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Afkhami 1995 and Yamani 1996 say, “The easy access which Muslim men have to divorce in contrast to the difficulty which Muslim women have in
obtaining a divorce has become a matter of interest particularly for Muslim feminists” qtd. in Roald 213. Furthermore, Roald adds that a Muslim woman
possibly get a divorce if her husband agrees. Hence, Nydell explains the process of divorce in Islam tradition.
… a Muslim man may divorce his wife if he wishes. … The process in traditional Islam is quite simple: he merely recites the formula for divorce
“I divorce you” in front of witnesses. A woman has more difficulty in initiating divorce proceedings, but usually she is successful on grounds of
childlessness, desertion, or nonsupport. A woman must go through court proceedings in order to divorce her husband. 76
2. Women in Saudi Arabia Tradition
a. Women and Society
There are different perceptions about Saudi Arabian women, such as Westerners that used to assume that all Saudi Arabian women are under men’s
control. It can be said that it is true as according to the tradition of Islamic law in Saudi Arabia, “women are indeed the thumb of men, many Europeans assume that
Arab women must always stay at home—indeed that they are must be veiled if they appear in public, and also accept the status of being one amongst a number of
wives” Butt 15. Moreover, these conditions are supported by the Islam perception that men
are the head of a family. Some Qur’an verses give authority to the husband to be in charge of the family. Jawad notes some verses which state that men have a
higher position than women, “Women shall with justice have rights similar to
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those exercised against them, although men have a degree above women. Allah is Mighty and Wise. Men have authority over women because Allah has made the
one becomes superior to another, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them” 37.
Quoted in Roald’s book 124, Riffat Hassan says that “The negative attitudes pertaining to women that prevail in Muslim societies are in general
rooted in theology. She discusses three theological assumptions: the first states that men are the origin of creation, the second states that women are by definition
temptresses, and the third is that women are created as a means for men.” On the other hand, for Saudi Arabia society itself, they regard women as respectable
creatures that should be protected. Furthermore, according to the authentic Islamic perspective,
… a women is an individual worthy of dignity and respect, an independent human being, a social person, a legal person, a responsible agent, a free
citizen, a servant of God, and a talented person, endowed, like a male person, with heart, soul and intellect; and has a fundamental equal right to
exercise her abilities in all areas of human activities. Jawad 11
Saudi Arabia society really protects their women. It can be seen that women are not allowed to travel more than a day and night alone unless they are
accompanied by a mahram a close male relative. The reason is because Islam recognizes that society can be very dangerous for her Hasan. Another reason is
because they want to maintain their family honor. Fluehr;Fobban says, Honor is understood in a complex way as the absence of shame, for honor
and shame are bound to one another as complementary, yet contradictory ideas. Ayb shame falls upon a family when a member of the family,
especially its more vulnerable female members, conducts herself or himself
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improperly or gives the appearance of improper conduct. Much of this misconduct is construed as being of a sexual nature.
A dishonorable man is one who shirks his familial responsibilities, wastes his money on frivolities or drink, or conducts himself in a way that suggests
loose morals. A womans honor can be placed into question for much less serious conduct or accusation. A woman who goes out alone frequently at
night or wears clothing, adornments, or excessive perfume that draw the attention of men can be gossiped about and accused of being dishonorable.
In more conservative societies, a woman who has spent time alone with a man classified as a stranger not a relation can be accused of dishonor. 52
b. Women and Marriage Life
