Nadia Muhsin: A Victim of Greed [Archives:2000/07/Viewpoint]

The investigation in Nadia Muhsin’s story has revealed a lot of things I have not known before. Not all these new things had to do with Nadia, but they were lessons in life as well.
The interview I made with Nadia made me actually quite happy that she coped with her life and is living -as she said- happily with her husband and children. I had little doubt about the truth in her words, especially as she talked about her previous conditions in the village. However, here were some statements that I was surprised to hear. These include her statements saying that she does not want to visit Zeyne and her mother. She does not want to even contact them.
I was outraged at the beginning when she said this to me. I was even more outraged when she told me that they do not call or contact her and have not shown much of respect to her family. She confirmed that her sister and mother showed no responsible action towards her, and hence she would do the same. I thought that she was being unfair to her sister and mother when she said that. That was the main reason why I wanted to give her sister and mother a chance to defend themselves against what Nadia says, in attempt to share their view point with the the general public. Hence I traveled to the UK after I got the acceptance response from Miriam Ali, Nadia’s mother.
Frankly speaking, I regretted this visit, and understood how true the words of Nadia were in her accusation against her sister and mother. I realized how sincere Nadia’s words were, and she spoke the truth and nothing but the truth. Indeed, they did not want to contact her, and I was not so sure until Zeyne hung the phone on me the last time I contacted her in Britain.
When I arrived to Britain, from the second day on I tried to arrange a time to meet Zeyne and her mother and give them the chance to talk to the Yemeni people and explain their stand. But I later regretted my call. Why? Because she did not care about the Yemeni public, she didn’t give a damn to the efforts I have exerted coming to the point of making a trip to the U.K. in order to meet them.
I later understood why Zeyne is actually not in good terms with her sister. Because she is using her sister’s story to gain money. Zeyne said it herself when I told her that she should provide her opinion about Nadia to the public, “It doesn’t matter for Nadia any more.”
She has produced two books about her sister’s story and they seem to have gained publicity. As a matter of fact, when I contacted Zeyne for an interview, she responded negatively with the excuse that she does not have time for such an interview as she has many recordings going on regarding her book entitled “A Promise to Nadia.”Indeed, while there are queues of journalists begging to interview her, and while having her publishing company promoting the book here and there and everywhere, why should she ever turn to us and spare half an hour of her precious time for an interview?
I don’t know for how long she could fool the British and international readers by selling her book with the illusion that she is promoting her sister’s story and helping her. One would think that Nadia is entitled to some of the benefits they are making out of the story, to say the least, if we assume that what they are selling is anywhere near the truth.
I wonder if fabricating and exaggerating a sister’s history is the way to help her. Is selling a book about a person’s life without his/her approval a noble act? Is this part of the morals and sisterhood Zeyne has learned over the years?
Questions and questions bring one conclusion to the reader’s mind. It tells us how materialistic human beings can be. It shows how people could use even their sisters’ and brothers` lives and profit selfishly from them of. Is this really how it should be?
I hope that Zeyne realizes that what she is doing is no more in her sister’s favor. It is against her, and against her future. She instead of writing books and selling them everywhere should stay by her sister, supporting her in the rest of her life, and seeing how she could be of help for her and her children’s future.
It is quite sad to see that the Nadia Muhsin story has become the means of financial benefits for Zeyne, her the mother and their publication company, without any benefit to Nadia herself.
I am however, glad that our readers have realized that the sudden increase of the media attention to Nadia’s case was not because of sudden difficulties and miseries happening in Nadia’s life, but because a campaign launched by her sister just for the promotion of her newly released book.
I hope that Zeyne realized that after informing the public of Nadia’s actual conditions, her book is of no more of great value. On the contrary, publishing it in this time will only cause her own credibility in front of the public to be weakened.
A short advice to Zeyne from me would be, “Please remember that sisterhood is more than money. It is dignity, honor, and respect.”   Walid Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf        
Chief Editor
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