Status of ‘Fatima’ Case Unchanged

The Washington Post runs this piece from the AP’s Gulf correspondent, Donna Abu-Nasr, also a reporter who’s on top of things in the KSA.She provides a look at where the case of ‘Fatima’ forceably divorced from her husband because her brothers felt he was of too low a tribal origin now stands.

For those following the case, there’s nothing new. For those first coming upon it, it does a good job summarizing the issues. Always a useful reminder that, while some things might be getting better for Saudi women [See posts below], other, fundamental barriers remain.

Forced Annulment Keeps Couple Apart
Donna Abu-Nasr

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Two years ago, a knock on Fatima and Mansour al-Timani’s door shattered the life they had built together.

It was the police, delivering news that a judge had annulled their marriage in absentia after some of Fatima’s relatives sought the divorce on grounds she had married beneath her.

That was just the beginning of an ordeal for a couple who _ under Saudi Arabia’s strict segregation rules _ can no longer live together. They sued to reverse the ruling, publicized their story and sought help from a Saudi human rights group.

But the two remain apart and Fatima said she is considering suicide if her recent appeal to King Abdullah does not reunite her with her husband.

Source: John F Burgess Crossroads Arabi to comment, knowledgeably, about Saudi Arabia, from an American perspective.

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