A WESTERN Sydney woman whose mother is languishing in a Kuwaiti jail after a dispute with guards at the country's international airport has called on the Australian government to intervene.
Nasrah Alshamery, 43, has been charged with insulting Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during an argument with security officers at Kuwait's airport on December 23.
Ms Alshamery's daughter Wasa, 21, said her Winston Hills family were enjoying their first holiday in a decade and had already visited the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Syria when they arrived in Kuwait.
The dispute started when her 12-year-old brother was shouted at by an airport guard after asking where to obtain visas, she said.
When her father, Soliman, told the officer to be polite, he was assaulted, she said.
"He pushed my dad and my dad fell on the ground,'' Ms Alshamery told AAP.
"The other security came running and punched my dad in his head.''
At this point her six brothers became involved and the family was soon surrounded by 35 police and airport guards.
Ms Alshamery said when her mother threatened to seek diplomatic assistance, the security officers laughed and proceeded to insult Australian women, the Australian government and the nation's soccer team.
''(A guard) threw her passport on the ground and he stepped on it and he goes, 'Who's going to help you now? The emu or the kangaroo?''' she said.
Ms Alshamery said the family of nine were then taken to a nearby police station where her mother and two brothers were jailed.
The rest of the family were forced to wait in a holding room for days without food or water before being allowed to leave the country.
Nasrah Alshamery was denied bail and will reapply on January 21.
Her sons, Abdulaziz, 22, and Abdulrahman, 18, have been freed on bail but cannot leave Kuwait after being charged with assaulting government officials in the same incident.
Ms Alshamery, a medical science student, said her family had been rocked by the ordeal.
"Even the (12-year-old) twins, now they wake up at night very scared, going, 'The guy is going to hit me,' and my dad is very stressed and upset," she said.
"I'm the one who's taking care of the family now."
She has tried to contact the Australian government for assistance but Ms Alshamery said her pleas had gone unanswered.
"No one is doing anything," she said.
Nasrah Alshamery, 43, has been charged with insulting Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during an argument with security officers at Kuwait's airport on December 23.
Ms Alshamery's daughter Wasa, 21, said her Winston Hills family were enjoying their first holiday in a decade and had already visited the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Syria when they arrived in Kuwait.
The dispute started when her 12-year-old brother was shouted at by an airport guard after asking where to obtain visas, she said.
When her father, Soliman, told the officer to be polite, he was assaulted, she said.
"He pushed my dad and my dad fell on the ground,'' Ms Alshamery told AAP.
"The other security came running and punched my dad in his head.''
At this point her six brothers became involved and the family was soon surrounded by 35 police and airport guards.
Ms Alshamery said when her mother threatened to seek diplomatic assistance, the security officers laughed and proceeded to insult Australian women, the Australian government and the nation's soccer team.
''(A guard) threw her passport on the ground and he stepped on it and he goes, 'Who's going to help you now? The emu or the kangaroo?''' she said.
Ms Alshamery said the family of nine were then taken to a nearby police station where her mother and two brothers were jailed.
The rest of the family were forced to wait in a holding room for days without food or water before being allowed to leave the country.
Nasrah Alshamery was denied bail and will reapply on January 21.
Her sons, Abdulaziz, 22, and Abdulrahman, 18, have been freed on bail but cannot leave Kuwait after being charged with assaulting government officials in the same incident.
Ms Alshamery, a medical science student, said her family had been rocked by the ordeal.
"Even the (12-year-old) twins, now they wake up at night very scared, going, 'The guy is going to hit me,' and my dad is very stressed and upset," she said.
"I'm the one who's taking care of the family now."
She has tried to contact the Australian government for assistance but Ms Alshamery said her pleas had gone unanswered.
"No one is doing anything," she said.
Source: The Australian
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