JEDDAH, 28 May 2006 — A violent and abusive husband in Taif is demanding SR30,000 from his wife for a divorce.
Three years ago Nawal Mohammed, of Abqaiq, married a man from Taif. A month later she came to realize that the wedding was not as pleasant as she had imagined, according to Al-Watan newspaper.
She said, “I am the victim of an unfortunate marriage scam, now I feel I am being punished for the blind faith my family had in a man who claims to be my husband.”
Tormented, Nawal feels her very existence is the worst sort any woman can have. Unable to live with her abusive and estranged husband Nawal simultaneously finds it difficult to get him to issue a divorce.
Nawal said initially the groom looked ordinary and while discussing marriage her relatives did not find him in anyway unusual. It was only when the couple came to live in Taif that she noticed a sudden and dramatic change in his behavior.
“He became disturbed and violent, something which I just couldn’t understand. Later I found that he was mentally ill and miserably failed in fulfilling his role as a husband,” she said.
Nawal said she kept her husband’s behavior hidden from her parents but things became worse as he began beating and abusing her daily.
She said, “I think I was the only person he could direct his violence and frustrations at.”
The humiliation continued and in spite of his wealth, her husband stopped paying for her expenses.
“I tolerated everything in the hope that things would change and he would at least stop torturing me mentally and physically. I waited for more than a year but things went from bad to worse.”
Exasperated by the situation, Nawal became scared that her husband would cripple her both physically and mentally so she packed her stuff and left for her parents’ home.
In order to reconcile the couple, family members representing both sides met to discuss the issue. After intense discussions Nawal’s husband assured her family that she would be treated well if she returned.
“But the fourth day after returning, my husband went back to his old ways. Then I realized he wasn’t going to change so I decided to leave once more,” said Nawal.
She said that when she demanded a divorce her husband said he would only do so if she paid him SR30,000 that he had spent in looking after her.
Nawal finds her husband’s demands unreasonable and says that she only wants a divorce so she can continue with her life. Her husband has miserably failed in fulfilling his duties as a good husband.
Nawal hopes that the law will soon help her in resolving the mess she is in.
