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.

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

END ARIF MISERY...RETURN HIS PARENTS

SEVEN-YEAR old Arif has been waiting for 1,056 hours or 44 days to see his mummy  Shalwati Norshal and daddy Azizul Raheem Awaludin. Both his parents are under detention and expected to be brought before the court at 6pm (local time) today to determine whether they would be released or detained for another two weeks.

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.

SHALWATI IS MY AUNT AND PROUD OF IT...

Waking up in the middle of the night due to having a confusing dream in the form of a slide show regarding news articles of Miss Shal's case  gave me a pang of insomniac moment. 

I saw flashes of memory clips in my dream of growing up with her that made me realise how much I miss her. Seeing what people have been saying and writing about Miss Shal and her family gave birth to this mixed feeling of sadness and longing.

Before this, the distance had never taken a toll on our relationship for the family and her we can always communicate using multiple mediums. But now, it had left an empty space in our hearts that only can be filled after all this mayhem is settled. And we wished and pray hard for the day to come soonest. 

Tonight, in my dream I’ve seen a few flashbacks of Miss Shal. How she was always so independent with her little red car that she had used for so many years. That is Miss Shal, with her tagline of “ tok soh nyusoh...(no need to trouble anyone)” doing mostly everything on her own and excellent with it had always been so inspiring.   

 How I remember when I was young, waiting at my grandma’s door for the little red car to reach our kampung for Eidul Fitri had always been exciting. Reminiscing as a little kid, she combed my hair into a perfect ponytail and cute buns while giving me tips how to take good photos, saying that we the family have photogenic genes. That is Miss Shal, always known for her wits, filling the family’s kitchen with her cheeky smile and laughter while always being the wise head among other siblings in a family quarrel. 

Miss Shal might be portrait as a strict person on some cases but you can always expect her to see things from a different angle during  discussions and always so understanding and very comforting to be around with. Those traits of her make her an excellent school teacher. I can bet that there have been so many girls came and sought her advise and guidance in life abd I am one of them.

I remember my childhood days where I spent my holidays staying at her place even before she had her own family, where we talked about mostly everything, how she perfected my tajwid for my daily prayers, reading the Quran after prayers and free English lessons at night before we settle for our sleep. That had been the ritual slumber party for the nieces. Yes, she is my aunt and I am proud of her. 

She is a great mom and raised her kids well. How do I know this? Her kids are the most pleasant bunch of kids you have ever met. They conversed well, polite and ever so humble. Her 1^st born, Aisyah, inherit her mom’s wits and matured way beyond her age. The other 3 boys were a normal bunch of generation Y kids where they loved their gadgets and video games and yet still squeak and gush over babies and baby animals.

 They were always so helpful and fun to be with and if you were driving them around, their mom will ask them to recite the  Ayatul Qursi and few more Quranic verses to ease the journey. These kids were fun, loving and passionate kids as they were raised well by their parents.

Now, the situation had taken away their smile and put them in a very dark moment in their life and I am sure that they had been traumatised by what is happening and I wonder if it will leave an ugly scar and will it ever heal. Praying for the best and praying hard for it. I am sure that Miss Shal and her family would do the same if we were in their shoes.

--AKQMIE

Swedish Authorities Interview Several Malaysian Muslim Families

BERNAMA/23JAN2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) - Swedish authorities have interviewed several Malaysian Muslim families to accommodate four siblings, currently under the care of a non-Muslim family after their parents were detained.

"The choice of which Malaysian Muslim family is qualified to care for the four siblings will be made soon," said a Foreign Ministry officer when contacted by Bernama Thursday.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Volunteer Lawyers Association (SukaGuam) chairman Datuk Khairul Anwar Rahman said the transfer of the four siblings to a new foster family is expected to be completed within a week.

"The Swedish authorities have given undertaking that the four siblings will be handed over to a Muslim foster family to care for their welfare," he added.

Khairul Anwar is serving as mediator to help the transfer of the four siblings aged 7, 11, 12 and 14 years from a non-Muslim family to a Muslim family.

Their parents, Azizul Raheem Awalludin and Shalwati Nurshal were detained by Swedish police on December 18 last year for allegedly beating them for not praying.

Azizul is the Director of Tourism Malaysia based in Stockholm while his wife Shalwati is a teacher on unpaid leave in Sweden.

No charges have been brought against Azizul and Shalwati and their remand period has been extended two weeks.

Khairul Anwar said SukaGuam would monitor the situation and if nothing happened, he would leave for Sweden with Umno Youth next week.

Earlier, media reports said SukaGuam and Umno Youth would leave for Sweden soon to assist in the tranfer of the four siblings to a Muslim family so that they can live as Muslims.