public.

He went on to describe how anger can cloud a person’s thinking and compel him to act impulsively. “I regret what I did to my wife, but there were reasons that made me lose control of my actions,” he said in the interview. He then made a provocative statement when he said that bringing a strange man into the family house is enough to provoke any husband’s wrath.

Al-Fallatta’s statements were puzzling for most viewers. He admitted guilt and went on to recite some of the Prophet’s sayings when he advised a man not to get angry and he repeated the statement three times. He regrets not following the Prophet’s advice and losing his self-control. He then said that obeying the husband is a must for any wife, and that was the reason he slapped his wife for the first time during their honeymoon. He said that she disobeyed him and went to visit his brother’s wife in her apartment in the same building without asking his permission. He lost his temper after confronting his wife after she spoke harshly to him. He retaliated by slapping her face.

Violence never stopped between the couple. Rania said in her interview on the same channel more than a month ago that her husband had beaten her up more than six times during the past few years. He described his wife’s statement as exaggerated and said that he had beaten her about three or four times for specific reasons. In the interview, she claimed that her husband was suffering from psychological problems because of his unemployment. She added to that the social pressure he felt because of his sister Wa’ad becoming a singer.

Al-Fallatta denied all the accusations and explained that he had never been out of a job. He said that he was a businessman and that his financial situation was adversely affected by 9\11. He explained, “I work in several commercial fields. I am a businessman. Unfortunately, I was one of those who suffered after 9\11. This forced me to reorganize my life and work and I had to find different ways to provide for my family. I began selling cars and went into the real estate.”

The most shocking moment was when the telecaster, Mahmud Sa’ad, announced that he had some important medical documents. Among them was a medical report from a well-known hospital regarding Rania.

The report said that Rania suffered from mental and psychological problems and that as she had attempted suicide several time, she needed psychological treatment. The report said that she had been hospitalized for three days during which she received both therapy and electrical shocks.

Al-Fallatta was surprised that Mahmud had obtained this information, saying that this was the information he wanted to keep from the public.

“I didn’t want people to know my family secrets. The media has publicized this issue more than it deserves. The Western media tried to use this single case to attack all Saudi men. They tried to ruin the image of Saudis around the world,” he said. He continued “I regret that the public had judged me by listening to the story from one side. Now I’m here to provide the full story, but there are matters that I consider confidential and I will not divulge.”

Al-Fallatta appeared confident about his reunion with Rania. He said that the next time he would punish his wife by marrying another woman.