By Seyi Babalola
She paid for defying the tradition of the Kingdom; a 19-year-old Princess of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s royal palace.
This sad story of Misha’al Binti Fahd Al Saud depicts the reality of life in some countries that, unless you are a committed researcher, you should be aware of.
Many people know the story of the 19-year-old Saudi Arabian princess, especially those born in the 1960s. Being a princess in such a great nation has advantages, but most people must understand that it comes at a high cost.
For those who don’t know, the Misha’al was a 19-year-old Saudi princess and part of the royal family. As a member of the royal family, you must act honorably and avoid mingling with other people, including the person you want to marry or get married to.
The laws of the kingdom state that no one, royal family member or not, is immune from the severe hand of the law. People need to be very careful in their interactions, especially if they are royal family members.
Misha’al was the beloved daughter of Khaled Bin Abdulaziz, the blood brother of the then-king of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz.
Being a member of the royal family means that the prospective spouse must be chosen from among the family, who are typically close cousins. Misha’al did not like this kind of society, but she felt forced to change her viewpoint after learning about it while studying abroad, and she fell in love with a student.
While attending a university in Lebanon, she developed feelings for a Lebanese man. She knew full well that her relationship with him would not work out, but she was powerless to stop it because she was just a regular girl who would fall in love. Although these kinds of alliances are forbidden, they were both equipped to handle any situation that arose. Despite the fact that Khaled alsha’er Mulhallal, her partner, was the son of a Saudi ambassador, the marriage was prohibited by local laws.
The two had no choice but to leave their nation and petition for asylum in another where the same laws did not apply in order to rescue themselves. But before they could depart the country, the authorities captured the two at the airport, and such an offence was grievous and even had the death penalty.
The two were supposed to be punished in accordance with the law after being caught trying to escape the nation, with the chance of a lighter punishment if they denied the accusations.
The two were accused of adultery, but in order to face consequences, they had to acknowledge their involvement in the affair. If a person confesses out loud, not even her parents will be able to protect her from the wrath of the law. Because of this, the parents did all within their power to stop their daughter from making such a horrible confession. However, they were shocked to learn that their 19-year-old daughter had admitted to adultery and that not even her parents could stop it.
The parents of Misha’al will never forget what happened on July 15, 1977, when they watched their daughter be executed in front of them and have her neck chopped. The fact that Misha’al’s grandfather had to give the order for her granddaughter to be executed made the situation much more tragic. The story of the two young lovers ended there when the boyfriend was also killed in the same manner.
