RIYADH: A Saudi couple was reunited after the wife’s brothers tried to force them to divorce due to so-called tribal incompatibilities.

Seven months ago 28-year-old Monira met Mohammad, 38, (not real names) at the hospital where both worked. They fell in love and decided to tie the knot. Sensing the brothers would disapprove, the father married the couple and advised them to elope to their relatives in the Gulf for a while until things calmed down.

Mohammad took his wife and left the country for a few months, only to find upon their return an unpleasant surprise waiting for them. The brothers, along with the father who was forced to change his stance, filed charges against Mohammed, accusing him of being tribally incompatible with their sister and family, and tried to force Monira to return home. When the brothers barged into his office and attacked him, Mohammad pressed charges against them and they were arrested. He was at risk of losing his job and his wife as he had been accused of marrying without her family’s consent. The brothers had also asked the courts to annul the marriage.

Monira took her case to the Human Rights Commission (HRC), which sent a delegation to meet with both parties at a special mediation court. After the father finally admitted he had approved of the marriage and the couple insisted they wanted to stay with each other, the delegation brokered a deal. Mohammad would drop the charges against the brothers and in return they would consent to the marriage. The family was also told to sign a court order that stipulated they could not interfere with the couple’s life or file charges against Mohammad.

Divorces arising from tribal incompatibility disputes are not new. Mansour Al-Timani and his wife Fatima were forced to separate in 2006 in similar circumstances. Although a royal order has been issued asking the court to reconsider their case, the couple is still waiting for their case to be heard.