Further evidence that courts all over the world believe Mommy knows best, even when she doesn't came with the news today that the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, has ruled that Misbah Rana must leave her loving, affluent family and return to a bleak housing estate on the Scottish isle of Stornoway to live with her mother.
When I first wrote about this case, I noted how the child had sought her sister's help in fleeing her mother's care, and fervently desired to live with her father in Pakistan. This fact was confirmed again in court, when the child burst into uncontrollable weeping when the verdict that she would be forced to return to Scotland was announced.
It seems that the great social experiment of our era - the eradication of fathers from their children's lives - is continuing apace, even in countries previously seen to have tendencies to rule in favour of fathers, such as Muslim Pakistan.
Despite the fact that Misbah (or Molly as she was once known) has repeatedly acted and stated that she wishes to live with her family and father in Pakistan, where he is an affluent and caring man well respected in the community, it seems that the courts in two countries are insistent on ignoring her wishes.
Instead, they wish to foist her back into a bleak, windswept housing estate that is riven with drugs, and where she suffered racism, into the care of a mother who refused to even attend the hearing in Pakistan such is her love for her daughter.
A mother whose marriage fell apart after she had an affair, a mother who is apparently physically unwell, a mother who is accused of plying her own underage daughter with alcohol, a mother whose son Adam, Molly's older brother, left to return to his father as soon as he turned 18.
How is any of this in the interests of the child? Her interests have been expressed and utterly ignored. Instead, the British media were more than happy to accuse her father of abducting her, and reprinted her mother's lies that she was being taken to Pakistan for an arranged marriage. Thankfully, now that the full truth has emerged, their tone has changed somewhat.
But despite the augmentation of the media coverage, the facts remain heartbreaking. A child must be separated from the environment and family she loves because her selfish mother, who was not even inclined to attend the hearing about her daughter's future, wants her back.
And that's that, because Mommy knows best, even when she doesn't, in the eyes of the law the world over.
5 comments:
Agree completely jc. When my daughter was born, I was shocked beyond words to find out that I could spend all my time and energy (and let's face it, all my salary too) on raising her, and, on a whim, the mother can take her away. Fortunately, I don't anticipate this happening, but it doesn't detract from the fact that the law is unbelievably biased in favour of the mother. It's ridiculous.
I feel sorry for her for the extreme change of weather she'll have to experience on her return.
Not all bad here though, unlike what some of the mainstream press have been reporting. Very low crime, traffic, pollution, urban sprawl. Beaches are good, too.
Dead right. Couldn't agree with you more.
In spite of all I said about the Muslims, to consign a child to the care of chavs is a form of abuse. Nobody should have to live with a fat stupid chav if they don't want to.
Isn't it great we have no chavs in Ireland?
PS, is cursing alowed in this blog?
Swear away, Bock. It's fine by me. Gotta agree that there's a lot of Muslim cultures you would not want to send a young girl to live in. Thankfully, upper class Lahore is not one of them.
Please get you facts straight before posting such a prejudgist article.
How can you say that the island that the housing estate her mother lived in is 'wind swept', 'bleak' and 'drug ridden' when you cannot even get the name of the island correct?! It is NOT the isle of Stornoway, but the Isle of Lewis, It is NOT bleak NOR drug ridden, and I happily call it home.
How pathetic.
Lets see some better researched articles please.
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