JEDDAH, 22 April — A teenager stabbing his friend is a story which, to many people, is unhappily familiar. But to see a teenager stabbing his friend and being encouraged by his father is shocking indeed.
Muhammad Al-Sulamy, a 14-year-old orphan, had what he called “a normal cat fight” with A. Al-Sulamy at his school in Al-Dubayah, a village 150 km north of Jeddah. He said Al-Sulamy threatened to hit him after school “but I never took his words seriously,” said Muhammad. After school the vicious boy came to fulfill his promise.
Muhammad said he was in a shop when he felt something sharp piercing him from behind. “When I turned I saw Al-Sulamy carrying a knife, I tried to run but he managed to stab me in my chest,” said Muhammad who is admitted to a hospital in Rabigh.
“What frightened me more was the voice of his father watching and encouraging him to stab me again and again until I fell unconscious,” added Muhammad.
“The young boy lost a lot of blood, in fact the floor was completely covered,” said the shop owner.
Muhammad, who lost his father 10 years ago, was said to be a lucky person for not losing his life. “If the shop owner hadn’t rushed him to hospital, he would have died from loss of blood,” said a doctor at the hospital.
Ghalia Al-Sulamy, Muhammad’s mother, said her son was still in a critical condition. “My son has tubes coming in and out of his body, and I’m waiting for God’s miracle to save him,” said Ghalia, who is a messenger at Jaleelah School.
Al-Dubayah police, however, did not comment on the case for many reasons including lack of communication facilities in the village which has no telephone.
Police only said that both the attacker and his father are now in custody.
Amazingly, the father denies being involved in the stabbing attack and said he was “just watching” and didn’t help his son in his attack. “I cannot believe that there are cruel parents who still have such mentality in this world,” added Ghalia.
Poignantly, this incident came at a time when the family was celebrating and preparing for the weddings of Muhammad’s brother and sister in the summer.
