UMM Al QUWAIN // After asking her family several times for permission to marry the man of her choice, Fatima decided to take her case to court.
Her parents said she could not marry the man because he was of a different tribe, and considered him to be “beneath them”.
“They refused the man I wanted because he had a different last name. He was rejected because of his tribe. I am a pure Bedouin while he is not a pure Arab. They came up with a [different] marriage proposal and they were threatening to force me into it,” the 28-year-old said.
“When the man I wanted came to propose for the third time, my father knew that we knew each other.
“My father said I was disrespectful and that is when I decided to leave the house to file a complaint, especially as he was threatening to wed me to a stranger.”
In October 2014, Fatima issued the court with a legal request to get married.
“I headed immediately to Abu Dhabi Guidance Division. It was the only way,” she said.
The man respected my decision and was willing to wait longer, be more patient to try to propose again. My family tried their best to stop me from raising the case in court.
“They made it worse and never allowed me to continue the court case or even contact my lawyer.”
She said many lawyers she spoke to did not deal with her case professionally, and traditions were more important to them than her rights.
“A woman must be respected and supported by the laws, staying away from the societal barriers that protect the males and creates pressure on the women under the pretext of protection,” she said.
Fatima is still going through the legal processes to marry the man she has chosen.
aalkhoori@thenational.ae
