Court Annuls Marriage for Violation of Social Custom

[MADem]

If your half brother is an asshole in Saudi Arabia, ladies, you're screwed--you can either marry the guy he chooses after being forced to divorce your husband, or go directly to jail:

DAMMAM, 21 August 2006 — A happy three-year-long marriage of a Saudi couple with two children has been annulled by a court on the grounds that it violates social custom and practice, Al-Watan reported.

The woman, Fatima, is a tribal Saudi and the man, Mansoor, is non-tribal. The court in Al-Jouf ruled that the marriage was illegal because the man’s social status was not equal to the woman’s. The court did not consider that the marriage had taken place according to Islamic law and also with the permission of another court.

The decision also failed to take into account such key facts as the marriage having taken place with the consent of the woman and her father, the existence of two small children and the marriage being a happy one.

In announcing his decision, the judge said: “I annul the marriage of this man and woman. Now she must observe iddat (a waiting period for women after divorce before she is allowed to marry again) effective from the date of the judgment. This order must be executed immediately so that the man and woman are separated immediately.”

Fatima stated to the court that she was living with a good man whom she loved and that they had a happy marriage. She also pointed out that she had married with the permission and knowledge of her parents and an Islamic court. Her declarations, however, had no effect on the judge’s decision....Fatima has told the police she prefers living in jail to living with her half-brothers in Alkhobar. The police say she must either stay with her brother or go to jail. She has chosen jail, saying, “I prefer the protection of the government to living with brothers who have destroyed my happy family life.” .... &category=Kingdom

These are our allies, our oil buddies...!! What a system!

(Edited to provide link)

[Zenlitened]

1. fundamentalism + patriarchy = filth

Give all the women guns.