From Forced Marriage to Forced Divorce in Saudi Arabia
posted by: Ximena R. 99 days ago
Forced marriages of women are not a new concept in Saudi Arabia. In fact, a woman is required to obtain the consent of her father, who is considered her guardian, before being allowed to marry.
Just as easily as a father (or any male guardian) can choose his daughter's spouse, he can also put an end to her marriage without her consent or that of her husband's.
Such was the case for Fatima Bent Suleiman Al Azzaz and Mansour Ben Attieh El Timani who were wed in 2003 after receiving the required consent from Fatima's father. Happily married the couple had two children, a daughter Nuha and son Suleiman.
In 2004 Fatima's father died and her half-brothers petitioned a judge to divorce her from her husband on grounds of "incompatibility." They claimed that because Mansour was from an "inferior background" their marriage "affected and ruined the family reputation." Fatima, however, suspected that her half-brothers petitioned for the divorce to get their hands on the inheritance her father left her.
Against their will, the judge ultimately decreed Fatima and Mansour's divorce specifying that, "such choice belongs to distant relatives even if closer ones accept the marriage, and even if the wife is content with it, owning to the resulting sense of disgrace." He also assigned one of Fatima's half-brothers as her legal guardian as it is custom for a woman to be under perpetual male guardianship.
The couple appealed the decision but it in the end the divorce was upheld by the highest court in the country.
Fatima, however, refused to recognize the divorce and was imprisoned for nine months with her infant son. After being freed from jail she refused to be released into the custody of her half-brother, her new legal guardian. As a result, she was forced to live in an orphanage since she is not allowed to live alone.
Mansour also refused to sign the divorce papers and is now wanted by the government. Under constant threat of imprisonment, he is forced to move around constantly with their four year old daughter who is suffering from acute trauma over the distress of the family's separation. Unable to get a copy of her birth certificate, among other required documents, Nuha is also unable to attend school.
The family has been living apart in such duress for three years.
The King of Saudi Arabia is the only person who has the power to reunite this family. Please sign the petition to send a message to the King and urge the immediate reunification of Fatima, Mansour, and their children. Your letter can help this family rebuild their lives.
It seems incredible that even today women are subjected to such antiquated customs like male guardianship, but in Saudi Arabia this yet another human rights violation that women in the country suffer. In April 2008, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women urged the country to take immediate steps to end the practice, but the custom remains and now a new human rights abuse, forced divorce, is on the rise.
Forcing a woman to either marry or divorce a man against her will is completely unjust. Women have the right to decide if and when to enter or end a marriage on their own accord. Until the practice of male guardianship ceases, however, this will not be possible and families like Fatima and Mansour's will continue to suffer. It is high time that the Saudi Arabian government outlaw this custom and create marriage and divorce laws based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
Send a letter today and stand up for all the women of Saudi Arabia. Tell King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud that women should have the freedom to live without constant male guardianship and remain in marriages of their choosing.
Read more: marriage, divorce, womens rights, fatima, saudi arabia, male guardianship, forced divorce, mansour
comments
Its outrageous that they have forced the divorce of a woman and man and destroyed a family. Forced Marriages and Forced Divorces are totally against the Teachings of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.). No where in the Quran or Hadith does it say parents or guardian is allowed to either force men or women to either marry or divorce. Hope the petition helps remove this absurd law of The Saudi Government. Ignorant people once again doing their own thing to suit themselves sum for Power others for greed.
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why is this inappropriate?
This is yet another example of what happens when religion takes over. It's time humanity discarded such superstition-- ALL of it, not just Islam.
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why is this inappropriate?
and i rest my case!! religion is crap!! it surves no purpose but to subjergate women!!if you are in a marrige and it's not a 50/50 relation ship then you shouldn't be in it,whether your muslim,christian or any other of those cults!!if there is no equality in the marrige it shouldn't exsist.infact why do we have to have marrige?other than a control thing?the human race got along for thousands of years without it !! thanks Ximena R
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why is this inappropriate?
I wonder why these bararic laws are always tolerated in Muslim cuntries. NO country calling itself civilized would ever entertain such inhumane laws. I pray to the kind and loving God I beleive in that He may find a way to reunite this family.
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why is this inappropriate?
Islam seems to have a lot to answer for. Saudi's idea of Islam & Shariah law in particular. Every religion has it's good & bad points but the idea, in Islam, that a woman is only ½ a man is reprehensible. See another story concerning the treatment of women and children in Islam at: www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/1247706. I pray, in Christianity, that this unfortunate family will be able to get together again without fear of reprisal.
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why is this inappropriate?
This is not said justified anywhere in Islamic low.
This is against Islam and simply cruel.
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why is this inappropriate?
Jaffar S would you please tell me the surahs in the Qu'ran that support what you've said about the rights of women & divorce? I'm now reading it but haven't come across anything to support your statement. All I have read, though, says a woman is only 1/2 of a man as a witness & should only get 1/2 of what a man gets in inheritance, & that menstruation is a "disease" (which we know it is not) & therefore women are unclean (it's also the only time - & when she's pregnant - a woman can refuse sex with her husband & not be punished).
Also can you quote to me the Shariah laws & Hadiths that support what you say? Also, is what you said the actual practice in Saudi because Saudi is one of the most repressive places on earth for women(even other Muslim countries are shocked by Saudi behavior). How on earth can you justify, for example, the punishment & murder of a woman who is raped by a man for (who most likely will not be punished)& that a father can be the only witness for sexual abuse (incest) of his children when it is he that is most likely the abuser? No wonder there is so little child abuse reported!
I'm just now reading a book "The Price of Honor" that is about the treatment of women in Islam & the section on Saudi is chilling.
I know of no Muslim country where a woman will keep custody of her children after a divorce. Is there one, except Iraq under Sadaam in the earlier days before he courted the fundamentalists?
I loo
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why is this inappropriate?
Cant believe it. The truth needs to be authenticated. In islam women after her marriage, gets the power to continue or discontinue it. Even if the husband wills to divorce, he got submit the proof and the wife has to admit it. Dont blame islam without knowing what it it is.
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why is this inappropriate?
Trying to change what the Saudi Wahabi (form of Islamism) are believing is always difficult. Non-Muslims are not supposed to enter Mecca and Medina because we are considered Khafirs (non-believers; rejects; outcasts because we believe in other religions). The only way to change is to deprive the Middle East of their "pride & prejudice" is to convince everyone of us (in the US) to switch to non-gasoline/petroleum alternative. These includes gel-produced soap, makeup, foodstuffs, and anything you can find which will intrude in our daily lives.
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It is not all religion. I belong to a faith tradition that is as old as the USA itself. Many of our founding fathers were of the same faith. My faith believes in the inherient worth and dignity of every human being. We borrow the best from many faith traditions and we work hard for social justice. We believe that there are many paths to the ONE and in a true search for what that path may be for you. Among my church itself, there are an agnostic, an atheists, a Buddhist & a Hindu. 99% were against the war in Iraq.
While it may be true that many wars have been fought on the premise that MY GOD is Better than YOUR GOD religion itself is not the problem. The problem comes when greed, ignorance and hate enters the picture. Those particular things are not the sole perogative of religion.
I wish you peace.
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