CNN: Saudi Arabia Rules U.S. Mother Is Too Western to Care for Her Daughter

TAPPER Our buried lead ░░░░░░░░ Those are stories we ░░░░░░░░ are not getting enough ░░░░░░░░ An American woman is ░░░░░░░░ to appeal a Saudi ░░░░░░░░ ruling this weekend after ░░░░░░░░ divorced her allegedly abusive ░░░░░░░░ husband and was denied ░░░░░░░░ of their daughter A ░░░░░░░░ judge ruling that she ░░░░░░░░ unfit to raise her ░░░░░░░░ year old daughter Zeina ░░░░░░░░ she s a westerner ░░░░░░░░ is too new to ░░░░░░░░ This of course highlights ░░░░░░░░ struggles that women continue ░░░░░░░░ face in a place ░░░░░░░░ the laws are geared ░░░░░░░░ keep it a man ░░░░░░░░ world CNN s Nick ░░░░░░░░ has the story Clip ░░░░░░░░ WATT Meet Bethany Vierra ░░░░░░░░ her 4 year old ░░░░░░░░ Zeina They re in ░░░░░░░░ Arabia Cell phone videos ░░░░░░░░ the contact grandma and ░░░░░░░░ back home in Wenatchee ░░░░░░░░ have right now All ░░░░░░░░ the contact they might ░░░░░░░░ have VIERRA If Zeina ░░░░░░░░ t leave she won ░░░░░░░░ leave MYRON VIERRA It ░░░░░░░░ perfect sense that she ░░░░░░░░ t give up We ░░░░░░░░ realize that she may ░░░░░░░░ her life doing this ░░░░░░░░ we may never see ░░░░░░░░ again WATT Bethany has ░░░░░░░░ her Saudi husband claims ░░░░░░░░ was an abusive drug ░░░░░░░░ which he denies I ░░░░░░░░ him for comment but ░░░░░░░░ no reply A Saudi ░░░░░░░░ just denied Bethany Vierra ░░░░░░░░ American citizen custody of ░░░░░░░░ own daughter Ruling that ░░░░░░░░ mother is new to ░░░░░░░░ is a foreigner in ░░░░░░░░ country and continues to ░░░░░░░░ embrace the customs and ░░░░░░░░ of her upbringing We ░░░░░░░░ avoid exposing Zeina to ░░░░░░░░ customs and traditions especially ░░░░░░░░ this early age MYRON ░░░░░░░░ We may have different ░░░░░░░░ but we re really ░░░░░░░░ same We re human ░░░░░░░░ we should be able ░░░░░░░░ get along WATT Custody ░░░░░░░░ Zeina now officially given ░░░░░░░░ her Saudi grandmother Both ░░░░░░░░ and her ex were ░░░░░░░░ unfit Her parents tell ░░░░░░░░ there is now a ░░░░░░░░ out for Bethany s ░░░░░░░░ after she allegedly missed ░░░░░░░░ visitation that her parents ░░░░░░░░ she wasn t even ░░░░░░░░ about that Bethany s ░░░░░░░░ banned from leaving the ░░░░░░░░ for ten years and ░░░░░░░░ told not to talk ░░░░░░░░ the press That s ░░░░░░░░ we re talking to ░░░░░░░░ and dad MYRON VIERRA ░░░░░░░░ wants to be able ░░░░░░░░ have the right to ░░░░░░░░ and come She needs ░░░░░░░░ have that right Bethany ░░░░░░░░ t give up And ░░░░░░░░ that s her daughter ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia has softened ░░░░░░░░ In the past few ░░░░░░░░ women for the first ░░░░░░░░ have been allowed to ░░░░░░░░ at the Olympics vote ░░░░░░░░ local elections drive cars ░░░░░░░░ this remains one of ░░░░░░░░ male dominated societies on ░░░░░░░░ the so called guardianship ░░░░░░░░ still in effect BEGUM ░░░░░░░░ means that women from ░░░░░░░░ until death must have ░░░░░░░░ male guardian The idea ░░░░░░░░ that they are not ░░░░░░░░ and men know better ░░░░░░░░ Under Saudi law a ░░░░░░░░ s word still worth ░░░░░░░░ that of a man ░░░░░░░░ According to the judge ░░░░░░░░ took Zeina away from ░░░░░░░░ mother she d been ░░░░░░░░ too much English not ░░░░░░░░ into Arab culture MYRON ░░░░░░░░ Bethany was talking to ░░░░░░░░ and Zeina overheard the ░░░░░░░░ started counting in Arabic ░░░░░░░░ prove that she could ░░░░░░░░ it WATT State Department ░░░░░░░░ told CNN due to ░░░░░░░░ consideration we will not ░░░░░░░░ a specific comment at ░░░░░░░░ time Our embassies and ░░░░░░░░ abroad have no greater ░░░░░░░░ than the protection of ░░░░░░░░ S citizens overseas But ░░░░░░░░ that U S Citizens ░░░░░░░░ are subject to local ░░░░░░░░ MYRON VIERRA We love ░░░░░░░░ granddaughter I think our ░░░░░░░░ fear is that we ░░░░░░░░ not ever see her ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends WATT And ░░░░░░░░ Vierra is going to ░░░░░░░░ her appeal of the ░░░░░░░░ s verdict on Sunday ░░░░░░░░ is hoping it is ░░░░░░░░ she is hoping that ░░░░░░░░ she and little Zeina ░░░░░░░░ be able to come ░░░░░░░░ here to Wenatchee Washington ░░░░░░░░ a visit Jake TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ Watt thanks so much ░░░░░░░░ that story.”