Meriam Al-Khalifa
Encyclopedia
Sheikh
a Meriam Al Khalifa (born 1980) is a distant member of the Bahraini royal House of Al-Khalifa. She became famous after she met a US Marine
and eloped with him to the United States. Her story was covered in the media – she was featured in highly popular TV shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show
, and a made for television movie was made about her.
She became known in the US media in 1999 after she met Jason Johnson, a United States Marine
and a Mormon
, in a shopping mall in Bahrain and fell in love with him. She escaped to the United States
in November 1999 using forged documents and abandoned her life as a Bahraini royal, opting to marry
Johnson and live as a housewife
in Nevada
.
News that if she returned to Bahrain, she would be "lashed, executed, stoned, killed, shot". Johnson later also told the press that there was constant tension with her family, and at one point the FBI told him they had intercepted a Syria
n national who said he'd been paid $500,000 to assassinate her.
Al Khalifa was allowed to stay in the country in May 2001.
, telling the tale of their relationship. It stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar
as LCpl. Jason Johnson and Marisol Nichols
as Meriam. The IMDB plot summary of the movie says,
The movie was heavily promoted. Reportedly,
In June 2001, she resumed communication with her family, according to her attorney.
Despite her earlier claims — she had asked for political asylum in the USA, saying that she faced death in her own country for marrying a non-Muslim, an assertion that she had repeated in public interviews — Meriam Al-Khalifa returned to Bahrain in September 2001, after the 9/11 attacks. According to the Los Angeles Times
on November 17, 2004 (one day after their fifth wedding anniversary
) in Las Vegas, Nevada
, citing "incompatible in marriage" as the reason. According to Jason Johnson, Meriam left him about one year earlier, and he claimed that she had plunged heavily into the Las Vegas night life, and had become estranged from him. She had been pressing him for divorce for some time – reportedly, the couple had been considering divorce in 2001.
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
a Meriam Al Khalifa (born 1980) is a distant member of the Bahraini royal House of Al-Khalifa. She became famous after she met a US Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and eloped with him to the United States. Her story was covered in the media – she was featured in highly popular TV shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, and a made for television movie was made about her.
Background
Al Khalifa is one of five daughters of Sheik Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, a relative of Bahrain's present king, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.She became known in the US media in 1999 after she met Jason Johnson, a United States Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
, in a shopping mall in Bahrain and fell in love with him. She escaped to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in November 1999 using forged documents and abandoned her life as a Bahraini royal, opting to marry
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
Johnson and live as a housewife
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Application for asylum in the US
Al Khalifa faced charges of illegally entering the United States and deportation proceedings. The princess applied for political asylum, citing that she faced harm, which would have included death, for her marriage to a non-Muslim and her exit from the country. This action caused embarrassment to the royal family. Johnson and Al Khalifa said in an interview with CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
News that if she returned to Bahrain, she would be "lashed, executed, stoned, killed, shot". Johnson later also told the press that there was constant tension with her family, and at one point the FBI told him they had intercepted a Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n national who said he'd been paid $500,000 to assassinate her.
Al Khalifa was allowed to stay in the country in May 2001.
Media depictions
In 2001, film and television producer Mary L. Aloe transitioned their story into a made-for-TV movie The Princess and the MarineThe Princess and the Marine
The Princess and the Marine is a 2001 American made for television movie based on the true story of American Marine Jason Johnson and Bahrain Princess Meriam Al-Khalifa, with stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Marisol Nichols in the roles of Jason and Meriam.-Plot:...
, telling the tale of their relationship. It stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Zack Morris in NBC's Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, and Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Detective John Clark in NYPD Blue, Jerry Kellerman in TNT's Raising the Bar, and more recently Peter...
as LCpl. Jason Johnson and Marisol Nichols
Marisol Nichols
Marisol Nichols is an American actress best known for her role in the sixth season of 24 as Special Agent Nadia Yassir.-Early life:...
as Meriam. The IMDB plot summary of the movie says,
- Based on a true story, American Marine Jason Johnson (Goselaar) is sent on assignment to the Emirate [sic] of Bahrain. While there, he meets and falls in love with a spirited, lovely young woman, Meriam (Nichols), without realizing she is really a member of the Bahraini Royal Family. Meriam, who does not wish to consent to an arranged marriage, knows her love affair with Jason is dangerous, as he is a Mormon Christian and she a Muslim. Her parents would never consent to their match, and so Meriam and Jason race against time to escape Bahrain and make it to the United States, where they can marry. If Meriam is sent back, however, her life may be in jeopardy.
The movie was heavily promoted. Reportedly,
- The movie created a buzz, not only because the story has gripped U.S. audiences since it was first reported, but also because, according to Hollywood insiders, it caused one of the biggest bidding wars for packaged rights in the history of television movies. Some even go as far as to say that it was the biggest, estimated at more than $500,000.
Return to Bahrain in 2001
In May 2001, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service granted her Permanent Residency status, popularly known as the Green Card.In June 2001, she resumed communication with her family, according to her attorney.
Despite her earlier claims — she had asked for political asylum in the USA, saying that she faced death in her own country for marrying a non-Muslim, an assertion that she had repeated in public interviews — Meriam Al-Khalifa returned to Bahrain in September 2001, after the 9/11 attacks. According to the Los Angeles Times
- She told friends last week [Sept 30, 2001] that she and her husband are considering divorce and that her family was concerned for her safety because of violence aimed at people of Middle Eastern descent since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Divorce from Jason Johnson
The couple filed for divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
on November 17, 2004 (one day after their fifth wedding anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
) in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, citing "incompatible in marriage" as the reason. According to Jason Johnson, Meriam left him about one year earlier, and he claimed that she had plunged heavily into the Las Vegas night life, and had become estranged from him. She had been pressing him for divorce for some time – reportedly, the couple had been considering divorce in 2001.
Titles and names
- SheikhSheikhNot to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
a Meriam Al Khalifa (1980–1999, 2004–present) - Meriam Johnson (1999–2004)
External links
- The Great Escape - People, July 31, 2000, Vol 54., No. 5
- Love Crosses Borders
- Bahraini Princess Who Wed Marine Goes Home - Yahoo News, 29 September 2001
- Unhappy Ending To Modern Fairytale, CBS News, 30 November 2004