Recently, a Saudi woman filed for divorce because her husband had removed her veil while she was sleeping. The husband attempted to see her face after thirty long years of marriage siring several children and both being over fifty years old.
The man apologized to her several times and begged of her to keep their marriage. This is a reality of life prevailing in some tribes in Saudi Arabia where customs and traditions are running people's lives even today. Men there are not allowed to see the faces of their mothers, sisters or even their wives under any circumstances during any stage of their lives.
Fpr more on this issue: http://www.wluml.org/node/4117
Thursday, 18 February 2010
A newspaper article in a Doha newspaper
Wife-t0-be is bearded, cross-eyed behind veil
An Arab ambassador called off his wedding after discovering his wife-to-be, who had worn a face-covering veil whenever they met, was bearded and cross-eyed.
The envoy had only met the woman a few times, during which she had hidden her face behind a niqab (face covering veil).
After the marriage contract was signed, the ambassador attempted to kiss his bride-to-be, upon which he discovered she had facial hair and was cross-eyed.
The ambassador told a Shariah court in the United Arab Emirates that he was tricked into marriage as the woman’s mother had shown his mother the pictures of her sister instead of her.
He sued for the contract to be annulled and also demanded the woman pay him 500,000 dirhams ($136,000) for clothes, jewellery and other gifts he had bought for her.
The court annulled the contract but rejected the ambassador’s demand for compensation.
An Arab ambassador called off his wedding after discovering his wife-to-be, who had worn a face-covering veil whenever they met, was bearded and cross-eyed.
The envoy had only met the woman a few times, during which she had hidden her face behind a niqab (face covering veil).
After the marriage contract was signed, the ambassador attempted to kiss his bride-to-be, upon which he discovered she had facial hair and was cross-eyed.
The ambassador told a Shariah court in the United Arab Emirates that he was tricked into marriage as the woman’s mother had shown his mother the pictures of her sister instead of her.
He sued for the contract to be annulled and also demanded the woman pay him 500,000 dirhams ($136,000) for clothes, jewellery and other gifts he had bought for her.
The court annulled the contract but rejected the ambassador’s demand for compensation.
'By the way the picture is of a doll in Qatar and nothing to do with the newspaper article.'
Monday, 8 February 2010
Back to UK for a second time
Something special about coming home, you immediately notice some things that you missed:
1. Birds singing
2. Fresh crisp and clean air
3. Cool water from the taps
4. Everyone speaks with an ‘English’ accent
5. The best of all thick and soft toilet paper, thank heavens for Andrex quilted with Aloe Vera.
This time my daughter was there to pick me up at Manchester airport and on the return journey Slaw had offered to pick me up so that there would be a familiar face I would see when I arrive back in Doha.
While in UK a quick European project visit to Ansbach, Germany was just what I needed. It was nice to re-experience a bit of my ‘old’ working life and meet up with ‘old’ friends. I was in a little German town (where I have been before) but it seemed exceptionally pretty this time. I guess this is due to three reasons:
1. I have just come from the dessert and it’s nice to see real buildings that say something about the history and culture of the place.
2. It was snowing and everything was white and it looked like a picture from a Christmas card.
3. And of course it is a pretty place as well and I never appreciated it before.
The other thing I experience is that there are no women in veils/abaya’s and no Arab men in thobe’s. Whilst at the airport and in the plane I encounter many ‘foreigners’ but these are foreigners of another kind. Foreigner’s on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha are made up of a completely different combination to those on a KLM flight via Amsterdam. I feel richer for being able to experience living with and associating with both kinds of ‘foreigners’.
At home it’s all go (no change there then) morning till night trying to get the neverending todo list finished. When I am back in UK I feel as though I never left. I slip back into my ‘old’ life immediately. I had a strange moment of realisation when I entered the departures lounge at Manchester airport on my return journey to Doha. As soon as I saw the Qatar Airways sign and logo, and the familiar range of ‘foreign’ people at the check-in queue, the switch was made to my second life which began again from that point onwards.
1. Birds singing
2. Fresh crisp and clean air
3. Cool water from the taps
4. Everyone speaks with an ‘English’ accent
5. The best of all thick and soft toilet paper, thank heavens for Andrex quilted with Aloe Vera.
This time my daughter was there to pick me up at Manchester airport and on the return journey Slaw had offered to pick me up so that there would be a familiar face I would see when I arrive back in Doha.
While in UK a quick European project visit to Ansbach, Germany was just what I needed. It was nice to re-experience a bit of my ‘old’ working life and meet up with ‘old’ friends. I was in a little German town (where I have been before) but it seemed exceptionally pretty this time. I guess this is due to three reasons:
1. I have just come from the dessert and it’s nice to see real buildings that say something about the history and culture of the place.
2. It was snowing and everything was white and it looked like a picture from a Christmas card.
3. And of course it is a pretty place as well and I never appreciated it before.
The other thing I experience is that there are no women in veils/abaya’s and no Arab men in thobe’s. Whilst at the airport and in the plane I encounter many ‘foreigners’ but these are foreigners of another kind. Foreigner’s on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha are made up of a completely different combination to those on a KLM flight via Amsterdam. I feel richer for being able to experience living with and associating with both kinds of ‘foreigners’.
At home it’s all go (no change there then) morning till night trying to get the neverending todo list finished. When I am back in UK I feel as though I never left. I slip back into my ‘old’ life immediately. I had a strange moment of realisation when I entered the departures lounge at Manchester airport on my return journey to Doha. As soon as I saw the Qatar Airways sign and logo, and the familiar range of ‘foreign’ people at the check-in queue, the switch was made to my second life which began again from that point onwards.
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