A prominent Port Elizabeth family’s three-year ordeal finally came to an end on Thursday, when the last of four siblings detained in Saudi Arabia for “security reasons” in 2015 arrived home.
Yumna Desai, 28, of Malabar was greeted by an emotional crowd of family and friends, as well as interested onlookers, at the Port Elizabeth International airport.
An emotional Desai said: “Firstly, I thank God for returning me safely and I am so grateful for the love and support my parents and family have shown during these three years.
“I am still not in the right frame of mind after these three years.
“I am going to need sometime to recover.
“I am happy and sad.
“I feel like I have left a part of me behind.
“I will never forget the face of my imprisoned political sisters and I will never taste freedom until each and every political prisoner is freed,” the former English lecturer said.
The siblings – Shah Waliyullah, 30, Shah Waseeullah, 27, Huda Mohammed, 35 and Desai, were detained in the Zahban Military Prison in Jeddah in November 2015.
Waliyullah and Waseeullah were studying towards bachelor degrees at the Islamic University of Madinah in Medina, while the sisters were English lecturers at other institutions.Desai was notified earlier this week that she would be released.
“I was happy knowing I would see my family again, but I was sad to be leaving imprisoned sisters behind.
“I can’t do anything for them.”
Huda Mohammad and her brother, Shah Waliyullah, were the first to return home in October 2016, almost a year after being detained, while their brother was only released in January 2017.
Prominent Islamic teacher Nazir Desai, 68, who visited his children several times in Saudi Arabia, flew to Johannesburg on Wednesday to accompany his daughter home.
“I must thank God,” he said. “It is a great relief, not only for me but our entire family, to have our daughter back.
“It has been trying times for our family but we are extremely happy and we feel strong after her release and we are so thankful for the support from all over South Africa.”