The forum took place on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Jeddah titled “Tribalism, Regionalism, Intellectual Classification and Their Impact on National Unity.”

Najah Al-Dahir, a professor at Taiba University and columnist, said that although the nullifying of such matrimonies have been criticized and condemned in religious fatwas, they still happen. She further blamed this on the judicial system.

“The problem is that what is said is all theoretical. When we ask people who claim they support women whether they would be willing to accept marriage proposals for their daughters or sisters from men who come from different backgrounds, they say they would not,” said Al-Dahir.

“There is a need to clarify that in Islam the marriage contract is valid even though tribes may not be compatible,” said Haila Al-Yabis, adding that it is still acceptable to ask about tribal compatibility in cases that might lead to attacks on family members. 

Mohammad Zaid Al-Almai called for the creation of government-owned cultural projects and other types of nongovernment organizations, which could help reduce the focus on tribalism.

Columnist Habib Yamani stressed that there is a need to close websites that promote tribalism and that their owners should be punished. Though some participants from different regions in the Kingdom suggested removing the name of the tribe from the national identification card, Mahmod Sabag, a columnist with Al-Watan newspaper, said such a move would not be helpful.

Others believed that it is impossible to deny the presence and strength of tribes in protecting its members. Husain Bafaqeeh added that media has played a role in pushing for tribalism through programs such as those featuring poets and camel competitions.