Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Saudi Arabia: Terrorist’s Widow Expresses Sorrow for Murdered Policemen’s Families | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- Only a few days have passed since Um Ali, wife of Abdul Rahman Al-Mutib, number four on the Saudi’s most wanted list, had called for her husband to return to his family through Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. However, Mutib’s death was officially announced, Wednesday, following a violent clash with Saudi security forces that left five police officers and wanted militant, Mohamed Al-Suwalimi dead.

The past two days have been distressful for the 20-year old widow. They had spent two years as a married couple before he disappeared leaving his three-year-old daughter and his son, Ali who he had never seen.

Um Ali patiently awaited the Interior Ministry’s statement that would confirm or negate rumors of her husband’s death. She had sensed that the front-page news on Asharq Al-Awsat had been true that her husband had sustained injuries as he was chased by a helicopter, after leaving his colleague, Mohamed Al-Suwaylimi. Her father-in-law was summoned to Al-Qussim to confirm that the body was that of his son’s.

The young mother recalled memories of family outings before her husband disappeared. She told Asharq Al-Awsat, “I’ll keep my husband’s prayer beads that my daughter used to use as a necklace. He used to tell her that this was an eternal present from him to her.”

Um Ali””s words were full of sorrow as she spoke about her husband, who she claims had his thinking distorted, transforming him into an unrecognizable character. She stated that the criminal who appeared on television was not her affectionate husband who she would turn to whenever she had any problems.

Um Ali added that she wished her husband would have heard her pleas and those of her children for him to return home so that his children would not lose their father. She further expressed deep regret for the deaths of the five security officers who were killed during the confrontation with Mutib and Suwaylimi. She wished that her husband would have considered the children and wives of those martyrs who, like Um Ali and her children, have been left alone.

After watching hours of news and hearing about the detaining of wanted terrorists, Um Ali continued to watch as her husband was killed. She had previously stated to Asharq Al-Awsat that after such a long time, she had lost hope that her husband would ever surrender, especially when it seemed he did not care for the future of his children. She also asserted that she is confident that her husband was being manipulated psychologically to participate in attacks and not to surrender.