The story of a woman who suffered decades of domestic violence at the hands of her former husband, before he blinded her, has caused outrage in Jordan.
Fatima Abu Akleek’s husband gouged her right eye out with charcoal tongs, typically used in shisha pipe preparation, and destroyed the nerves in her left eye.
We want to show perpetrators that this is not acceptable and we want to tell authorities that they should do more to protect victims
Eva Abu Halaweh,
lawyer and activist
The mother of three says she regrets staying silent and encourages other women to learn from her situation.
Fatima, 38, says her suffering was prolonged by societal pressure to “keep the peace” at home, and refrain from approaching authorities about her abuse.
“There are laws in place to protect us. But do women resort to the law at the right time?” she says, from her parent’s home in Jerash where she currently resides.
“I was beaten every day,” she says.
“Our traditions make it shameful for a woman to file a complaint against her husband. People question how a woman is supposed to return to her husband's home afterwards."
An October 14 verdict by Jordan’s highest court upheld the maximum prison sentence of life for her husband, or 30 years for attempted murder, overturning an appeal by the defendant’s lawyer arguing that his client's actions had disabled Fatima but were not part of a plot to kill her.
Local papers at the time reported that Fatima's husband had raised a knife at her on the night of the crime.
According to the UN organisation for women's empowerment, UN Women, 37 per cent of Arab women have been subjected to a form of violence in their lifetime.
“There are indicators that the percentage might be higher,” UN Women says.
More than six in 10 women who have survived violence also refrain from asking for protection or support, research by UN Women shows.
Fatima thinks about the pain that her family feels when they see her.
“My father says that if I had been killed, my family would have mourned me for a period of time. But with me here in front of them every day, the pain remains alive and is renewed in their hearts every time they see me.”
She also says her ability to perform duties as a mother has been drastically affected.
“I was the main person in my children’s lives," she says.
"I cleaned their clothes, I tutored them. They used to rely on me.”
Fatima's youngest child is 4.
"I cannot remember what she looks like. I cannot remember," she says.
Preventing domestic abuse
Fatima’s lawyer, Eva Abu Halaweh says the publicity her client’s case received has served as a warning for other abusers. The lengthy sentence her former husband received will also discourage other people from committing similar crimes, she says.
“We started hearing of instances where men threatened to give their wives the same fate that Fatima suffered,” Ms Abu Halaweh, who founded the Mizan Law Group for Human Rights in Jordan, tells The National.
“We want to show perpetrators that this is not acceptable and we want to tell authorities that they should do more to protect victims.”
In 2017, Jordan’s parliament amended several laws that affect women, most notably repealing a penal code article that absolves perpetrators of sexual violence if they marry their victims.
A similar law was repealed in Morocco in 2014 after a rape victim who was forced to marry her aggressor committed suicide, Human Rights Watch says.
In 2019, the year that Fatima took her case to court, Jordan's state news agency Petra said the country dealt with 10,000 complaints of domestic violence in the first eight months of that year.
While rights defenders have praised Jordan’s court decision in Fatima’s case, they say that there is much left to do for victims of domestic violence.
"Tens of cases of murder and violence against Jordanian women and girls are stuck in the mazes of the justice system. We don't know their names or whether justice was served for them," says women's rights activist Banan Abuzaineddin.
Although Fatima says she is satisfied with the verdict against her aggressor, she also wishes there was a way to get her sight back.
"I would agree to his release if that means I get my sight back," she says.
"That way he would have to pray for me to be able to see again."
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Results
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)
Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
HOW TO WATCH
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
