Reunited in the Desert: How I Risked Everything to See My Children Again
Helle Amin, David Meikle
Language: English
Pages: 272
ISBN: 1844546063
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
After setting up home on the tropical island of Bali with her husband and four children, Helle Amin seemed to have the perfect life. But one day in 2001 Helle's idyllic existence was shattered. She returned home from a shopping trip one evening to find that her children, who should have been safely tucked in their beds, had disappeared. It didn't take Helle long to discover that her Saudi Arabian husband had taken them away to live in his home country. With her children thousands of miles away in totally unfamiliar surroundings, Helle drew upon her remarkable courage and set off for the desert in a desperate attempt to find her beloved boys. Her journey was filled with drama, danger, excitement, and sorrow. In the astonishing struggle that followed Helle was reduced to catching occasional, snatched glimpses of her children as they were taken to and from school in Jeddah. She took a job at an international school in the city and began her campaign for access. After a series of dramatic twists and turns, Helle was reunited forever with her boys. This fascinating and gripping story cannot fail to touch any reader's heart and is packed with adventure, heartache, and joy.
worked wonders. Three days later, a couple came along and rented the house. First stage of mission completed: school and house sorted. I booked my one-way ticket to London. I was about to leave behind the tropical island that had held so much promise of happiness for me and my little family. When I boarded the plane, I was overwhelmed with sadness and loneliness. As we took off, tears were streaming down my face. I left Bali on 6 October 2002. At that time, there was a real sense of prosperity
document in times of need. I went along to the mosque again the following Sunday with all my children. T was a bit grumpy for no reason I could see, and he stayed at home. When I entered the mosque with the children and was greeted by some of the ladies, I felt slightly uncomfortable and shy. The first thing I noticed was that the men and women were separated; it was a case of ‘upstairs, downstairs’, with me and the other women on the first floor. The men remained downstairs. The children ran
worked out at $2,000 and I thought I could use my newfound wealth for a project. But I wanted to hide the transaction from T. Steve agreed that my mother should transfer the money into his account in Bali. The money came, and Steve gave me the cash. I met a French football coach called Alain and the two of us discussed a business venture. Alain suggested that we could make some money. The idea was to pay for a container back to France, with traditional teak Bali furniture and other items inside.
drive, so I took taxis, using the seating arrangement I described earlier. I tried to find out why women couldn’t drive, as it seemed a bit daft. They’ve been banned from taking to the roads since 1990. When I asked around, I was told it was mainly a safety issue. You can’t see much through the black veil, and I can see the sense in that. Also, I was told, it might encourage women to take their veils off, and that would attract the attention of the religious police. I was intrigued by all
within a year of the abduction. There are exceptions, so the small print should be read carefully. If the application for return is made after a year, the court may use its discretion to decide that the child has become resettled in his or her new country. Yes, there is a chance that the child may not be returned to his or her former home. Also, a court may refuse to order the return of a child if there is a grave risk that he or she would be exposed to physical or psychological harm. If a