Dubai at its worst - false allegations against voice of abused women
A few weeks ago I was excited to read online about an inspiring Muslim woman activist in Dubai who is involved with volunteer organizations like the Jumeirah Islamic Center and the City of Hope (a shelter for abused women). The very next day, I read this article in the Gulf News which completely slanders the activist and the City of Hope. I was shocked and disappointed, but still not completely convinced. One of my friends who know of Sr. Sharla Musabih told me the allegations were false, but I had no proof and wasn’t sure who to believe. Afterall, it was the Gulf News that published the article.
Turns out the Gulf News was completely wrong (its readers said so too) ! Jazakum Allah khairan to the sister who forwarded me this NYT article. Everything makes sense now, and fits right into what I have come to know of Dubai, its government and its people.
I don’t know where to begin. First there is the issue of Sr. Sharla and how someone can find it in himself/herself to slander such a person and tell horrifying lies about her. I pray this person realizes his/her mistake and repents - I would not want to be them on the Day Of Judgement.
Then there’s the whole crew that came together to silence this sister: the goverment, the government-sponsored religious scholar (whom by the way is extremely knowledgable and respected - I have to try hard to find him 70 excuses), the government-sponsored woman’s shelter, and most importantly the media.
I do understand that it is easy for people to criticize Dubai because of it’s success: whether it’s on labor issues, the environment, or any other issue. And I do understand that Dubai’s government must protect defend and protect its image to some extent. But this has gone TOO far.
And of course, the most apalling yet expected level of injustice in all of this: the attitude the state takes towards battered women. And what’s worse - they blame it all on Islam. What do you think Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) would have done if a woman came to him with three broken bones?
I do not know Sr. Sharla and have not visited the City of Hope, so again, all I have to go by are the two articles above. But one of them makes so much more sense than the other - I think it’s obvious which one is right.
Please, if you know Sr. Sharla, please do share your thoughts and comments - I would really like to get to the bottom of this and do whatever I can to help.
Excerpts from the NYT article below:
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — For years, Sharla Musabih has fought a lonely battle to protect battered wives and victims of human trafficking here. She founded the Emirates’ first women’s shelter here and she became a familiar figure at police stations, relentlessly hounding officers to be tougher on abusive husbands.
She has also earned many enemies. Emiratis do not often take kindly to rights advocates drawing attention to the dark side of their fast-growing city-state on the Persian Gulf, better known for its gleaming office towers and artificial islands.
Still, no one was quite prepared for the stories that started appearing in Dubai newspapers this month. Suddenly, unidentified female victims were coming forward to say that “Mama Sharla” herself had abused them, forced them to work as servants and sold their stories to foreign journalists for thousands of dollars, pocketing the proceeds. She even sold one woman’s baby, the articles said, hinting at criminal investigations.
To Ms. Musabih and her supporters, the accusations, which appear to be baseless, are the latest chapter in a long campaign of threats and defamation that began with angry husbands and has grown to include prominent clerics, and even the directors of a new government-financed women’s shelter, who, she says, would like to silence her.
The ferocity of the dispute is unusual for Dubai, and underscores a major challenge facing this proudly apolitical business capital. The city’s few rights advocates have always been quietly shunted aside. But as the conservative Muslim ethos of Dubai’s native Arab minority rubs against the varied perspectives of a much larger foreign population, debates about how to approach taboo subjects like domestic violence and the city’s prevalent prostitution are getting louder.
Battling Tradition
Ms. Musabih, 47, a boisterous American transplant who was born and raised on Bainbridge Island, Wash., argues that confrontation is essential in fighting the patriarchal Arab traditions that allow men to beat their wives with impunity. She and her supporters also say the Emirates have not acknowledged the severity of their problem with human trafficking, the brutal business in which foreign women are lured here with promises of jobs and then forced into prostitution or servitude. Last year the United States State Department placed the Emirates and 31 other countries on a watch list for failing to effectively combat the illegal trade.
“When a woman has three broken bones in her back, and the police don’t take it seriously, yes, I get angry,” Ms. Musabih said.
Others say Ms. Musabih’s aggressive approach — which includes appeals to foreign news media as well as tough, face-to-face lobbying — is inappropriate in the Arab world, and has needlessly fueled the backlash she now faces. That assertiveness may also have made it easier to dismiss her as an outsider. Although she has lived here for 24 years, converted to Islam, is an Emirati citizen, wears a veil and has raised six children here with her Emirati husband, Ms. Musabih is still unmistakably American, from her moralistic zeal to her habit of calling the women in her shelter “darlin’.”
“I have told her sometimes I think she is wrong, she goes too far,” said Lt. Gen. Dahi al-Khalfan, the chief of the Dubai Police, who has supported Ms. Musabih in the past but now tends to criticize her work as divisive. “There is a case between husband and wife; let the court decide! Leave it.”
Safety and a Ticket Home
Ms. Musabih dates her work as an advocate from 1991, when she started tracking domestic violence cases and offering women shelter in her home in Dubai. In 2001, she rented a two-story house in the Jumeira district and opened a shelter for abused women and their children, naming it City of Hope.
On a recent afternoon, children’s toys littered the floors in the shelter’s sunlit living room, and several women snacked in the kitchen, while others sprawled on couches watching television upstairs. Although Ms. Musabih has had some dedicated assistants over the years, it is basically a one-woman show; she deals with everything from belligerent former husbands to buying plane tickets, sometimes with her own money, for foreign women to return to their home countries.
“I’ve repatriated 400 victims in the past six months,” said Ms. Musabih, a fast-talking, energetic figure who presides over the shelter like an overworked mother.
Continue here
Huma said,
March 29, 2008 @ 7:35 am
Asalaamualaikum,
I do not personally know Ms. Sharla but recall meeting her at a social event couple of yrs ago. I know of someone who had referred a badly beaten woman to the shelter sometime back.
I read the pertinent GN reports with a very neutral mind but could not help but sense a strong underlying agenda behind them. The very first report published on the front page defied all ethics of good journalism. Name of a person was being slandered based on alleged activities on hearsay! There was no proof provided to substantiate those claims. The subsequent follow-up reports came up with even more ludicrous accusations & “evidences” that I became convinced that this was a planned & sponsored drive to discredit someone. It amounts to character assassination.
I hope that once this issue gets resolved & her name gets cleared, she sues the paper & the journalist for defamation.
Btw, I agree & admire the fact that you will try to make excuses for the cleric.
Caitlin said,
March 30, 2008 @ 10:41 am
Sharla is the sister of my brother’s wife. I live in the US and have only met her a couple of times, but I certainly know of her from our mutual family, and admire her work greatly. On the couple of occasions I have spent time with her, I have found her to be honest, generous, and a devout Muslim who spoke lovingly of her religion. And yes, she is outspoken. Please spread the word that the world is watching, and that this is, indeed, slander and lies. Peace to all.
MORRISON DAVID said,
March 30, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
I KNOW SHARLA SHE IS A FRIEND , WHO I FIND TO BE A DEFENDER OF THE DEFENCELESS AS WELL AS A GREAT PERSON, THIS PROPAGANDA AGAIST HER IS DISPICABLE. A PERSON WHO SPENDS ALL THIER TIME TRYING TO HELP OTHERS WITH OUT REGARD TO THIER OWN SAFETY ONLY TO BE SLANDERD BY THE POWERS TO BE, PEOPLE MUST STAND AND SUPPORT HER AND HER CAUSE, AND LET THE POWERS TO BE KNOW WE WONT STAND FOR THIS.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK DARLIN………
Julie Spicher said,
March 31, 2008 @ 1:38 am
SHARLA IS MY COUSIN. WHAT SHARLA IS DOING TODAY IS NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT SHE HAS DONE HER WHOLE LIFE. SHE HAS ALWAYS STOOD UP FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEDGED AND THE ABUSED, IT IS HER VERY NATURE.
SHE DOES THIS SELFLESSLY AND WITHOUT REGARD TO HER OWN SAFETY AND REPUTATION. WE ARE JUST SO VERY PROUD OF HER AND HER GOOD WORKS. WE SUPPORT HER, WE PRAY FOR HER AND THE MANY PEOPLE SHE
IS AND HAS HELPED. SHARLA’S GOOD NATURE, HER GOOD WORKS, AND
HER HONESTY WILL PREVAIL. SHE HAS OUR UNDYING AND COMPLETE SUPPORT. WE LOVE YOU SHARLA.
sabeen said,
March 31, 2008 @ 3:11 am
thanks for writing about this…and I agree the underlying issue here is the desire to cover up the reality of domestic violence and in order to do that they are attacking this woman who is bring the issue to the forefront….sad.
A old friend said,
April 7, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
I got to know sharla a couple of years back, and I have visited also the shelter House in Um Suqeim. I still believe that this women is doing a great job, and that she needs a lot of support from us women who are doing well in UAE.
Put yourself in the position of beeing in a foreign country and not knowing where to go or what to do.
We need women like Sharla who will stand up for women rights, against powerfull huspends, who misuse the system to go against her just to save their faces. I hope the article will not harm you in any way, and you will continue your work, I hope it will do the opposite and you will get more support from women who know that the article is telling only lies.
abu Karim said,
April 10, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
Greetings to all:
When my three childen were kidnapped from Dubai in spite of the fact that there were orders from Dubai courts to ban them from leaving the country with out at least informing me, and they disapear from the face of the earth with the help of a woman who pretends to be the an avocate for women and chilrden on behalf of U.A.E then this is a crime agaist humanity.
When the same woman and her bias media machines march agianst the will and the well fair of the society then this is a war.
Does not sound similar to the wars that have been launched on all the Arab and the Muslims around the world? I wonder!! Who appionted this woman that has not even achieved her high school dgree back in the old U.S as a spoke woman on behalf of U.A.E women and childern? Is the U.S.A so free of problems of domstic nature that now it must focus on other nations problems?
They say: “When your house is made out of glass do not stone other’s houses”! and they also say:” You can fool some people for some time, but not all people all the time”
Is this is a new kind of war launched this time on the sucess of other nations? I wonder!!!!!!!!!
Ann said,
May 2, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
I personally know Sr. Sharla. She is an amazing, compassionate, and extremely intelligent lady. I was completely horrified with the allegation towards her. I assure every reader that who ever spread these lies has issues and only God will deal with their wrong doing. The city of hope shelter does not sell stories to media. If there was a reporter at the villa who wants to speak to a victim the permission of the victim was obtain. Also, the victim’s were never forced to lie. I know, first hand, from experience. It is really a shame that after all Sharla’s good doing, without return, only from Allah that she is repaid this way.
Abu karim said,
May 7, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
This a letter written to Robert Worth of NY times answering his call from Lebanon of course non of this latter was mentioned in his article that was all about praising that woman… in here you will find out the other side of the story that Sharla always try to hide, by the way it is proven that she sells kids that are illicit to European families.. and we are taking her to courts here you are:
Dear Bob:
Many thanks for your call and concerns about my family story I really appreciate it.
I was the first to expose Sharla George O’Kelly born in Montana, U.S.A and better known as Sharla Musabih in here, to the media here, that was on the 26/04/2006 when I called a live show broadcasted from Ajman and high lighted the following points to the listeners:
The legality of the so called ‘women shelter’ in terms of permission and whether or not it is officially licensed by the Dubai government or not.
The wardens qualifications and experience in similar fields, such as taking care of ‘ Victims ‘? Knowing that Sharla and the other two ladies had never achieved their high school.
The income of the shelter and the cash flow and in whose hands is it and whether or not there are records of that?
Why Dubai government and Dubai Police are keeping quite about it? And is Dubai Government so poor that they can’t afford to set up such facilities with the right set of HR to serve abused victims?.
Why Sharla do threatened me and others with big names like the chief of Dubai Police and other VIPs?
Who finance such phenomena in an Arab/Islamic country like U.A.E operating illegally since 2001 how could they do that? Who control all that?
Though I said all that… I never brought out the name of Sharla in Full knowing how canning she was… and with a running case against me in Dubai’s courts she accused me of trespassing her villa and at the supreme court I was announced innocent one and half year of running around since I couldn’t afford a lawyer in here.
The forth few days after that popular talk show, Sharla was brought live with her lawyer called Abdul Humid and the host of the show called Dubai’s CID Chief Brag. Khamis Bin Mizainah and to my surprise CID chief and Sharla and her lawyer accused me of being mad and other abusive descriptions. No more chance was given to me to defend my self ever since.
The above is a drop in the ocean of what had happened to me and my family through out 3 and half years of court cases, imprisonments, CID of Dubai Police beating me up before my kids and so on. I can’t abbreviate of all those years of suffering in few lines I think I need to write a book, all I want to ask the world here is: where are my 3 kids M……, J…… and K…..? And how they were allowed to leave the country with out even my knowledge as their father and are they alive or dead? See Sharla was using my wife and kids to beg public through publishing lies about how bad of a husband and father I was and juicing the stries for her own benfits. How much did she make in cash? Well, God only knows.. I saw my kids many times on the covers of so many papers and magazines and even out door Ad’s.
Any way I have a lot of things on Sharla hope this article I am sending you give you new information about her side and the other side of the story from the inmates point of view.
Please keep in touch when and if more info is needed.
Abu karim said,
May 7, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
Some more….
The women were fixed some how and trained how to use the vial in coving their faces.. and they were allowed in Villa 18, throw their kids to other inmates and carry on with night life activities, If you know what I mean!!!!, vial in here is used to cover the faces of respectable families, but can also be misused to hide a woman activities specially at night. As per the words of my wife, she was trained by one lady called Zahar Somalis woman that dealt with Voodoo and black magic to send the women to whom ever send for them.
Furthermore, all inmates of that illicit baby factory called “the city of hope” use to go out at night; there was never a record for their coming and going, mysterious and luxury cars picked them up and dropped them of some of them come at weary hours of next day morning, some slept over night Sharla’s instructions were: you can sleep over where ever you want when ever all you need is to keep me informed”.
Dubai CID were, for a very short time used after, one of the husbands reported what was going on to Abu Dhabi states security. The orders from the director of the CID patrol were: stays there watch the Villa do not ever follow the women or question the where about they go. In other words protect what is going on you have our blessings.
Abdullah said,
May 31, 2008 @ 6:19 am
I was work in TV station before 3 years and i did story about the shelter House and I interviewed Sharla and another women was living there and every thing was looking shining and nice later on I met the same women and what she told was really wired and doesn’t match what she said in front of Sharla i dont want go in details because I still in the same TV but Who say Sharla is amazing it’s not true
Mona K said,
June 1, 2008 @ 12:29 am
I know sharla through a friend who stayed at her shelter and later on left. And the reason was she couldn’t keep staying there and see the tears of women who stayed at her shelter. She threaten the women if they talk to anyone other than her they will be in jail.
Abu karim said,
June 2, 2008 @ 9:11 am
Brother Abdulla,
Al Salam Um alikom,
If you want my story for your T.V It Is Yours… The Truth.. Facts.. Pictrues, Videos, Audios all the prooves you witnesses and so on, email me with your contacts will you: lowe250498@yahoo.com