Wannabe brides in Saudi Arabia sue parents

Women in Saudi Arabia who have been prevented from marrying their fiancés by their parents, often because the family does not want to lose out on the additional income the daughter brings in, are suing their parents for hindering their marriages, a Saudi daily reported Sunday.

Sixty-one women have submitted complaints to the branches of the National Human Rights Society in Riyadh, Jeddah, Mekkah, Jazan and Sharqiya urging officials to interfere and help settle their differences with their parents.

Marriage in Saudi Arabia falls under the jurisdiction of Islamic sharia courts, and according to the Quran marriage must be approved by the woman’s guardian but she also has the right to choose who she marries.

"Some of the complaints have been referred to the specialized courts to solve them, while other complaints have been solved peacefully with parents of the women who made the complaints," the society’s head, Mufleh al-Qahtani, told the Saudi daily Okaz.

According to Qahtani, there was clear proof that many parents did not want to lose access to the high salaries of their working daughters, who often help with household expenses.

"We have a large number of social consultants and legal researchers who are responsible for dealing with the families of the girls who filed complaints and they are trying their best to figure out suitable solutions for both sides,” Qahtani told the paper. “In cases where parents are stubborn and insist on maintaining their stand then the society has to go ahead with the legal procedures of referring the issue to the specialized court."

A Riyadh court last year ruled that a 28-year-old woman could get married without her father’s permission. Her father had refused to grant his permission even after several sessions with the judge and his daughter, so the judge granted her the right to marry after ascertaining the suitability of her fiancé.

Some of the complaints have been referred to the specialized courts to solve them, while other complaints have been solved peacefully with parents of the women who made the complaints

Mufleh al-Qahtani, National Human Rights Society