The case of the forcible divorce of a Saudi couple — that too after their second child was born — has received a great deal of attention in the Kingdom.
The woman’s brothers had initiated a lawsuit demanding the couple’s marriage be nullified on the grounds that they were tribally incompatible. The mother of two insisted that she be reunited with her husband and opted to remain imprisoned in Dammam with her children rather than going back to her family.
The issue was not just the concern of scholars, but journalists, authors and playwrights have all been engaged in the debate. Fatima and Mansour’s case was and still is fodder for social gossip.
I don’t intend to discuss the many people who have sympathized with the couple and their children, rather I would like to discuss the educational and social aspects of the case. I wonder why the mother has sought refuge in prison with her children? Is our society incapable of establishing institutions to shelter people caught up in such cases? The woman felt prison was the only place where she could be protected from what frightened her. I do not know if there is any other place where she could go and which would provide her with security and protection required to maintain a proper atmosphere for her and her children. While taking into consideration the social environment in prisons, one can safely say that it is not necessarily the best place to bring up one’s children. Statistics and facts prove that children establish and gain so much in their early years of growing up. Having these two children inside the walls of a prison is harming them more than the pain of seeing their parents forcibly divorced.
The case is in the hands of the judiciary after the husband approached the Justice Ministry appealing to reconsider the court ruling. Justice Minister Abdullah Al-Asheikh transferred the case to the appeals court for review. Hope is still there that the case will be resolved legally. If not searching for a proper place where the mother and children could live in a healthy environment suitable for the upbringing of the children is essential to prevent the children from becoming victims of social complexities.
Each day that passes by while they remain in prison is harming the children mentally, physically and educationally. The case, with all its complexities, is worrying and creates even more controversy. Are we ever going to find an end to this troublesome issue?
