JEDDAH, 4 May 2004 — The judge in the case of Rania Al-Baz held a preliminary private hearing with Al-Baz and her lawyer yesterday. “He clarified some points for us for full documentation of the case,” the lawyer, Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, told Arab News.
He said that the judge asked for more documents, which he would provide soon.
The judge is yet to summon the husband and the prosecutor to take their statements, which means that it will probably be another two weeks before a judgment and sentencing of the husband. In one sitting the judge will decide whether to grant a divorce, who gets custody of the children and what happens to Al-Baz’s estranged husband Muhammad Al-Fallatta for beating her.
Al-Baz’s appearance on MBC television on Thursday night, and repeated Friday afternoon, has been the talk of the town for the past few days. Audiences wanted to see how Al-Baz is recovering and were curious to hear her speak about her husband and the night he beat her almost to death.
Her face looks better although still unrecognizable from the pre-beating pictures. “Before” and “after” pictures have been spread over the pages of all local magazines and newspapers since the night Al-Fallatta smashed her face on the walls and floor of their home and then dumped her unconscious at the gates of a hospital.
But local audiences were dismayed to hear Al-Baz defend Al-Fallatta during the program and excuse his violent behavior throughout their six years of marriage. At one point the interviewer told her that if her husband had been beating her all this time and she stayed with him, then she deserved what happened to her.
“It wasn’t always this bad,” Al-Baz replied. “I just never expected him to beat me like this and try to kill me.”
Viewers came away with the impression that Al-Baz still had feelings for her husband, although she said she stayed with him not only because she loved him but also for the sake of her children and because she did not want to be a divorced woman — a label that still carries negative implications in Saudi society. Divorced women here have only limited opportunities to remarry and build a normal social life again. Moreover, the restraints women face in looking after their own affairs or finding a job make it difficult for them to be independent.
In the run-up to the MBC interview, some critics wondered why she was seeking publicity and further humiliation for her and her family by speaking about her marriage. They argued she had made the point of calling attention to the issue of spousal abuse. During the program it became apparent that she wanted to defend her reputation and the right to custody of her children, a response to statements from some members of Al-Fallatta’s family, who had said he must have had reasons to beat her.
Sayidaty magazine, a sister publication of Arab News, attempted to interview Al-Fallata in prison, but he refused saying only that this was a “family matter”.
However, the magazine quoted him as saying he did not regret what he did.
The day before the interview was aired, Arab News asked Al-Khouli whether a television interview would help Al-Baz in her case for divorce and custody of the children.
“I don’t think it is a good idea,” he said. “But Rania agreed to the interview before I became involved. However, the interview is good in terms of putting the spotlight on the issue of domestic abuse and women’s rights,” he added.
Al-Khouli appeared with Al-Baz on an ART interview Saturday night in which he discussed the case from a legal point of view.
Al-Baz told Arab News that since she went public with her story, she received a flood of calls and letters from people offering support and assistance. “If something good came out of this, it showed me how much love and support there is in our society,” she said.
