Libya's Stolen Children

 A couple of months ago, Sky News were showing a documentary called 'Libya's Stolen Children', about mixed-race children kidnapped by their Libyan fathers to Libya. It just made me think a little about inter-racial marriage, it doesn't always work. I think these Libyan men come here, meet white women and they are swept away. Similarly, the white women like the exotic-ness (is that a word?) of these men. A lot of Libyan men have it in their mind that they will return home someday, even my dad is the same. It's not a good idea to marry someone like that if you don't want to leave the UK. Same with the Libyan men, don't marry a white woman if you plan on going back to Libya someday. Both parties have something to answer for, but of course kidnapping your own children is not the answer. It's also so easy to get away with it in Libya, no extradition, they can pretty much take the kids forever, because once they are there long enough, they are married off. No hope of going back to the UK after that. I do think these men should realise the importance of their childrens' mothers in their lives, they should be able to go to Libya at least twice a year to see their children. It's only fair after all the trauma they have gone through.

One mother greets her children and little grandchild in Libya

 

  It just makes me glad that my dad was not of those people who ran away with me and my siblings. I am glad we have been able to grow up in the UK, but don't get me wrong, I still love Libya, but for me it's strictly holidays only! I feel as a mixed-race person I have the option of choosing where I want to live, and the UK is most definately my home. I once had a marriage proposal from someone half English, half Libyan who had been taken to Libya by his father when he was five years old. Nothing came of the proposal, but I remember he told my dad that his mother wasn't too bothered about him and his sister being taken. Somehow I doubt this, she may have felt helpless, so didn't really do anything about the situation, but I bet you anything she missed her kids like crazy. What mother wouldn't? I am aware some mothers have done the same thing, and taken their kids, but this post is not going to cover all that.

Scottish mum Lisa Osman's son is upset after leaving his mum

 

 One particular story that touched me in the documentary was that of Lisa Osman. She was married to a half Scottish, half Libyan man. They had two children and went to live in Libya. Lisa was promised they would be able to return to Scotland if she did not like life in Libya. This turned out not to be true, and she ended up leaving Libya herself, with her two sons left behind. Some may say she shouldn't have left Libya alone, and part of me thinks that too, but we don't know what her life was like. I remember reading a comment Lisa's mum left on the Sky News site, she said she was against the relationship and thought it wouldn't be good for Lisa. Still, who thinks their children are going to be kidnapped by their own father?