An oversight whose solution is long overdue

Author: 
By Tariq A. Al-Maeena
Publication Date: 
Sat, 2003-02-01 03:00

At one of the better open air sea-food restaurants along Madinah Road past north Jeddah, Charlene, a Californian, brought up a worrisome item that affects a growing number of foreign women who have chosen to marry Saudis, but have retained their nationalities.

And judging from most of the couples I have come across here whose marriage is one of a bicultural nature, there are few nationalities that remain exceptions to this form of union. Saudi men in growing numbers have chosen Americans, both north and south, Europeans, Africans, and Asians as their brides and mothers of their children.

And yet there remains this niggling impasse. While these matrimonies are approved and sanctioned by the government, the marital status on the identity cards and all other related official documents of the Saudi male who has chosen a foreign bride continue to reflect his marital status as single. He may have fathered several children, but in the eyes of some over-stuffed, but short of vision, bureaucracy, he continues to remain single.

And what’s more baffling is that on his family identity card, while the particulars of all his children are listed, the identity of his wife remains peculiarly absent. And even then, his marital status continues to blare out, “SINGLE”.

And that’s what is bothering Charlene and multitudes like her. While she has been granted permanent residency status in this country on the grounds of her marriage to the local Saudi, she cannot simply fathom the reasoning behind such laws that persist in portraying her marriage partner as single. And she is justified in her unease.

For what would happen if tragically her partner were to die? Where would that leave her residency status or that of her rights over her children? If she has been an official non-entity during her husband’s life, wouldn’t it stand to reason that it would be even more so after his death? And what of her rights to inheritance? Officially considered as a single man, her husband’s death would leave her widowed and in a very precarious situation. And possibly with very little recourse to retain her children or what she would be rightfully due during the disposition of her late husband’s assets.

This twist in our residency laws must be addressed to immediately as more and more Saudis have taken foreign brides in recent times. A partner in life simply should not be snuffed out in the event of an unfortunate death of her other half. The apprehensions of being foreign, and thus easily disposable, should cease and desist with slight modifications to existing laws.

***

AND WHILE we are on the subject of oversights, when are specialty shops retailing in lingerie going to have women serving behind the counters? As a male, I personally find it very intimidating to be loitering about in such stores. As a woman, I can imagine her anxiety and fears to be even much more as a male sales clerk dealing with feminine intimate wear confronts her. And we are talking here in a culture where casual interaction between men and women just doesn’t happen.

A similar situation confronts women at specialty perfumeries and gift shops. Once again, male sales clerks hawking Roc, Wella or Estee Lauder products, line the counters. There are female bankers, doctors, teachers and architects. And no woman lingerie clerk or Clinique saleslady that I know of yet. Why? Does it not stand to reason that if ever a profession is to be established based on the nature of the sexes, then these should be fully administered and run by women?

Such paradoxes have a way of making life a nuisance and abound with anxious moments, yet can be very easily addressed and corrected. It is left to those with vision to change them then.

— Tariq A. Al-Maeena, clsencounters@hotmail.com

Arab News Features 1 February 2003

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