year-old man who had demanded repayment of a SR17,000 dowry before he would end his marriage to his 14-year-old wife got divorced Saturday after an anonymous donor provided the money. Ahmad Rahim, who said he would seek another young bride, and Noura Shouan were granted the divorce in a Sabiya court in Al-Kadami town, which is located in Jizan. Noura, who was thrilled to get her freedom back, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that her father had “tricked her into going with him to a school for the eradication of illiteracy to receive her stipend for attendance,” where the marriage contract was completed against her will. She said she had not wanted to get married, “particularly to a man as old as my grandfather”. Shouan became depressed – until a grandparent told authorities that she was married against her will. Rahim said he did not cheat the girl or her family and asked for the marriage through a friend. “I did not hide my age and I don't see the age difference as a problem,” he said. Rahim, who said he was sorry the marriage did not last, is looking for another young wife. “It's frustrating to be single at this age,” he said. Shouan, the teen's father, had said he was not able to repay the dowry, which prompted an anonymous donor to provide the money. Rahim had provided the father with100 sheep as part of the dowry, which had been returned. Noura's grandfather, Muhammad Atain, said he and others had worked to stop the marriage. “We tried hard to kill this deal of SR17,000 and 100 sheep for which the girl was sold away,” he said. Atain thanked officials who helped resolve the situation, especially the town chief of Kidmi, where the marriage took place. “The town chief was really helpful and we're so grateful to him,” he said. Ahmad Al-Bahkali, a member of the National Society for Human Rights in Jizan, said the organization was opening an investigation into the ma'dhoun marriage official who conducted the union and the judge who approved it, Okaz/Saudi Gazette reported earlier this month. “No marriage can be declared legal without the bride's consent and her taking receipt of the dowry,” Al-Bahkali has said. “Girls and women are not to be viewed as commodities for sale because Almighty Allah has decreed they have the right to accept or reject a suitor.” Aisha Shakir, a rights activist and head of the Women's Department at Prisoner Welfare in Jizan, has laid the blame for the marriage of minors at the doors of various authorities and organizations.
