Basma Abdul-Majeed told Arab News she and her sister haven’t met or spoken for about 35 years except in Ramadan. However, the last time they spoke on the phone they had another huge fight and now for about 10 years they have not even contacted each other.
“Someone told my sister something that I had said about her. They told her the information out of context, and my sister misunderstood and stopped talking to me ever since. Even though I explained to her on the phone that what she heard was out of context, she hasn’t forgiven me all these years,” said Abdul Majeed.
“After our last quarrel on the phone we stopped calling each other. Now, just for the sake of keeping the kinship tie alive, every year in Ramadan I text message her a greeting, and she never replies. What shocks me the most is that the last time I met my sister before we parted ways, we were on the best of terms. I cannot believe that just because someone told her something she would treat me like this.”
Lamia Hilal says she and her stepsister don’t get along and for years they have feuded.
“In the past I tried to get close to her, but it didn’t work. So now I only visit her once a year in Ramadan or during Eid. I feel sad sometimes when I see other siblings who care so much about each other. Unfortunately I don’t think my sister and I will ever be able to maintain such a relationship.”
Saher T. Alayan says there are a number of her family members whom she cannot stay in touch with by visiting them because they could cause her serious harm.
“It’s hard to believe but sometimes your worst enemy can be a member of your own family. It is always good to see close-knit loving families, but there are family members who treat each other with complete hate and enmity,” said Alayan.
“The people who are good and kind in my family I stay regularly in touch with, but the ones who are bad I only call them once a year to say hello. And I have not even told them where I live.”
Adil Gendi says he prevented some relatives from visiting his home after he noticed that they used to steal from him. “It isn’t that they are poor and in need. They are as rich as I am. But they were stealing just to harass me. I did not confront them, but I stopped inviting them. Sometimes they would show up without invitation, so I would just not answer the door and pretend not to be home,” he said.
“However, I have not cut them off completely. I still call and stay in touch with them, but from a safe distance.”
