AS she walks past the school playground, tears stream down Ranem Elkhalidi’s cheeks.
She cannot bear the sound of children laughing and shouting, for though the playground is supposed to be a safe space for children, this is the last place Ranem ever saw her son.
Ranem, from the , was devastated when her ex-husband, Hamzah Faraj, and took him to in November 2022.
In the months prior, Ranem had repeatedly warned authorities that her ex was likely to try to take their son, but she was assured it could not happen.
Ranem has not seen or spoken to her little boy since dropping him off at two and half years ago and has been campaigning tirelessly to bring him home.
Ranem, 27, says: “I miss Ibrahim every moment of every day, I wake up sobbing, calling his name. I dream of him, I reach out to hug him, but he is not there.
“I knew Hamzah might try to take him, and I warned the courts, social services, and the embassy. But because I had Ibrahim’s passport, they told me he was safe.
“Ibrahim is British, he was born here, and he only speaks English. He will be completely lost in Saudi Arabia.”;;
Ranem, a chef, on Friday, November 11 2022.
She says: “Normally, I hug him and tell him I love him.
“But I was distracted that morning because I needed to speak to his teacher, to let her know his dad would be collecting him that afternoon.
“Ibrahim ran off, with his friends, perfectly happy.
“I had no idea that was the last time I would see him. It breaks my heart that I didn’t get to tell him how much I love him.”;;
Ibrahim, now eight, was due to spend the weekend with his father, but on Monday morning alarms were raised when he failed to arrive at school.
Ranem says: “I’d had a busy weekend, doing extra-shifts whilst I had the chance, and I was really looking forward to seeing Ibrahim again on Monday afternoon after school.
“When they called to say he was absent, I just knew. I was hysterical.
“I called Hamzah’s phone but it was out of service and he had blocked me on . I rushed to his home but his flat was cleared out.
“The assured me he could not have left the country because I had Ibrahim’s passport. I couldn’t get anyone to grasp how urgent it was.
“But it later transpired Hamzah had applied for a passport from Saudi Arabia for him. They had flown out, from that weekend.”;;
Ranem and Hamzah met through family in Saudi Arabia and married when she was 16.
They came to England, where Hamzah studied computer science, and aged 18, Ranem gave birth to their first child.
She says: “I was a young mum so it was a big learning curve but I was overjoyed. Ibrahim was a beautiful baby and I adored him.
“He grew into a happy, lively little boy, he loved his friends and he liked animals and cars. He was a typical British boy.”;;
But the marriage was unhappy and the couple split in 2020. They agreed shared custody in court, with restrictions in place to prevent Hamzah taking his son out of the country.
Ranem says: “I was worried about him taking Ibrahim; I sensed he might try something.
“I told everyone I could think of, but they all said Ibrahim would be safe because I had all his travel documents.
I wake up at night, sobbing and crying out for him
Ranem Elkhalidi
“But on that Monday morning, when his school called, I knew instantly what had happened. I called my mother in Turkey, and she did her best to comfort me, but I felt so alone.
“I rang the police, the embassy, my MP. The police didn’t seem concerned, as he was with his father. By the time they discovered he was out of the country, it was too late.
“I set up a social media campaign, called ‘Missing Son’, I pleaded for help in the media, I wrote to the governments here and in Saudi Arabia. But I was stonewalled every time.”;;
In 2023, Ranem spotted a post on social media from a university in Saudi Arabia, showing a picture of Ibrahim’s father with a teaching qualification.
“I immediately commented that he had taken my son, but the post was quickly deleted and I was blocked,”;; she says.
“Now, I just feel absolutely helpless. As an asylum seeker, I cannot go to Saudi Arabia to look for him and anyway I don’t even know where Ibrahim is.
“I have no idea if he is still with his father. He’s in a strange country, a different culture, a different language, with none of the things he loves. I cannot imagine how scared he has felt.
“I think of him every minute of the day. I wake up at night, sobbing and crying out for him. I am struggling to cope.”;;
Ranem is now appealing to authorities in Saudi Arabia to help her get Ibrahim home.
She says: “Ibrahim is British born, he goes to school here, he has swimming lessons and he has lots of friends. He loves hot wheels and monster trucks.
“He has been taken away from everything he knows. Worst of all, he has been taken from his mother. He is just seven years old and he needs his mum.
“When I started my campaign, it was about Ibrahim. Now, it is about the rights of all women too.
“I am asking Saudi Arabia to stand with me, and to stand with all women. I will never give up on my son and I hope they will support me.”;;
Ranem’s plight was raised in parliament and she is receiving support from her MP Matthew Patrick.
The case has also been subject to High Court proceedings, with a publicity order issued allowing Ibrahim to be identified and Ranem to talk to the media in a bid to bring her son home.
He is just seven years old and he needs his mum
Ranem Elkhalidi
A Cheshire Police spokesperson said: “On Monday 14 November 2022, police received reports that a child had been taken out of the country by their father without permission from their mother.
“It was reported that seven-year-old Ibrahim Faraj had been taken to Saudi Arabia by his father, which was in breach of the custody order which was made at Liverpool Family Court on 3 November 2022.
“Following the reports officers have been engaging closely with both parents, but despite their best efforts he has not yet been returned to the UK. Therefore, the father of the child has now been circulated as wanted for child abduction on the national police database.
“All the appropriate authorities have been made aware and officers are continuing to do all they can to return the child to the UK.”;;
The Sun also reached out to Cheshire Police regarding claims they had been warned about Hamzah Faraj’s plans to flee.
To read more about Ranem’s case, and help her raise awareness please visit her Facebook page.
