A Muslim woman on Thursday became the first ever female allowed to conduct marriages in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates and throughout the conservative Gulf, the official WAM news agency reported.
It said Fatima Saeed Obeid al-Awani, 33, a married mother of two boys, was named to the post in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi by the justice ministry.
Awani’s appointment as “maazoun” — a job traditionally held by men — is aimed at “bolstering the role of women in society… in line with Emirati laws and without violating sharia” Muslim law, the agency said.
Awani holds a degree in theology from the faculty of law of the University of the Emirates.
She now becomes the first woman to be allowed to write up marriage contracts throughout the conservative Gulf, but she is not the first woman “maazoun” in an Arab state — Egypt has already broken ground in that area.
In March Abu Dhabi got its first woman judge and in February the number of women in the cabinet was doubled to four. Last year Abu Dhabi got its first female Emirati taxi driver. Source
P.S: How much appointing a woman as a marriage register is sign of progress in conservative UAE? Polygamy laws are still out there, and UAE guys can easily marry second, third or fourth wives without first wife’s permission.
UAE women will still lose so many of their rights if they marry a non-UAE guy. And yet so many other issues. Somebody needs to enlighten these guys. Actually doesnt matter who register the marriage. Problem is the marriage laws, themselves.
November 15, 2008 at 4:36 pm
You said it in the last sentence “Somebody needs to enlighten these guys. Actually doesnt matter who register the marriage. Problem is the marriage laws, themselves.” That’s what I think!
November 15, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Well, change has to start somewhere! I find it amazing that after 200,000 prophets, most of whom are sent to the Middle East, this area still needs enlightenment! Other people have benefited from Islam but not them.
Anyways. good on UAE. I feel if any area of the ME is hope, it’s them.
November 15, 2008 at 5:12 pm
UAE is not a conservative country by many standards but the laws are because they are a mix of tribal and religious laws. The thing is polygamy is Islamic and asking the first wife for permission is not required in Islam. Early Muslim men regularly returned home from wars with new wives/slaves. We know that the Prophet himself married Safiya without his other wives’ knowledge.
However, I believe such old laws can and should be changed. Many young women in the UAE are forcefully rejecting polygamy and they don’t even want to talk about its Islamic legality. And I also think it is very unfair that men marry whomever they want but women must only marry men from their country. That is not fair.
November 15, 2008 at 5:26 pm
‘liya, Actually there are many issues in ME laws. :-/
Haleem, It’s of course good change. But that woman who is registering marriage still works with the laws that are unfair for women. Also you raised a wonderful point on ‘enlightenment’.
Achelois, You know what i think. There should be *civil law* mixed with religious laws when it wants to come as an official law.
It’s almost after 1400 years. At the time of prophet, there was not an official process for everything, nor even for registering marriage. They used to marry front of two witnesses or so and there was no need to sign too many papers, take ID cards etc.
Now for even going to other country, one has to register anything based on law. Civil life has been changed so much since the time of prophet too. Women also have changed.
I read in news that there are so many educated women in the UAE that are single. Bcs UAE guys prefer to marry non-UAE women, actually most of the time western women. Whether bcs most men go to another country for university and marry there, or they just dont like to go through too much traditional expensive wedding.
But UAE educated women who are big part of working places, dont have the same rights for marrying a foreigner and the rest of UAE men are not really capable for them or they’re married seeking second wife.. At last they have to remain single..
November 15, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Can women vote in the UAE?
November 15, 2008 at 11:53 pm
First of all Congratulations to UAE, to Gulf and to the Arabic World, second with all my respect to everything you wrote above, I will start from the list line you wrote in your answers to your readers if the woman is allowed to vote in UAE?!, my answer to this question the woman in UAE is a minister, ambassador, Judge, Marriage Register, member in the National Committee and many other things, this for the educated ones, the uneducated ones then she is the mother of the coming generations of UAE, and about the matter of the men marrying from outside then it is destiny dear what God wants happen, it is written in heaves, the marriages are written in heavens, about expensive marriages then in UAE they are working on this they are working in helping the young people to marry by supporting them by home by account not less than 70,000 Dhs, about the girls who remain in their homes without marriage and they wish to marry then first of all it is their destiny what God wants happens, second it is better for them to remain single than marrying someone for just marriage not every lady wanna fly her legs and lose her virginity, about the men who have several wives, then for God sake it is a problem happening in many countries even in the foreign countries you will find a man who cheats his wife, yes you will tell me cheating her not like bringing another wife on her, but I will tell you at least when he will bring another wife she will know and she will decide whether to remain or no, about that in UAE they don’t help the woman when she marries a foreigner then let me tell you something they are working on this matter in UAE, yes maybe 60% of people are against it but always there is hope for everyone and by the way this problem not just in UAE it seems you don’t watch cinema, if you saw the movie of the famous female director Enas AL Dughaidy (cheap meat) you will notice that even the Egyptian woman is facing the same problem if she marries a foreigner, you know I have a blog I am from UAE I didn’t write about this matter you know why because if I will write about UAE strong steps then I will be tired because they are very fast with God bless thank God……
with all my respect to you I mean no offend but I advise you to keep wondering about the women cases like what you are doing, I know that you are doing this but I advise you to do it more because it is something lovely but please don’t forget movies like:
Fifth Reaction for Niki Karimi ( this movie shows how the woman in Iran is very very weak infront of the man)
Persepolis ( the divorced woman in Iran is an easy lady even for the grocery man)
The Circle ( I will not explain about it just go and watch it).
Hammoun ( the woman is dying to get a divorce while in the Arabic countries there is the Khulaa system)
Please keep on your hard work it is someone lovely honestly, but take my advise again I like your subjects but for example sometimes they are weak in a point or two, like the matter of your teacher, I wonder what your students are saying about you behind you, don’t let the flowers blind you, remember you smiled to your teacher and you chatted with him friendly but what you did behind, again with all my respect I am not offending you, because I like your steps in your blog specially your article about why you didn’t marry an Iranian man, good that you did so because maybe someone was going to ask you ( your father is from where?!!!!) or who knows maybe you forgot that because it was tough for you to get an Iranian man to marry
Finally, keep on your hard work but read read very well when you will write to have bases for your talking and reading isn’t just from magazines, reading is from books from the TV from the moments which we are living and which we lived before and really I wonder don’t you think what will be the situation of the young five years old Iranian girl what they are teaching her in the school when they teach her about a street holds the name of a terrorist is this child girl going to be a terrorist too.
Remark:
I wasn’t offensive toward you, I just wanted you to read your way of writing you will see that you are just pointing and judging while your home is fragile, even your subject about the women why they marry, you are pointing and judging, honestly the name of this blog is Shaharazad, not Mrs Perfect, so remember you are Shahrazad you are from Iran then talk
By the way we are doctors in Engineering we have a big community about engineering it was mentioned in IEEE and we have a blog now, we wrote about Persepolis the movie but we wrote with respect we didn’t judge anyone or point because we know how to write in a classy way.
Something to add in the matter of your teacher you said you didn’t see him since 11 years when you were 16, so you have to be 27, then you said that you promissed your friend in the university to meet them after ten years from the graduation and you said that the meeting is going to be in the near future so you are supposed to be 30 something now, so what is write and what is the lie, where is the base, another thing about one of your posts here, you copied it and pasted it directly from a site in the internet you know that article which spoke about lines in life, so get a life
November 16, 2008 at 12:26 am
Dr.Aisha&Dr.Maha, so you know how to write in a ”classy way”???
Then please try to do so next time you find it necessary to write a comment.
Your comment is só full of silly idea’s, patronising comments, and condescending notions, I don’t even know where to start!
You are só way out of your league thinking to comment on Sharzad’s writing, I can only assume you are so ignorant you can’t even see the discrepancies between you.
November 16, 2008 at 12:51 am
Aisha,
And i dont know what made you so angry here. Then you couldn’t hide your anger about the previous emails we had and your requests that had been rejected by me!
I am trying to mention the problem of muslim women here. And i am not going to raise groups blah blah and cheer for Iranian, arab, asian world.
I am discussing your issues as my sister in Islam.
With pointing those movies, what you want to prove? It does not change the situation for you as a woman.
Your (future) UAE husband can still go and marry a second wife without your permission.
When you talk about progresses in UAE, and you think its a developing country, then you should not compare it with Egypt as well. Bcs in Egypt, problems are far worse.
My personal opinion on Iranian men does not prove anything bad or good about them. And yes my father and grandfathers were Iranian and i really love them all.
I do not say that Iranian laws don’t have problem. But examples you pointed, are just ‘movies’, if you notice.
Perspolis and others are not what i consider as a reality about Iranian women or Iranian society nor am i a weak creature front of men. (I showed my strength in my blog and in my real life.)
My marriage to my non-Iranian husband can just prove you that Iranian women dont have problem to marry non-Iranians and they don’t lose many of their rights as you do nor is it inevitable for a divorced woman to become easy prey to all men she meets. (sure many divorced women take what you mentioned as an insult and offence.)
An Iranian man has to have ‘legal’ permission of his wife if he wants to go for second marriage.
Education also is not something that anyone comes here and say its a victory. Bcs it just happens everywhere. Esp in Iran. But I used to suppose educated poeple to be more classy as well. (at least since you mention you’re a Dr).
Calm down sister. Academic degrees without learning morals, then the education is not something considerable.
About the rest of your comment, I’m sorry, but I will not lower myself to answer it in details.
November 16, 2008 at 1:00 am
Has been moved to Trash page
November 16, 2008 at 1:13 am
Has been moved to Trash page
November 16, 2008 at 1:49 am
Yes, please stop commenting.
Or at least get some english lessons first because trying to read your comments is making my head swim.
And, I agree Queen Shahrzad is multi talented, but to accuse her of making up me ànd other commentators, ànd writing all our respective blogs as well, would leave Shahz writing 36 hours a day.
That’s impossible.
Even for Shahrzad!
November 16, 2008 at 6:57 am
Shahee, you asked if women can vote in the UAE. Well, women can’t vote in the UAE and men can’t either because there is no democracy. It has always been a tribal form of monarchy and by ‘always’ I mean 37 years only. And believe me when I say the country is lucky they don’t have democracy! Their leaders are very intelligent men and are doing the country great good.
I guess we can go one step at a time. Being able to register marriages is a great leap for women in the UAE although it is not the first Arab country to achieve that – Egypt had theirs early this year.
The present generation of women is the first generation of university students to they are actually pretty confused at the moment. It will take another couple of generations to come down to earth and realise what is happening. You can notice that from some of the comments you have received. The present generation has begun to think because they are educated and their mothers weren’t that means they have suddenly become intellectuals. There is a saying – “you can take the girl out of the ignorant town but you can’t take ignorance out of the girl’ (with my personal twist).
So kudos to the women in UAE – they are FAR better than women in any other Gulf state, but it is still a long walk and I wish them the best of luck.
November 16, 2008 at 8:01 am
May this pave the way for more empowerment to UAE women with respect to marriage laws,inshallah.
November 16, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Achelois, it was interesting what you said. I get now how the tribal-religious laws work. However i think Qatar is doing better somehow. Let’s hope for better days.
This confusion you mentioned, has been for my mom generation too, when their parents were not so educated, but children esp girls had studied in the university and were working in the society. My mom says when she was young, it was very important to have a university degree.
Now for my generation, it’s just something normal to go to university and work as well and not a miracle or something to show off.
I loved that quote. So true..
Lat, welcome here so much. Ameen for your du’a. Insha’allah muslim women will achieve what they really deserve..We need just more time..
November 21, 2008 at 11:04 am
[...] The United Arab Emirates receives its first female marriage registrar. More from Shahrazad. [...]
December 23, 2008 at 2:19 am
can anyone help me in this
is it allowed in islam to marry a girl without her parents permisson (register marriage)??
September 25, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Hi am Sara 30 years old holding UAE passport Emirates, am an english teacher new graduate, and applied for a job already, I would like to know if possible to marry egytian man because an egytian man propose me to marry but am afraid my father might not agree since he’s not local but has a good attitude and respectful man where its difficult to find such a man could you give me whats a good solution if my father disagree this person? thanks and reguards
October 16, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Salam Sara; yes you can marry with any muslim non-national UAE but on the same time Islam bind you to get consent of your parents. And if parents don’t give consent without any cogent reasons and legal grounds then you can sort to the courts but you will have to loose your passport of UAE. Goodluck.
October 16, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Hi Sohail; a girl is not allowed to marry without the consent of her parents – but there are exception to this rule. If her parents don’t act prudently and they act against the principles of Islam marriages and family Islamic law; then the girl can go to any court and marry there. And marrying without the consultation of parents without legal and ethical grounds is primarily illegal under Islamic statutes.