Bahraini women demand nationality rights for their children

Source: Gulf Daily News | REBECCA TORR

HUNDREDS of Bahraini women seeking nationality for their children have backed a campaign to give them the same rights as men.

Mother-of-four Jameela Fadhalla launched the initiative through text messages and has already been contacted by 220 mothers.

Her campaign will include activities such as demonstrations, lobbying authorities and announcements in the media.

"I received more than 200 calls from families who are willing to stand with me. They give up, nothing has worked and they are still waiting to get nationality for their children," Ms Fadhalla told the GDN.

She decided to spearhead the initiative as a last resort after waiting to obtain nationality for her children for almost 10 years.

She said many women were in the same situation and the only way forward was to speak with a collective voice until they achieved a positive result.

"Through the campaign we are appealing to His Royal Highness the Prime Minister for his help and pledging our loyalty to the kingdom and its leaders," said Ms Fadhalla.

"I am appealing to the Prime Minister to help me and other families to obtain nationality for our children.

"We have never had a chance to reach him and we hope he will hear about this campaign and give us his help."

Ms Fadhalla married Indian Maqsoud Motegheria in 1991 and had four children Reema, 18, Ismail, 16, Yasmeen, 15 and Yakeen, eight.

She applied for her children's nationality in 2002, but when she checked on the status of her application two years later, she was told her papers had been lost and to re-apply.

To speed up the process Ms Fadhalla was apparently advised by authorities to get a divorce.

Support

Ms Fadhalla and her husband divorced in 2005 and because he was unable to find a job and his visa had run out he was forced to return to India in 2004.

Since then Ms Fadhalla has been supporting her children by working as an assistant manager at Magic Planet in Bahrain City Centre.

However, her contract came to an end in July last year and since then she has been unable to find work.

Unlike other single Bahraini parents, because Ms Fadhalla's children have a foreign father she is not entitled to apply for a government house and is unable to claim financial support to look after them.

As a result her only income is BD70 allowance paid by the Human Rights and Social Development Ministry and BD50 for inflation, plus handouts from her family.

From this she has to pay a BD200 monthly rent on her flat and living expenses.

Daughter attempted suicide

The situation has put a tremendous strain on the family and her eldest daughter Reema attempted suicide during Ramadan last year.

"My daughter wrote me a text message saying: 'Mama, I think the situation is getting worse and worse, we don't have dad and money and where will we end up?'," said Ms Fadhalla.

"I wrote back to her and told her not to worry and promised I will do something, but she tried to commit suicide and was admitted for three to four days in hospital, thank God my daughter was saved."

Ms Fadhalla's son Ismail has also been affected and because he has not been granted nationality was turned away from studying at the Religious Institute for Boys in Juffair.

"He joined for three days and on the fourth they said to take him because he doesn't have the nationality," she said.

"He is now studying at the Isa Town Secondary School for Boys."

Another problem facing Ms Fadhalla and other families in the same situation is that they are not entitled to university scholarship grants.

In addition, once their children turn 18 either they must find employment or pay for resident visas and their own medical expenses.

"My eldest daughter is now past 18, so I am her sponsor until she finds a job, but that means I also have to pay her medical (bills)," said Ms Fadhalla.

"I will face it with all of them, one by one, and if they don't get their passports before 18 they will have to apply themselves.

"All of my children are born here, studied here, grew up here, they only know their Bahraini relatives and this country and culture, this is their home, they have only been to India once."

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