Samira Shahbandar

Samira Shahbandar was Saddam Hussein's second wife. She is the mother of his third son, Ali. It was never confirmed that Ali is alive, and the members of Saddam's family claim that Ali is actually his grandson.

Biography

Prior to marrying Saddam, Samira was a doctor. She became Saddam's mistress. Kamel Hana Gegeo, Saddam's valet, food taster and friend, introduced Samira to him. Saddam secretly married Samira while married to Sajida Talfah, his first wife. Sajida was extremely jealous and angry when she found out about Saddam's mistress. Sajida's brother Adnan Khairallah complained about Saddam's mistress.

Uday Hussein, son of Saddam and Sajida, was also angry over his father's mistress. Uday believed that his status as heir apparent was threatened by the mistress. He took it as an insult to his mother. In October 1988, at a party thrown in the honor of Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Uday beat and stabbed Gegeo to death (some say at the request of his mother), bludgeoning Gegeo repeatedly in front of horrified guests. Saddam declared that Uday would go to trial for murder. The parents of Gegeo (and Sajida herself) begged that Uday be pardoned. Uday was pardoned and banished temporarily to Switzerland.

Her character was featured heavily in the plot of BBC adaptation House of Saddam and was played by Australian actress Christine Stephen-Daly.

See also

• Sajida Talfah, Saddam's wife
• House of Saddam, BBC adaptation