Saudi Women Sue Male Guardians Who Stop Marriage
- Posted on November 28, 2010 at 7:03pm by
Scott Baker
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CAIRO (AP) — Year after year, the 42-year-old Saudi surgeon remains single, against her will. Her father keeps turning down marriage proposals, and her hefty salary keeps going directly to his bank account.
The surgeon in the holy city of Medina knows her father, also her male guardian, is violating Islamic law by forcibly keeping her single, a practice known as “adhl.” So she has sued him in court, with questionable success.
Adhl cases reflect the many challenges facing single women in Saudi Arabia. But what has changed is that more women are now coming forward with their cases to the media and the law. Dozens of women have challenged their guardians in court over adhl, and one has even set up a Facebook group for victims of the practice.
The backlash comes as Saudi Arabia has just secured a seat on the governing board of the new United Nations Women’s Rights Council — a move many activists have decried because of the desert kingdom’s poor record on treatment of women. Saudi feminist Wajeha al-Hawaidar describes male guardianship as “a form of slavery.”
“A Saudi woman can‘t even buy a phone without the guardian’s permission,” said al-Hawaidar, who has been banned from writing or appearing on Saudi television networks because of her vocal support of women’s rights. “This law deals with women as juveniles who can’t be in charge of themselves at the same time it gives all powers to men.”
In a recent report by the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper, the National Society for Human Rights received 30 cases of adhl this year — almost certainly an undercount. A Facebook group called “enough adhl,” set up by a university professor and adhl victim, estimates the number at closer to 800,000 cases. The group, with 421 members, aims at rallying support for harsher penalties against men who misuse their guardianship.
An estimated 4 million women over the age of 20 are unmarried in the country of 24.6 million. After 20, women are rapidly seen in Saudi society as getting too old to marry, said Sohila Zein el-Abdydeen, a prominent female member of the governmental National Society for Human Rights.
Fathers cite adhl for a variety of reasons — sometimes because a suitor doesn’t belong to the same tribe, or a prominent enough tribe. In other cases, the father wants to keep the allowance that the government gives to single women in poorer families, or cannot afford a dowry.
Islam’s holy book, the Quran, warns Muslim men not to prevent their daughters, sisters or female relatives from getting married, or else they will encourage sexual relations outside marriage. But under Saudi judges’ interpretation of Islamic Shariah law, the crime can be punished by lifting the male guardianship, nothing more.
Hard-line judges refuse to go even that far. The founder of the Facebook group, who introduced herself only as Amal Saleh in an interview with Saudi daily Al-Watan, said she set up the group after courts let down adhl victims. She said her family threatened her with “death and torture” when she pressed for her right to get married while she was under 30. She is now 37 and still single.
Some judges even punish the women themselves for rebelling against their fathers. In one high-profile adhl case, a young single mother, Samar Badawi, sued her father and demanded he be stripped of his guardianship. She fled her house in March 2008 and spent around two years in a women’s protection house in Jeddah, waiting for the court ruling.
In April, she got it — she was sentenced to six months in prison for disobedience.
She was released in late October, under heavy pressure from local rights activists. The judge transferred guardianship to her uncle, and it is not yet clear if her uncle will let her get married.
Badawi has refused to speak to the media after her release, but her lawyer, Waleed Abu Khair, said hard-line judges hate the protection shelters because they say the shelters corrupt women.
In Saudi Arabia, no woman can travel, gain admittance to a public hospital or live independently without a “mahram,” or guardian. Men can beat women who don’t obey, with special instructions not to pop the eye, break an arm or leave a mark on their bodies.
In the Saudi public school curriculum, boys are taught how to use their guardianship rights.
“Be jealous, beat her hands, protect her and achieve superiority over her,” reads page 212 of the Prophet Sayings textbook for 11th grade.
The concept of guardianship is interpreted in conservative Islam as meaning that men are superior to women. Moderate Islamic schools of thought, however, see the practice as an order for men to protect women, financially, emotionally and physically.
Radwa Youssef, an activist, said the answer is not to abolish guardianship but to redefine it. Since 2009, she has collected 5,400 signatures for a campaign called “Our Guardians Know Best.” She said many women who go against their male guardians’ will marry the wrong men and bring shame on their families.
“I see guardians as bodyguards who are serving women and protecting them; it is a responsibility, not a source of power,” Youssef said. “If there is a male misusing his powers, he should be introduced to rehabilitation sessions to advise and guide him.”
The Medina Surgeon, as the Saudi media tagged her, has been waiting for justice since 2006.
The surgeon, who has Canadian, British and Saudi certification, filed a lawsuit to drop her father’s mandate. But despite a paper trail carrying testimonies from suitors turned away by her father, bank documents that show her father taking over her salary, medical reports showing physical abuse, and the fact that her four other single sisters over 30 face the same destiny, no ruling has yet been issued.
The only answer she gets from the judge is to go back to her father and seek reconciliation.
“He wants me to go to death,” she told The Associated Press over the phone from Medina, speaking on condition of anonymity because she feared family retaliation. “Until when I am going to wait? … The Prophet Muhammad himself wouldn’t have allowed adhl to take place.”
The surgeon lives in a “protection house,” one of dozens scattered around the kingdom for victims of adhl and domestic violence. Under a fake name, she gets escorted to courts accompanied by guards, fearing retaliation from her father.
She recalled her last encounter with her father inside the court: “I kissed his feet. I begged him to set me free, for the sake of God.”
She turns 43 next month.
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Comments (44)
krenshau
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 10:35amMuslims are barbarians.
Report Post »dizzyinthedark
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 6:58am……and God created man in His own image. ‘man’ meaning woMAN for those that can’t see it.
ALL men are created equal. ‘men’ meaning woMEN too! for the dumbos.
God bless the United States of America!
Let’s try to keep it this way–no to Shariah Law. Abolish it here where it has already got a foothold!
Report Post »popeyebedford
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 6:24amGood luck suing an Arab man in Saudi Arabia. Since you have the
Report Post »social status of a goat in Islam, my guess is that your daddy is gonna
keep on stealing your wages…
Docroxall
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 4:20amIf this instance is an “outlier” why is there a whole system and court set up to support it? If this is, once again, conservative media’s misrepresentation of a noble and virtuous society…why is there a systematic repressive and consistently sexist trend line in thousands of cases? When does the “outlier” become the rule? Wake up liberals, your zeal to paint America as the great Satan makes YOU the oppressor!
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:46amDefund the UN. Putting Saudi Arabia on the United Nations Women’s Rights Council is an affront to all women.
Kick the UN out of America!
Saudi Arabia is funding the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas-linked CAIR and all it’s tentacles. We want all Saudi funding of these Sharia promoting tentacles of CAIR stopped. Now!
Sharia will NEVER be allowed to come to America! Women who accept such treatment are out of their minds. It would be better to be dead than owned by a male Muslim Supremacist bastard.
Report Post »Jeremie Step
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:21amTo see what Islam is, look at its prophet Muhammad who was a criminal and liked to marry little girls (one of his wives was 9 years old). Islam is not a just a religion, it is an all inclusive way of life masking as a religion to further its advance. The fact that they not only condone, but justify the subjugation of women should be evidence enough for Americans to reject it. We may have mistreated people based on color,or sex in the past, but at least we made attempts at resolving those injustices. The Muslim world hasn‘t changed one bit and I don’t think they will unless the rest of the world sends them a powerful message, diplomatically or militarily.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:58pmThe more the world learns about this “peaceful religion” the better. The more people learn about Shariah law the better. The more people learn about the teachings of the treatment of women in the textbooks that are used to teach the young men the better. The truth brings freedom.
Report Post »Brooke Lorren
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:37pmIf she stopped working, then she would not be bringing in the cash, and he’d want to get rid of her quicker than you could blink an eye.
Of course, he’d probably beat her to death in the process… not sure which fate is worse…
Report Post »Oil_Robb
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:21pmGo ahead ******** keep fighting for Muslims to have thier own courts and special rights like they do in Europe. Where are the womens libbers on the issue of shariah?…..from a males perspective shariah doesnt affect me a male one bit.I ask again where are the Democratic females on this issue?……….thats right stupid me …they are promoting the killing of unborn babies and trying to kill the mension of God in schools. ..I apologize you are so busy.
Report Post »Endstatism
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:18pmJust as liberalism is a mental disorder, so is Islam as practiced by the Saudis, Taliban, Al Queda, Somalia, Muslim Brotherhood and Iran.
Report Post »uncleherbert
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:14pmAnd muslems invite this? Do not see the love. I have got to be missing somthing! It has to be about control.
Report Post »MBLAXTON1
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:02pmTribes…We r not in the freaking middle ages. There is something wrong with these people.
Report Post »ArmedAndNotDangerous
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 9:23pm….savages….
Report Post »barthom
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 9:06pmI don’t believe in Islam. But I wonder if something like this is news, then maybe that makes it unusual? Newspapers find the exceptions and that’s why it is called, “News.” I like the lady’s attitude, where she’s not asking to drop the whole system of guardianship, but simply asking that it be redefined, and that there be some consequences for fathers using their power incorrectly.
Report Post »Paul -Indiana
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:38pm“Fathers cite adhl for a variety of reasons — sometimes because a suitor doesn’t belong to the same tribe..”
Report Post »=======
Have they ever looked at the effects of the inbreeding which has gone on for centuries?
mtnclimberjim
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:31pmI’m so tired of hearing about that stupid culture. I don’t like them over here or over there. I’ve known a few and I think they are all jacked up. It ****** me off they try and bring that crap over here. Don’t likem never will. I know there are those here that think I should be more tolerant, and all I can tell you is piss off. I’m done with the PC crap. If it makes you mad good, get mad, we need everyone to get mad. This is my home not their’s.
Report Post »Its Gonna Getcha
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:27pmWait. A 42-year-old WOMAN has a guardian, who happens to be her father, who happens to get her paycheck, who happens to keep a potential mate from getting to her. This is incest. And well, if she is still being treated like a child, it is STILL pedophilia (on some level within her).
Wow. Those guardians are SLICK as DICK. They figured out a way to make childhood incest last beyond that pesky puberty! Hot damn! We need to patent that!
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:39pmyour an idiot. this is not an example of incest. this is slavery but not incest. the fater or male relative doesnt do this to have sex with them, but to prevent her from chosing her own husband etc.
coming soon to the u.s., but let us hope it starts in california, and starts hard. maybe that will wake up the idiots in the land of the fruits and nuts
APatriotFirst
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:21pmVery early American history X5000. We had it but never this controlling.
Report Post »Rn mom
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:18pmI don’t think so, the women in the US would never ever put up with that! I know I would last about 5 minutes under sharia- which is about 5 minutes too many.
Report Post »TwoMinuteMan
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:17pmA 42 year old surgeon who never sees her own salary because it goes directly to her fathers bank account?
I guess Islam is only a religion of peace and freedom for the men.
The only way anything will change for these women is if every country who buys oil from them stops until the Saudis start granting some civil rights to their women. I’m not a big “green” movement person but if it helps fix anything like what is going on in these islamic countries the by all means lets do it.
Cutting off the gun money to the radicals wouldnt be a bad idea either.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:14pmComing to Americas neighbourhoods soon courtesy of the Obama administration and the Progressives.
Report Post »Oil_Robb
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:22pmJust like it allready is in England…..2 million Muslims in London
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:48amYes my friend, your wisdom once again makes perfect sense. Kudos.
Report Post »american1st
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:12pmSaudi Arabia has just secured a seat on the governing board of the new United Nations Women’s Rights Council —
de-fund the UN,… its things like this that make it a bad joke and we have no excuse to be paying for them,…
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:20pmGot a better idea with the UN, defunding it (great idea), exile all the ambassadors to the middle of the coldest part of Antarctica, and revamp the UN building into a low income housing and beginning small business sights.
Report Post »TwoMinuteMan
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:21pmDefund? Kick em out! America gets NO advantage in participating in this joke of an organization.
Kick em back to Brussels.
Report Post »tmkphx1962
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:11pmCome to America I will set you free.
Report Post »Bot
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:10pmThis is what the United States has to look forward to, if Sharia Law is not outlawed in our Country.
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:27pmDon’t say that cause Goldberg & Behar will be offended :)
Report Post »KenInIL
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:30pmI don’t get it! How do they keep the men satisfied and propogate the tribe? If they have 4,000,000 women sequestered, some men taking multiple wives, what are the the others doing – hanging out with camels? Or is Saudi Arabia 75% female?
Report Post »Paul -Indiana
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:40pmIs it Sharia law or simply the long history of Arab inbreeding?
ADMIRAL747
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:09pmAnother reason to produce our own oil.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:19pmAnd this is what we will become if the administration has it’s ways to impose foreign laws, especially the Sharia law upon all the citizens of America. We will be subject to international courts, and any of the laws of other countries any administration lawyer decides to use against the people.
http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 8:49pmShe recalled her last encounter with her father inside the court: “I kissed his feet. I begged him to set me free, for the sake of God.”
While you are down there, cut of his testicles instead…
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 9:13pm@Dustyluv
Interesting idea.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:05pmand the UN and OBAMA thinks the USA is the bad guys and allows us to be dressed down.. they can go screw off..
Report Post »tgarrett369
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 11:00pmimagin you have 8 wives who divorce you. poligamy sucks
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:55amAh, those tolerant understanding followers of Islam are such kidders.
When people scream “why don’t these women just leave” stop to think about the family members of hers that may have their heads cut off if she did leave. Where are organizations like NOW? I thought these organizations led the fight for women to be treated as equals to men.
More proof that our world has gone insane.
PatriotShops.com
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