Judge refuses to see woman without ‘mahram’

By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS

MAKKAH: A Saudi woman who is seeking a divorce from her husband has claimed that a judge has refused to listen to her complaints at five scheduled hearings because she came to court without a male legal guardian each time.

“The court at Al-Jumoum outside Makkah city set five hearings in my case, but each time I went the judge refused to see me or listen to my case because I had no male guardian with me,” said the woman, Um Hasan.

She and her estranged husband have been married for 17 years during which time they have had six children.

Um Hasan said her life has been like hell because of her husband’s drug addiction.

“My married life changed from a loving one to one in which physical and verbal abuse became the norm. I was left with no option but to leave my husband and run away with my six children,” she said.

She added that all her attempts to obtain a divorce have failed because of the judge’s refusal to listen to her. “I have medical certificates from Makkah’s King Abdulaziz Hospital proving I have been physically abused but the judge has refused to even look at them because I had no male guardian with me,” she said.

Um Hasan’s brothers refuse to accompany her in court, as her husband has threatened to hurt anyone who helps her. “My brothers have taken his threats seriously because he is a drug addict and will not hesitate to harm them,” she said.

Um Hasan appealed to the authorities for help to secure a divorce and save herself and her children from her husband who she said, being a drug addict, is ruthless and prepared to carry out extreme acts of crime.

Muhammad Al-Suhali, a professor of Shariah at the Um Al-Qura University in Makkah, said if the woman is saying truth the judge is doing something wrong. “Judges are there to see justice being done. They should help victims and not the assailants,” he added.

He advised the woman to take her case to the highest authorities and to human rights organizations. “Human rights organizations will first verify the woman’s claim and, if it turns out to be true, they will try to reconcile her with her husband and try to get them to end their problems peacefully. If these efforts fail they will take the matter to the governorate, which will not allow any type of injustice,” he said.

 

Comments

NAEEM KONNOLA

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He is a judge?

THE INTELLECTUAL1000

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Lo and behold, does so the Saudi justice system prevails.

A MUSLIM LADY

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This situation has nothing to do with religion but with basic humanity, of which the judge displays none. In the West, this judge's name would be printed in the newspaper so he could 'hear' from his voters or the people in his district. Why doesn't Arab News print his name? This fact should be reported so at least we can shame the judge into behaving. So sad.

AMERICAN

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I thought drugs were punishable by death in KSA. From my perspective, the addicted husband gets to run around, threaten people, violate KSA laws, abuse his wife - but that's okay. His wife on the other hand - goodness forbid she appears in court WITHOUT a mahram? Do we need a judge to figure out that something is wrong? Shame on this judge and shame on the police for not putting the husband in prison. The Quran gives a woman rights - why are those rights being violated in a country that's suppose to 'value women' and follow God's law?

SHERRY

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this is just so sad to know that a woman has to undergo thru so many steps n channels inorder to seek justice!!...no question is being asked to the judge only a statement is passed...and the woman is told to go here and there!!...do they understand how hard it is for a woman here to face things like these all alone!!...arent 17 yrs long enough of a "trying to reconcile period"!!...shes being physically tortured if this is proven, thts it!!
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