 Before a Saudi man makes a heroic attempt to keep a woman from being kidnapped, he should think twice. A.R. was cruelly beaten after saving a young girl from being kidnapped. Ironically, the 27-year-old man was assaulted by the girl's family.
| "Here y'are, Miss. All safe and sound!... Ow!... Ouch!... Hey! Stop it! You're hurting me!" |
The story began after midnight when A.R. was on his way home. He came upon three young men trying to kidnap a 16-year-old girl.
"Arrr! A young babe! I betcha she's good-lookin' under that sack!"
"Let's kidnap her an' dishonor her family!" |
He did not hesitate for a minute. He quickly jumped out of his car to help the girl. The three men ran away after a fight that did not last long.
| "Curly-toed slippers, don't fail us now!" |
He asked her why she was out so late. She was crying and explained that her stepmother had kicked her out of the house.
| "Beat it, y'little brat!" |
According to A.R. he offered her a ride home but she refused.
"Want a ride home, baby?"
"Piss off! What kinda girl do you think I am?" |
"She was afraid that her father would punish her. She asked for my mobile to call her mother and explain what had happened.
| "Hello, Mom? Bitch Woman threw me out again!" |
I was surprised later to receive a call from her father threatening to kill me for insulting his daughter," A.R. said.
| "What you doin', sniffin' around our wimminfolks?" |
The young man was furious; after all he had just rescued the young woman and this is how he was repaid. "I introduced myself to him politely. I then asked him to pick up his daughter."
| "Just come get the little hussy!" |
That was the beginning of the nightmare. The father along with her uncle arrived at the scene. They immediately, with no questions asked, began to beat A.R. He said, "I respect my elders and I cannot fight them."
| "Uncle was pretty large. And he had a club." |
When the police came, they were all taken to Olaya police station.
| "Into the paddy wagon wit' yez! You, too, girlie!" |
It was about 1 a.m. The girl's father tried to accuse A.R of kidnapping his daughter.
| "... [grumble]... danged flatland furriners... [grumble]... sniffin' around our wimmin... [grumble]... got them danged city ways... [grumble]..." |
The girl also gave her statement. After two hours of deliberations, the officer closed the case.
| "Hello, chief? These people are crazy!" |
He explained to the family that there was a misunderstanding. The courageous young man they had beaten actually had saved their daughter's life.
"Why don'tcha go try and find the guys that actually tried to steal her?"
"Dang! Never thought o' that!" |
"The family apologized to me and regretted what they had done. They even invited me to a dinner in my honor," A.R. said.
"We're having mutton!"
"Oh, Dad! Not mutton again!"
"'Again'? How many times has this happened?"
"Eleven."
"And she's only sixteen?" |
An official source explained that the case could get complicated if A.R. talked to a lawyer. The lawyer might demand that his client be compensated for the assault; however, A.R. refused any compensation. The family's apology was enough. |