Silent Night, Unholy Night (ePub)

Listen, youre like a ball. When I kick you against the wall, youll just bounce
back to me, Saras husband, Mohammed barks at her. Mohammed is an
Imam or religious leader in Saudi Arabia. One night he returns home, kicks
Sara out of their matrimonial bed, and announces he has married a second
wife, Hiba, a 16 year old child-bride. When Sara has the audacity to react,
he manipulates her into thinking she is somehow at fault. Sara is a devoted
mother of four boys, and yet, she is compelled to flee Saudi Arabia and leave
her children behind. She can no longer tolerate the physical and emotional
abuse to which she has been subjected throughout her marriage. Sara is not
alone. Silent Night, Unholy Night - Refugee Stories deals with women from
all over the world, including Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi
Arabia and Albania. These women were compelled to flee their countries
of origin due to gender-based persecution. They are refugees who suffered
domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, abduction, coerced marriage and
human trafficking. There is no state or police protection for abused women
in many countries. Violence against women is regarded as a private family
matter, and the police will not intervene to protect these victims. Often the
society in which they live and their own families do not support them. Raw
and riveting, their stories scream out to be heard.