King appoints Khalid Al-Abdulkarim new secretary general of Cabinet    Family Affairs Council leads Saudi delegation at G20 women's empowerment meetings in Brazil    Public Prosecution: 8,000 out of 15,500 family dispute cases settled amicably    Riyadh hosting CIPS MENA conference on procurement, supply chains    Saudi Arabia launches 'groundbreaking' project to protect ecosystems in Arabian Gulf    Response 14: Saudi Arabia conducts mock drill to combat marine oil spills    Two killed in New Caledonia as riots escalate after Paris vote    Fahd Al-Qunun continues to elevate the customer experience through unique cashback initiative Innovative program from premium Saudi honey producer reinforces commitment to customer satisfaction and loyalty    Saudi and Australian chief justices discuss judicial cooperation    Indian spices face heat over global safety concerns    Blinken reiterates US arms will help Ukraine as it reels from latest Russian attack    Nadhmi Al-Nasr: 140,000 workers involved in NEOM projects around the clock    ZATCA sets SR3000 maximum duty-free purchase limit for incoming passenger    Glioblastoma: Top Australian doctor remains brain cancer-free after a year    Introducing Zilos: A luxury Culinary Oasis of Mediterranean and Asian Fusion in Jeddah    Al Hilal wraps up Saudi League title; Jesus touts season as model of excellence    Neymar celebrates Al Hilal's title win, eager for comeback next season    Al Hilal clinches Saudi Professional League title in a star-studded season    Saudi authorities recall contaminated mayonnaise after food poisoning incident at Riyadh restaurant    Al Ettifaq inflicts historic 5-0 defeat on Al Ittihad in Saudi Professional League    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Divorce cases rise due to forced marriages
NAEEM TAMIM AL-HAKIM
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 05 - 05 - 2011

JEDDAH: A number of Saudi parents are forcing their daughters to marry, in direct contravention of Islamic law. This has resulted in an increase in divorces, reports from marriage officers and researchers said.
Some parents have been justifying this behavior by arguing that their daughters do not know what they need or what is in their best interests.
A distressed woman, M.N., said her father wants to marry her to a man she does not like. “He threatened to abuse me mentally and physically if I rejected the man. He justified his strange stance by saying he gave his word and that he will never go back on it. Tribal traditions give him this right but Islamic Shariah nullifies and prevents such marriages.”
M.N. said she never thought in her wildest dreams she would be married to someone against her will. With tears rolling down her cheeks she said her father had destroyed her life and turned it into a living hell. “I am praying to Allah day and night before the marriage takes place. I cannot imagine I will live with a man I don't love.”
Fatima is another woman who has a similar story. “I became nothing more than a profitable deal for my father. He married me to a filthy rich man who could be my grandfather. He bartered me for a huge bag of money. He sold me to this man in return for this bag of money which he will enjoy at the expense of his loving daughter. Believe it or not my husband is 50 years older than me. How can he live with a girl the age of his youngest grandsons?”
Umm Muhammad is also leading a miserable life because she was married to her cousin she does not like. She said she is a victim of tribal tradition which has nothing to do with Islam.
Some experts argue that this is the reason for the steady increase in divorce and disintegration of the family. A report by the Ministry of Justice shows there were 28,867 divorces in 2009, at a rate of 79 cases a day.
These statistics have seen sociologists launch several studies into the root cause of the problem. Some found, however, that divorce can be attributed to physical and mental incompatibility between couples.
They added that this can all be prevented if parents abide by Islamic teachings; and that such marriages eventually result in the children being affected the most. The victims of these marriages may grow up without mothers or fathers and could easily become delinquents.
Dr. Ghazi Al-Shamari, Chairman of the Family Reconciliation Committee in the emirate, said those parents who force their daughters to marry against their will are ignorant.
He said the committee has dealt with several cases where it had to revoke the marriage contracts of the young women and return the dowry taken by their parents. The committee also made the guardians sign an undertaken not to harass their daughters.
“This does not mean that we give girls free rein to go out with anyone they want to, but it should be understood that forcing girls to marry against their will is not endorsed by the Shariah. The principle rules of marriage in Islam are compatibility and consent,” he said.
He said forced marriages can never be happy unions. “The common elements for the success of any marriage are affection and tenderness. If any of these elements is missing the marriage will not last long.”
Dr. Ahmad Al-Mabi, a Madhoun or marriage official, said these forced marriages are not spoken about openly. He has had several young women contact him because their guardians wanted to marry them against their will. “Some of the guardians even prevented them from getting married, which goes against the Shariah.”
He said many guardians are blindly loyal to tribal traditions and force their daughters to marry their cousins and relatives without their consent. This is why there has been an increase in divorces and family's breaking up. He said parents should understand that a forced marriage is null and void in Islam and that an element of a sound marriage in Islam is the woman's consent.


Clic here to read the story from its source.