Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Looking For Her Father

Kimberly B., daughter of Abdulrahman Al-Omran

Kimberly B. (pictured at right) is 44 years old and has never met her father. She has never felt the warmth and strength of her father’s arms hugging her. She’s never heard the sound of his voice. She doesn’t even know what her dad looks like, although she must resemble him because she looks nothing at all like her mother’s side of her family. Kimberly has gone through her entire life up to this point wondering and dreaming about her father, longing for a connection. She has scant information about him, but she is hoping it’s enough to help her find the father she has longed to meet all her life.



Abdulrahman Al-Omran (or El-Omran) is from Saudi Arabia. In the mid-1960s, he traveled to the United States to pursue his college education. At the time he was a young man in his mid-20s. Described as tall, dark and handsome, Abdulrahman enrolled at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. It was here that he met Kimberly’s mom, Diana Divine, a gorgeous 20-year-old part-time model with curly brown hair and brown eyes who was studying business. The attraction was immediate.

Diana quickly became infatuated with Abdulrahman – she loved his brown skin, his easy sense of humor, and the charming way he always teased her. They fell in love. When Diana became pregnant, Abdulrahman wanted to marry her and take his young family back to Saudi Arabia with him, but Diana was afraid of moving there. Kimberly was born in January of 1966. She was adopted at birth by Diana’s sister. Diana thought this would be the best thing for her baby.

Diana Divine (Kimberly's birth mother)Abdulrahman moved away to continue his schooling at UCLA, eventually graduating in 1970 from Santa Clara University in California. Kimberly believes he studied Physics, Math, and Science, and Diana recalls that Abdulrahman told her he wanted to become an engineer for ARAMCO. Diana (pictured left) and Abdulrahman eventually lost touch. She believes that Abdulrahman’s father was in the import-export business and the family was well-to-do. Diana also remembers that Abdulrahman had several brothers, one of whom was named Aziz. Aziz might have been one of Abdulrahman’s roommates in nearby Portland when he attended Clark College.

Kimberly has always had a fascination with Middle Eastern culture, art, customs, and history for as long as she can remember. The only possession and reminder that she has from her father is a prayer rug that he left for her. She longs to know more about her Saudi father and his family and wants her own three children to know about their Saudi ancestry. She has tried for many years to locate him, but to no avail. Her interest in locating him is natural and honorable and would satisfy her lifelong dream of meeting her father. She also feels that knowing her father’s medical history would be useful.

Diana Divine (Kimberly's birth mother)Says Kimberly, “My father probably has a wife and many children. I would just like to meet him and have him meet his grandchildren. I have always wanted to know more about where I come from. I have had an identity crisis being raised in a Western 'Caucasian' family that I don’t always fit into. I was told I look just like him - I do not look like my American family at all. And I sense that I am a lot like him. I naturally relate more to the Arabian side than to my mother’s Irish- English side. I love my family but I feel something is missing that is a big part of who I am. I sometimes feel lost because I was not raised in my real culture. I was told his family is wealthy, but material things do not matter to me. Making a personal connection to him is much more important to me. I am ok with the fact that he may not want to know me or acknowledge me. I would be happy just seeing a picture of him. If we find each other and he doesn’t want to be a part of my life, I am prepared for that. I just have this feeling that he would want me to find him. I can’t explain why I feel drawn to him as though he wants to be found. “

Today Abdulrahman Al-Omran would be about 66-70 years old. He probably lives in Saudi Arabia somewhere. He might spell his last name as El-Omran. It is not known what area of Saudi Arabia he is from. If you have any information about the whereabouts of Abdulrahman Al-Omran, please email me at: susieofarabia@gmail.com

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Many thanks to a reader, who was kind enough to translate this post for the Arabic speaking readers out there.


تبحث عن والدها

كيمبرلي (في الصورة أعلاه) تبلغ من العمر 44 عاماً و التي لم تجتمع قط بوالدها السعودي الجنسية عبدالرحمن العمران. كيمبرلي لم تشعر بالدفء والقوة التي تمنحها إياها معانقة والدها لها. انها لم تسمع صوته بل لا تعرف حتى ماهو شكل والدها ومن يشبه، على الرغم من أنها يجب أن تشبهه لانها تبدو مختلفة تماماً بل على الإطلاق مقارنة بوالدتها وعائلتها التي قامت بتربيتها. قضت كيمبرلي حياتها حتى هذه اللحظة تتساءل وتحلم بوالدها ، والشوق للقاءه يأسرها. لكنها لا تملك معلومات عنه الا القليل و لكنها تأمل انها كافية لمساعدتها في العثور على والدها الذي تتوق لرؤيته طيلة أيام حياتها.

عبد الرحمن عمران (أو العمران) من المملكة العربية السعودية. سافر إلى الولايات المتحدة لمتابعة دراسته الجامعية في منتصف الستينات 1960، في ذلك الوقت كان شاب في منتصف العشرينات. يوصف عبدالرحمن بأنه رجل وسيم طويل القامة ، أسمر البشرة إنضم إلى كلية كلارك Clark College في مدينة فانكوفر بولاية واشنطن. ومن هناك التقى بوالدة كيمبرلي ديانا ديفاين بـشعرها الأجعد البني وعيناها البنية و كانت تعمل كعارضة أزياء لجزء من الوقت و تدرس تجارة في الوقت ذاته كـ طالبة منتظمة بالكلية. عندها كان الإنجذاب بين عبدالرحمن و ديانا مباشراً.

و سرعان ما فتنت ديانا بـ عبد الرحمن فقد احبت بشرته السمراء ، و خفة ظله ، و الطريقة الساحرة التي كان يغازلها بها. و وقعا في الحب ! وعندما إكتشفت ديانا أمر حملها أراد عبد الرحمن أن يتزوجها و يصطحب عائلته الصغيرة مرة أخرى إلى المملكة العربية السعودية، لكن ديانا كانت تخاف من الذهاب إلى هناك. ولدت كيمبرلي في كانون الثاني لعام 1966 وعند ولادتها طلبت أمها من أختها أن تتبناها حين ولادتها لتضمن لها مستقبلاً أفضل.

انتقل عبد الرحمن بعيدا لمواصلة تعليمه في جامعة كاليفورنيا ، وتخرج في نهاية المطاف في عام 1970 من جامعة سانتا كلارا Santa Clara University في كاليفورنيا و تعتقد كيمبرلي انه درس الفيزياء و الرياضيات ، والعلوم. و تتذكر ديانا أن عبد الرحمن قال لها انه يريد ان يصبح مهندسا لشركة أرامكو السعودية. ولكن في نهاية المطاف فقدت ديانا أي وسيلة إتصال بـ عبد الرحمن و ذكرت إنها تعتقد أن والد عبد الرحمن كان يعمل في مجال الأعمال التجارية، الإستيراد و التصدير. ديانا تتذكر أيضا أن عبد الرحمن كان له إخوة عدة ، واحد منهم كان اسمه عزيز أو عبدالعزيز و ربما كان واحدا من شركاءه في السكن في بورتلاند Portland قريباً من كلية كلارك.

كيمبرلي كانت دائما مبهورة بـ ثقافة الشرق الأوسط ، و الفن ، و العادات العربية ، والتاريخ بشكل كبير. الشيء الوحيد الذي تملكه كيمبرلي من والدها للذكرى هي سجادة الصلاة التي تركها لها. و قالت إنها تتوق لمعرفة المزيد عن والدها السعودي وعائلته وتريد أن يعرف أطفالها الثلاثة أصولهم السعودية. و قد حاولت لسنوات عديدة تحديد مكان إقامة والدها ، ولكن دون جدوى. تقول كيمبرلي أنه من المهم تحديد مكانه وهذا شيء طبيعي بل مشرف أيضاً لـ ترضي حلمها مدى الحياة من لقائها بوالدها. وقالت إنها تشعر أيضا أن معرفة تاريخ والدها الطبي سيكون مفيدا لها.

وتقول كيمبرلي "ربما والدي لديه زوجة وربما كثير من الأطفال. أود فقط الاجتماع معه وحمله على لقاء أحفاده. اردت دائما معرفة المزيد عن أصلي. لقد كان لدي أزمة هوية عنيفة حيث نشأت في أسرة أميركية لا تصلح لي. و كانو دائماً يخبرونني أني أشبه أبي لأني لا أبدو كـ عائلتي الأميركية على الإطلاق. و انا اشعر أيضاً بأنني أحمل الكثير من الشبه بأبي. أنا أميل بطبيعة الحال أكثر إلى الجانب العربي من ميلي لجانب أمي الايرلندية الإنجليزية. أنا أحب عائلتي لكني أشعر أن هناك شيء مفقود هو جزء كبير من هويتي. أشعر أحيانا بالضياع لأنني لم أنشأ في ثقافتي الحقيقية (ثقافة والدي). قيل لي أن عائلته ثرية، ولكن الأمور المادية لا تهم بالنسبة لي. إجراء اتصال شخصي بوالدي هو أهم بكثير بالنسبة لي. أنا مدركة للحقيقة أنه قد لا يريد أن يتعرف إلي أو يعترف بي. و سأكون سعيدة لمجرد رؤية صورته. و إذا وجدنا بعضنا البعض ، وإذا كان لا يريد ان يكون جزءا من حياتي ، فأنا على استعداد لذلك. أنا فقط يتملكني شعور انه يريدني أن أعثر عليه. و أنا ليس بمقدوري تفسير شعوري المندفع بأنه يريدني أن أجده."

اليوم من المتوقع أن عبد الرحمن العمران يبلغ من العمر حوالي 66-70 سنة ومن الأرجح أنه يعيش في مكان ما في المملكة العربية السعودية. و من الممكن أن يكون إسم العائلة يكتب على هذا النحو El-omran و ليس لدى كيمبرلي او ديانا معلومات عن مكان معيشته تحديداً.

إذا كان لديكم اي معلومات عن مكان وجود عبد الرحمن العمران ، يرجى الكتابة على العنوان التالي susieofarabia@gmail.com :

39 comments:

  1. You might want to get information about regions from Saudi Jeans, Ahmed Al-Omran. :)

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  2. Thanks, Chiara - I totally didn't make the connection!

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  3. You are welcome. His own family live in Hofuf, but I'm not sure about the regionality for the whole family name.

    She could also try a Google search or a Google scholar search to find the name and regionality. She could use google.com/ta3reeb to put it in Arabic and search it that way, and then put the results into google.com/translate if she doesn't read Arabic.

    If she does the English and Arabic searches should be easy.

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  4. I wish Kimberly luck with the search for her father.

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  6. That is so sad.. I hope she finds him!

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. If he is Saudi and had an affair outside of marriage wouldn't this then - if he is found- put him at risk for punishment? Lashings and prison? Would he then want to be found?

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  10. Al Omran Family are from a city called Sudair near Riyadh and below is their privet family news in Arabic.
    http://www.alomran.info/news.php?rowstart=10

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  11. google.com.sa might be a good place to start searching in Arabic. You might be more likely to pick up informaiton on him there

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  12. Susie, I researched on facebook and I found five people with that name, I sent them a link to your blog. All of them have the same name, maybe a son? Who knows? I hope she can find her father. Please keep us posted.

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  13. To Anon @ 7:18PM - Many of the Saudi men who study abroad and find love, actually do one of the quickie/short term type marriages that is allowed by Islam - this is how they get around having sex outside of a real marriage.

    To Tarabulsi - Wow - Thanks so much!

    To InLove0395 - A few days I started contacting all those on Facebook with the same exact name, and now I am trying to contact all those with the same last name, but there are hundreds of them... Thanks so much for your efforts!

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  14. Susie!! What a story. I do hope it works out for her!!

    I came across something I thought you might be interested in? MTV True Life will be doing a show next week on young people in Saudi Arabia:

    http://www.mtv.com/shows/truelife/episode.jhtml?episodeID=166642

    Would love to hear what you think of it in a blog post!

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  15. Now - good Susie :)

    I apologize for the trouble-

    May Allah arrange for their reunion soon .

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  16. Hello Susie

    It's great that you are assisting someone to make such an important connection, even if they don't continue to have contact.

    It must be so difficult to have such a gap in her heritage.

    I really wish Kimberly all the best in making contact with her father!

    Regards

    Kristina

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  17. What a nice deed you are doing for Kimberly. I truly hope she is able to find her father. Her mother is gorgeous!

    Keep us posted! :-)

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  18. I wish her all the best in finding her father. Oh and Susie getting of topic those short term marriages you mentioned(comment section) are not allowed in Islam. Marriage simply for the purposes of satisfying lust are not allowed. Mut'ah or temporary marriages are forbidden in Islam and fall under the category of zina (fornification). I think though there is a certain sect I believe its within Shitte allow it, but once again it has nothing to do with Islam. Sorry for getting of topic. Hopefully Kim will be united with her father.

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  19. Oh Susie,

    How wonderful of you to help her. I will be praying that Allah s.w.t. help her.

    I was in similar boat, and unfortunately found my fathers family just 10 days after he was killed in an explosion working in an underground oil rig. I did get a picture of him and I look exactly like him. I will never get over the hurt of not having a father.

    I have a feeling this will turn out good.

    BLESS YOU SUSIE for helping her, God it makes me tear up remembering my search and how it ended.

    UmMuhammad

    This dear lady could email me personally if she feels led.

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  20. BTW I see lots of comments deleted,
    please dont tell me you are getting nasty emails about such a sensitive subject!

    UmMuhamamad

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  21. What a great story! I truly hope with all your contacts that she will be able to find her father. Of course only if her father wants to be found. Please keep us posted.
    HC

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  22. Hi Anon @ 8:25PM - Thanks for the link - I haven't been able to watch it yet, but I will.

    Hi Anon @ 7:50AM - From what I have read and heard, the short term marriages are recognized and practised here in KSA.

    Hi Jessica - How heartbreaking your story is! Timing is everything in life, isn't it? I lost my dad when I was 11 and I am still not over it.
    The deleted comments were not nasty - someone offered her help and then was advised by family members not to get involved.

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  23. @ Susie, Do you mean muttah marriage?

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  24. Hi InLove - I'm no expert in this area, but as far as I know there are a couple of types of temporary marriages. American Bedu has done sev eral posts about the different kinds of marriages in KSA. Here's one link:
    http://americanbedu.com/2009/05/23/marriage-to-a-saudi-can-be-confusing/

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  25. Thanks for publicizing her efforts and I hope that she is able to connect with her father.

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  26. That is so sad but from the title i could guess what r you going to talk about... El-omran is a big family and i think it is from Eastern provience in SA im not sure where exactly and there is more than one person holding the same name so its hard to find him unless he try to do somthing 4 his daughter. I hope things going well for her.

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  27. I am glad that you are back publishing on your blog again. I hope your family is well. Your blog seems to have changed a bit in this incarnation. Of course we want you to keep us posted on the outcome of this search!!!

    Jan
    GDP

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  28. Hope she finds her father and find closure and peace of mind.

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  29. Hi Susie, there is an Al Omran family in Jaroudiah, a village in Qatif? I think it will be really hard for her to find him though :( the hardest part would probably be contacting all the people trying to match this info with him.

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  30. This is just a wild shot ...but you do know a saudi blogger by the name Saudi Jeans...his last name is El-omran, and he is from the Eastern province....Maybe she could be one of his relative...or even a sister....

    Anyway...just a guess...

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  31. If the father hasn't contacted her in all these years there is a good chance he is not going to now.

    This could get him in SO much trouble with his current family. Saudis are very conservative and I'm not sure this public online chase is something they/he will appreciate.

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  32. Hi Susie,

    I'm not sure if this public search is a good idea considering the father is Saudi. This could be seen as a scandal. Saudis don't view children outside of marriage the way Americans do.

    Saudis also value their privacy so much. esp. people working in high positions such as Aramco for such a thing could effect them badly.

    Wishing Kimberly a good luck.

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  33. Wow! This is so sad. I guess her own American family that loved her enough to raise her and not desert her must also have been pretty cruel to her if she doesn't even acknowledge that half of her ancestry. Would be interested to hear more why she only thinks of herself as her father's culture not mother's...

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  34. Too bad if he gets into trouble with his family. He should have thought of that before hand.

    Her wanted to know about the other side of her family is a natural curosity that never goes away for many people. It is a normal tendency for every human.

    I wish her luck in her quest.

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  35. I strongly believe that Al Omran family is from an area called ALHASA,Eastern Province.
    He might have worked with Aramco and probably retired now ,if he got his Phd try checking the 2 Universities in the area,King Faisal and King Fahad.
    Wish you the best of luck.

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  36. I'm coming to this conversation many years late, but then I noticed the Dec. 2015 post.... If she has not yet found her father, or for other people on the same type of search, may I suggest the college/university's alumni association? I've used alumni associations to track down authors of a dissertation/thesis, when I couldn't find any contact information (women who take a married name, for example). With my schools, I gave permission to be included in a public alumni directory, which, actually, I've used when we've moved to find a new dentist, doctors, veterinarian, etc. If a school is known, start there. Often, the school library has a hard copy of the directory. Other schools have on-line look-ups. Just a thought.

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  37. BTW, the privacy thing with alumni records is rather recent. If he graduated in the 60's or 70's, the library at the school might have old copies of the alumni directory, and he could be listed in it. As to whether the address is current.... but, it would provide a complete name. As to whether or not a librarian would read it to you over the phone.... When I want something rather quickly, I use taskrabbit.com. Generally, a student is a member, and for a fee, which varies geographically, they will take a photograph or make a copy and email it. Mostly, I'm looking at older documents in special collections. I would not think it would be that much to have a student check library alumni directories (call the school's library first to confirm they have them, or check their on-line card catalog), and then create a task for the pages you would like (from 1871, 72, and 73, the page(s) from each book that have student Nancy Drew.

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  38. Hard to locate a person here if you don't have the middle name too.

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