An American mother was desperately fighting for the custody of her daughter in Saudi Arabia on Sunday — after being ruled “too Western to raise the child” in the strict Islamic country, according to reports.
Bethany Vierra, 32, who moved to Saudi Arabia in 2011, fought for custody of 4-year-old Zaina after splitting from her husband, accusing him of being verbally abusive and abusing drugs, her family told CNN.
But the yoga teacher lost after being deemed a bad parent under Sharia law — based partly on the fact that she’d been to Burning Man and had “nudity” on her social media pages, according to the report.
“The mother is new to Islam, is a foreigner in this country, and continues to definitively embrace the customs and traditions of her upbringing,” Judge Abdul-Ellah ibn Mohammed al-Tuwaijri wrote, according to CNN.
“We must avoid exposing (Zaina) to these customs and traditions, especially at this early age.”
Vierra was allowed to keep her daughter until Sunday, the deadline for her to appeal last month’s decision.
If she loses, Zaina will be given to her Saudi grandmother after the judge claimed that “it is in men’s nature not to stay at home and not to honor/fulfill parental role themselves,” according to the report.
Vierra’s family in Wenatchee, Washington, claim that she has been banned from leaving Saudi Arabia for the next 10 years, although they did not explain why. She also has a warrant out for her arrest after she missed a child visitation that she did not know about, her family said.
“Bethany won’t give up. Because that’s her daughter,” Vierra’s father, Myron Vierra, told CNN.
However, the family fears it will never again see either of them again.
“We love our granddaughter. I think our deepest fear is that we might not ever see her again,” the dad said.
Of his own daughter, he said, “We also realize that she may lose her life doing this, or we may never see her again.”
Vierra’s mother, Kathi, told the network, “If Zaina can’t leave, she won’t leave.”
A US State Department official told CNN that it was aware of the case, but would not comment “due to privacy considerations.”
“Speaking generally, the Us Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater responsibility than the protection of US citizens overseas. US citizens abroad are subject to local laws,” the official added.
