ABHA: A peculiar tribal practice in the southern province deprives women of their right to inherit shares in their fathers’ property. The reason given for this practice prevalent among certain tribes is to prevent the women’s husbands and kids from getting shares in the tribe’s wealth.

Only ten percent of women from these tribes ask for their share in inheritance while 90 percent do not dare break the longstanding taboo, according to a report in Al-Watan.

Mothers and grandmothers play the main role in convincing young women to forgo their shares in inheritance. They hold a big dinner party for neighbors and friends to celebrate the event. They also place two white flags in front of the house as a sign of pride that their women had given up their shares in favor of their brothers.

Some people in Asir province even say they don’t acknowledge women’s right of inheritance.

If a woman asks for her share in inheritance, her family and tribe get annoyed. Aged women advise younger women to forgo their rights saying they did the same. However, some women who have forgone their rights do have regrets. Umm Ahmad Al-Qahtani, a housewife, said she regrets giving up the land she inherited from her father to her brothers.

“We were fools when we renounced our inheritance to our brothers. Our mother and family members persuaded us to do so, and we accepted the gift of a gold set, that was worth SR5,000 at that time. The set’s value is nothing compared to what we would have inherited. This is unfair and against Islamic teachings,” she said. Umm Ahmad expressed sadness about her condition. She said in case she was divorced or widowed she wouldn’t have a place to go. “Now I understand why women tolerate abuse by their husbands. It is because they have no choice and have no place to go,” she added.

Abu Abdulrahman Al-Shahry echoed Umm Ahmad’s sentiments, saying people get annoyed when a woman asks for her share in inheritance. So a woman opts to renounce her rights to avoid shame. If she doesn’t, it would mean she does not trust her brothers.

Fatima Al-Asmari said when her father died, her elder sister renounced her share of inheritance in favor of her brothers. Though the rest of the sisters were silent, their brothers ignored them completely while dividing the inherited family house. The elder brother suggested keeping it for the sisters if they needed it, but the younger brother objected and insisted on the division, excluding the sisters completely.

“If a woman doesn’t get her share in inheritance she often finds no one to support her,” she said.

Sheikh Ahmad Asiry, head of two big tribes in Asir, said women have the choice to waive their inheritance voluntarily. According to Islamic principles, women have the right to take their share. They also have the right to sell it or do whatever they want.

“Women in Asir relinquish their inheritance to their brothers because of their generosity. When my sisters surrendered their shares to their brothers, we made a big thank-you celebration for them and we gifted SR100,000 to each of them. We also made a commitment to take care of them and support them forever,” he said.

“It is only this kind of love and strong bond among the family members that make women forgo their shares in inheritance. Women are not forced to do this, but they do it of their own will," he added.

Abdul Wahed Al-Mazroui, professor at a university in Dammam, said there is a big difference between voluntarily forgoing own’s share and being forced to do so. If the woman surrenders her share of her own will and for any reason, it is acceptable in Islam. But if she is forced in the name of customs, that is forbidden in Islam. He also mentioned that it is not allowed to exchange assets inherited for any price, because this has conditions. The price has to be equivalent to the value of the inherited asset. If it is less or nominal, as it used to be done, it is forbidden in Islam.