LAST Sunday, Aishah, Ammar, Adam and Ariff sat together with the Minister of Women's Affair and Family Development at their home. That day was also Mother's Day.
It was a nice surprise for the children, because the Minister Dato Rohani, who is also a mother, flew in from Kuala Lumpur to meet the four children whose parents are serving imprisonment for "violating their integrity" or in plain English, disciplining their children for misbehaviour.
The Minister's visit was to see the children and their progress since they returned to Malaysia a few months ago from Sweden. It was also to spend Mother' Day with them.
The return was successful arranged by Wisma Putra and Tourism Malaysia with the co-operation of the Swedish Government.
Looking at them, we know how much they missed their parents, especially their mother. The children do not hate their parents, they love them.
Every now and then, the children wrote letters and sent post cards to their parents. And all they wanted is to have their parents back in Malaysia.
There is nothing much anyone can do now. The parents, have to complete their jail sentenced before they can return home.
We hope that soon the moment of the family being together again will take place.
To Shalwati, the children wished you Happy Mother's Day. We wait for your return.
This blog is dedicated to seek the release of Azizul Raheem Awaludin and Shalwati Norshal, loving parents who are now being detained for loving their children.
Sunday 11 May 2014
Saturday 29 March 2014
Shalwati's letter to her children, family and friends
STOCKHOLM, Mac 22 2014
Assalamualikum WBT, kids, family and friends...
I learnt something from an inmate during my promanade (walk) today. I hardly join the other inmates because nearly everybody smoke. So today after all my wirids are done and I saw them (there are two groups here 1. Swedes all five of them 2. Foreigners - 8 of them - Bolivians, Spainards, Polish and Romainians. I usually join the Swedes for breakfast and the Spainards (3 of them) during gym time.)
No longer berasap/smoking, I went and sat with them. One of the Polish was sharing her cerita. Here I will cuba tulis dalam Bahasa Malaysia.
Dia di halau emak pada usia 15 tahun. Ibu dah tak betul/sasau sebab ayah dia (suami) bunuh diri. Jadi dia hidup merempat. Asalnya dia mahu jadi seorang doktor tapi harapan itu berkecai. Dia malu dan tidak mempunyai tempat tinggal. And again because she was shocked to be homeless and without duit, dia tinggal dan tidur di kaki lima tempat orang parking basikal. So her life changed. She had to survive. This part I missed as she must have shared her stories earlier so I don't know did to survive. But basically you can teka apa di buat untuk hidup. Jual diri dia, mencuri atau berkerja. Dia masuk penjara seawal 17 tahun and katanya sebab dia dibuang keluarga sewaktu kanak kanak lagi dia ingin mempunyai keluarga sendiri so that she be loved. Jadi dia kahwin awal. Namun suaminya yang dia nggap keluarga hurt her more. Dia tak share this part tapi katanya he forced her to do things. This leaves to my/your imagination. :((
At times she said when she see her insane mother she forgave her (I think there is nothing to forgive here because the mother is mentally unstable) and will always love her.
A spainard mencelah and said this story made her appreciate her family more. Everybody were teary-eyed.
Life is hard for others. You kids should be thankful for you have a roof to call home and family who loved you. Appreciate and be thankful for every single things you have. When you crave for something that is beyond your reac, because mummy and daddy refused to give it you. Think of others who have less than what you have.
I am thankful Allah gives me this opportunity to see "others" though many times I cry because I miss all at home. This make me value life more. Alhamdullilah, I am still alive and able to breathe in Allah's fresh air.
You kids are given opportunities that many are not getting them: special attention from our family - Aunty Sally, Uncle Farid, Aunt La, Aunt Linda, Uncle Bud etc, from the schools, special teachers to look after your education and support from the Government. So make use of these. Please study hard so you will be a successful Muslim and help others in need.
Will write again. Insyallah. May Allah bless, protect and nuture you kids. I love you kids and thank you all for the endless support you have given to us.
Love Shal/Mummy
Thursday 13 February 2014
UNBELIEVABLE SWEDEN
IS that the best you could do to Azizul Raheem Awaluddin and Shalwati Norshal Ms Public Prosecutor?
You accused the real parents of Aisyah, Ammar, Adam and Arif for violating their integrity but chose to ignore the foster parents' violation of the children's integrity and religious beliefs.
The family of the two who are expected to stand trial on trumped up charges wish you the best of luck in your attempt to secure guilty verdicts. We had in the past put up so much faith in the Swedish legal system, the efficiencies of its investigation team and a strong sense of justice but now all these has totally dissolved into thin air when the charges, totally unbelievable, were slapped on Azizul and Shalwati.
We do not need to have legal knowledge to realize that the prosecuting officer was extremely desperate to cover the serious flaws it had committed towards the couple by slapping them with trumped up charges and trying to picture them as monsters and child abusers.
The world has came down hard on Sweden for detaining the couple for almost two months now. More serious offenders were known to be released while awaiting trial but not the two whose alleged offense were disciplining their children.
The excuse that the couple would ran away do not hold water as the court could demand and have kept their passports.
Sweden committed a more serious offense when the children of the couple were taken away and placed under the care of a non-Muslim family. As the result the children has suffered a lot, a fate much worse than the so-called violation of their integrity.
The children's religious beliefs were violated when they were made to have food where non-halal dishes were served too. They children did not eat the non-halal food but when they were asked to wash dishes, including the ones that were used to serve the non-halal food, the children's integrity and religious beliefs were seriously violated. When the children complained about this to the social service, they were told to co-operate with their foster parents.
But when the foster parents found out that the children had complained to the social service, they were severely scolded by the foster parents. Surely something is not right here. Please do not try to tell us that the foster parents do not understand the Muslim way of life. If they are willing to look after the children, they must have knowledge on Islam. Ignorance is no excuse.
The funny thing is that the foster parents are not charged for violating the integrity and religious belief of the children but are asked to be witnesses against the children's parents for alleged abuse! What a classic double standard by a first world nation.
You accused the real parents of Aisyah, Ammar, Adam and Arif for violating their integrity but chose to ignore the foster parents' violation of the children's integrity and religious beliefs.
The family of the two who are expected to stand trial on trumped up charges wish you the best of luck in your attempt to secure guilty verdicts. We had in the past put up so much faith in the Swedish legal system, the efficiencies of its investigation team and a strong sense of justice but now all these has totally dissolved into thin air when the charges, totally unbelievable, were slapped on Azizul and Shalwati.
We do not need to have legal knowledge to realize that the prosecuting officer was extremely desperate to cover the serious flaws it had committed towards the couple by slapping them with trumped up charges and trying to picture them as monsters and child abusers.
The world has came down hard on Sweden for detaining the couple for almost two months now. More serious offenders were known to be released while awaiting trial but not the two whose alleged offense were disciplining their children.
The excuse that the couple would ran away do not hold water as the court could demand and have kept their passports.
Sweden committed a more serious offense when the children of the couple were taken away and placed under the care of a non-Muslim family. As the result the children has suffered a lot, a fate much worse than the so-called violation of their integrity.
The children's religious beliefs were violated when they were made to have food where non-halal dishes were served too. They children did not eat the non-halal food but when they were asked to wash dishes, including the ones that were used to serve the non-halal food, the children's integrity and religious beliefs were seriously violated. When the children complained about this to the social service, they were told to co-operate with their foster parents.
But when the foster parents found out that the children had complained to the social service, they were severely scolded by the foster parents. Surely something is not right here. Please do not try to tell us that the foster parents do not understand the Muslim way of life. If they are willing to look after the children, they must have knowledge on Islam. Ignorance is no excuse.
The funny thing is that the foster parents are not charged for violating the integrity and religious belief of the children but are asked to be witnesses against the children's parents for alleged abuse! What a classic double standard by a first world nation.
Thursday 6 February 2014
THE CHILDREN FROM SWEDEN
I am, and I believe we all are, very grateful to the Government of Malaysia which,through diplomatic channels, has managed to bring back the 4 unfortunate children who have been separated from their parents now being detained for having allegedlytransgressed the child rights law in Sweden.
Thankfully, after being forced to live with strangers (foster family) in Sweden they are back in Malaysia, surrounded by familiar faces of their close relatives, although their beloved parents are still not with them. How they yearn for the hugs and kisses of their mother and father, I cannot imagine.
Since their arrival, right from the time they stepped foot at KLIA they have beenhounded by the media. I am fully aware that this is a case of public interest and the people ought to know what has been happening to this unfortunate family. The media hype continues to this day and I suspect come Sunday when the older children start schooling there will yet be another media circus.
I sincerely hope that the media is by now satisfied that they have done what they are supposed to do and has had enough of it. Thereafter please leave them be to settle down and adjust to new environment, and hopefully they will soon be reunited with their parents.
We have always been talking about “in the best interest of the children”, but have we given thought to what they must have gone through? First, they were forcefully separated from their beloved parents and made to live with strangers in an environment alien to them. Then, upon returning to Malaysia they have endlessly been faced with strangers and exposed to the limelight. It is felt that they have been excessively and unnecessarily exposed.
Have a heart! Please observe the photographs of the children, especially the youngest one. They look bewildered and overwhelmed. Despite all the goodies they receive from well-wishers, there was no smile because what they need most right now is the presence of their parents. They are sad and living in pain.
As a social worker, I feel for the children. They need to be protected, and let us allow those who have the responsibility to look after them now to perform their respective duties quietly and without hindrance. We pray that the trauma they had gone through could be cushioned by the close relatives who, I am certain, will shower the care and attention and above all, the love upon these innocent children.
For us the caring members of society, let us now pray for the early return of the parents so that the children can have them back. Only with the return of the parents that the wounds inflicted on these children could be healed in time.
- Datuk Abdullah Malim Baginda
Wednesday 29 January 2014
END ARIF MISERY...RETURN HIS PARENTS
Both Shalwati and Azizul were under police custody from Dec 18 last year on suspicion of excessively disciplining their children at home. The act was considered a serious offence under Swedish law.
Arif often cried whenever he thought about his Mummy and had been pestering his older siblings to make arrangement to visit Malaysia so that he could see his Mummy and Daddy. To the poor boy, he thought both of them were on tour of duty in Malaysia!
Families of the couple, relatives,neighbors, friends and sympathizers had been praying hard for Shalwati and Azizul unconditional release. They are innocent and had only exercised their rights as Muslims parents to educate the children.
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