misfar marriages in egypt

[esperanza]

Monday, 21 November 2011 | Dhuʻl-Hijjah 25, 1432 | Last updated at 14:31 Log inRegister Home Saudi Arabia Middle-East World Economy Sports Life & Style Opinion RSS Law & You Home / Saudi Arabia / Misfar misfortune: 900 children abandoned in Egypt by Saudi fathers Misfar misfortune: 900 children abandoned in Egypt by Saudi fathers
By FATIMA SIDIYA | ARAB NEWS

Published: Oct 13, 2010 23:12 Updated: Oct 13, 2010 23:12

JEDDAH: About 900 children born to Egyptian women and Saudi men in what is commonly known as “misfar” or “tourist” marriages are abandoned by their fathers, said an Egyptian activist at a recent forum on human trafficking.

Speaking at the conference in Egypt, Aiman Abu Akeel, chairman of the board of trustees of the Maat Foundation for Peace and Development, said that the majority of men who visit Egypt looking for misfar marriages tend to be Saudi, followed by Iraqis, and that the women they marry are predominantly younger than them.

“Misfar” marriage refers to a union contracted so that a woman may join her “husband” for the period of time he travels in a foreign country.

The women in such unions are divorced after a short time ranging from a week to a month, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Yaum Al-Sabi reported.

Speaking at the same forum, Azza Al-Jazaar, the general organizer of the Anti-Trafficking of Egyptian Girls program, said that these young women do not know they are being treated like commodities.

Their fathers receive up to 4,000 Egyptian pounds from these men for trading off their girls, she said, adding that most of these girls are below 16 years of age.

Statistics show that some SR100 million are spent on misfar marriages, which last for not more than a month, with 90 percent of Saudi fathers leaving behind children born out of such relationships.

However, Najeeb Al-Zamil, founder of the Back to the Roots Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that helps Saudi children abroad, said that although there are many such children in Arab countries, their suffering is less than that experienced by children born in non-Arab countries.

He added that these men abandon their families and children, as they fear what their relatives in the Kingdom will think.

He also said that while some children live in miserable conditions and turn to drugs and illegal activities, there are others who have become models and actors. He added that some of these children are smart and get educated, but they feel lost because of unrecognized parenthood.

“I met one Saudi-Filipino girl who said she has everything but feels she has nothing because her father doesn’t recognize her, while another said she feels like a puzzle with a missing piece. She said she wants her father to feel proud of her,” he said.

Al-Zamil, a member of the Shoura Council, said he has called for DNA tests to be recognized as a legitimate means of determining kinship, something that would force a father to admit parenthood. He also said that many of these children are not in need of financial aid nor do they want to come to the Kingdom but are desperate to be recognized.

There are 47 Saudi-Filipino children registered with the Saudi Embassy in Manila, but Al-Zamil believes their actual number is much higher with more people contacting them daily.

Saudi lawyer Ibrahim Al-Zamzami criticized women who do not bother registering their marriages, adding that this is what complicates matters. “If a woman has a marriage contract and witnesses, and if the child’s birth certificate states that the child is born after a legitimate relationship, authorities can force the father to accept the child as his,” he said.

“Even though the father violated the law that prevents him from marrying a non-Saudi without approval, this does not mean that any children from such a marriage will not be registered at the Ministry of Interior,” Al-Zamzami said.

He added that Saudi embassies have been advised to register children and issue temporary travel documents that allow fathers to bring their children to the Kingdom and arrange passports and ID cards for them.

Al-Zamzami said that fathers, however, could be punished for violating the law and that this could be in the form of a travel ban or a prison sentence.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, has warned against misfar marriages saying they are not different from “mutaa” marriages, which are conducted to fulfill desires unlawfully.

Al-Asheikh said traveling abroad to marry with the intention of divorcing upon return is not permitted in Shariah, and said such acts would have detrimental effects on society, women and children from such unions.
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Comments26 CommentsPost your commentRead allCAREEMAH CHOONG

Oct 14, 2010 04:08

Report abuse Why not to let them marry whoever they desire whether man or women . Lower the cost of marriage USMAN MADHA

Oct 14, 2010 04:09

Report abuse Misfar, Misyar, Mutaa - all of these are different names for legal fornication and as the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has said,, they are unlawful under the Shariah Law. The question is, are these Saudis (I am talking only about those that go abroad for that purpose) going to be punished (meaning child support) once they are found guilty of their promiscuity or are going to be rewarded with a pat on their back and praised for their virility? After all, the women are just Egyptians, Philipinos and God knows from other third world countries.and I am sure their humanity may not be up to par and probably their claims may be suspect.. Usman CAUTIOUS

Oct 14, 2010 16:38

Report abuse Abandoning children is as bad as it gets - and I don't give a rip about what religion you may have. ASH

Oct 14, 2010 16:40

Report abuse Human weaknesses will always be on test as the government and the society will fail to address the real issues...Therefore it is necessary to go into the roots of the problem and try to solve from that level...The basic instincts of a man is food, sex and anger..depriving them of these will lead to some other form of evil in the society. SALIM

Oct 14, 2010 16:43

Report abuse Misfar, Misyar and Mutaa are not recognised by ISlam asthere is no temporary marraige or marriage for a period. A muslim marries and lives with the wife. If there is a misunderstanding between the two there is a legal way of nullifying the marriage by Talaaq or Kullah by man and wife respectively. There is no way of marrying for a certain time. The marraige contract Nikahh is not time dependent. All these forms of temporary marraiges have been put forward by those who harmed the islamic cause. It is better to call these marraiges as legal prostitution conceived illegally. Muslims should stand agianst these acts and banish those who advocate such marraiges. Such woman who knowingly or unknowingly enter into these marraiges are no better than comfort girls of Second world war. 26 CommentsRead allPost your comment

 

[esperanza]

not just egypt

Tariq A. Al-Maeena
Arab News
1 November 2010

The misyar or marriage of convenience within the country’s borders became a popular variant of marriage after it was sanctioned by some of our sheikhs.

Essentially a license to have multiple partners without much responsibility or expense, it was soon followed by the misfar and other variations as well.

“Misfar” marriage refers to a union contracted so that a woman may cohabitate with her foreign “husband” for the period of time he is visiting a foreign country. These women are usually divorced after a short period that ranges from a week to a month. It is natural that most of these women who are married off come from deprived backgrounds, and for most of them, they have very little say in the matter.

Reports in the Saudi press recently spoke of growing concerns over the number of children fathered by Saudi men in their trips abroad, and abandoned for all practical purposes. And while these overseas amorous urges and paternal distribution of genes is not necessarily restricted to Saudis, the number of wives and children left behind is of alarming proportions.

At a conference in Egypt, Aiman Abu Akeel, chairman of the Maat Foundation for Peace and Development, stated that the majority of men who visit Egypt looking for misfar (tourist) marriages tend to be Saudi, followed by Iraqis, and that the women they marry are predominantly younger than them.

In Egypt, the parents receive up to 4,000 Egyptian pounds from the visitors for sanctioning their approval for a limited time marriage. Most of these girls are below 16 years of age, and do not understand that they are being treated like commodities.

And it’s not just in Egypt that such a growing problem exists. There are abandoned wives and children in significant numbers in many countries by traveling Saudis. In Morocco, there are reports of over 5,000 wives and as many children who had been deserted by their tourist husbands without honor or gratuity.

In Syria, Yemen, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, similar numbers exist making it a growing concern for the Saudi government who is beginning to force moves to make it obligatory for such errant fathers to own up to the responsibility of parenthood. The semiautonomous consultative Shoura Council has been tasked to study the issue of children born of non-Saudi wives and abandoned by their Saudi fathers.

Najeeb Al-Zamil, founder of the Back to the Roots Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that helps Saudi children abroad, said that there are many such children in Arab countries and that the men abandon their temporary wives and subsequent children for fear of discovery by their relatives back home.

He added that many children live in miserable conditions and turn to drugs and illegal activities, deprived as they are of their true identity, although there have been others who have become success stories.

In Morocco, the Saudi ambassador said the problem was compounded by the fact that many Saudis marry Moroccan women without their family’s knowledge, and blamed the misery of these women on irresponsible Saudis.

“We give the children Saudi nationality if the woman can prove that she was married to a Saudi. The main problem we face is dealing with Saudis who do not cooperate with us. We at the embassy feel great pain toward our sons and daughters who have been abandoned like this. I try every day to call their fathers to solve their problems,” he stated.

He added that Saudi embassies have been advised to register children and issue temporary travel documents that allow fathers to bring their children to the Kingdom and arrange passports and ID cards for them. Fathers, however, could be punished for violating the law and that this could be in the form of a travel ban or a prison sentence.

This recent phenomenon following the oil-boom years of sanctioning various fabrications of unions has obviously has had its price in the rising number of abandoned women and children fathered by Saudi men in different parts of the world.

Religious leaders who were quick to sanction such unions between man and woman and legitimizing it to the degree of making it palatable within the framework of Islam should be aware of the consequences. Don’t they possess the wisdom to foresee the tragic end of some of their edicts?

(talmaeena at aol dot com)

 

[finding light]

I recently had a very heated debate with a Shia colleague of mine with respect to this.. The Shia's believe a lot in Mut'ah. I gave him several references from the hadith denouncing Mut'ah. but after he had nothing left to say back to me he became very cold and dropped the topic - telling me i dont have credible references for the hadith i gave him.
but one issue i didnt think about which i should have was the issue of children as addressed in these articles. what happens to the poor kids?? and Islamically what happens to their inheritance that they are entitled to as per Sharia....
I am totally against this whole temporary marriage. Islam teaches us to be patient and to control ourselves and to value marriage. It talks so much about the beautiful relationship that is to exist between a man and his wife. how can such a relationship be established in a maxiumum time of a month... and then abandon your "wife" never to be seen again... "thanks lady, i got what i needed - dont call me... bye bye"...

 

[finding light]

Hadith Forbidding Mutah:
The Hadith forbidding Mutah are considered Mutawattir, meaning that they have been transmitted so many times and by so many people that there is no doubt as to their authenticity. We are but a few of the many Hadith in which the Prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم ) banned Mutah:
The Prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم ) said:
“O people, I had permitted you Mutah before, [but now] whoever of you has any part in it currently must
part with her, and do not take back anything which you may have given them, as Allah Exalted and Majestic has forbidden it until the day of resurrection.” [Muslim, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Nasa`i, and Darimi]
Ali ( رضّى الله عنه ) said:
“The Messenger of Allah had forbidden Mutah on the day of Khaybar and had forbidden the eating of the meat of domestic camels.” [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmizy, Ibn Majah, Nasa`i, Tahawy, Shafi’i, Bayhaqy, and Hazimy]
Ali ( رضّى الله عنه ) said to a man who was engaging in Mutah:
“You are a straying person, the Messenger of Allah has forbidden temporary marriage and the meat of domestic camels on the day of Khaybar.” [Muslim and Bayhaqy]
A man called Rabee’ Bin Sabra said to Umar bin Abdul Aziz:
“I testify that according to my father that it happened that the Messenger of Allah had forbidden it [Mutah] on the farewell pilgrimage.” [Abu Dawood and Imam Ahmad]
According to Abu Huraira:
The Messenger of Allah had forbidden or abolished temporary marriage, its marriage and its divorce, its waiting period, and its inheritance. [DarQutny, Ishaq Bin Rahwiya, and Ibn Habban]
When Ali ( رضّى الله عنه ) was given the Caliphate, he thanked Allah Most High and praised Him and said:
“O people, the Messenger of Allah had permitted Mutah three times then forbade it. I swear by Allah, ready to fulfil my oath, that if I find any person who engages in temporary marriage without having ratified this with a proper marriage, I will have him lashed 100 stripes unless he can bring two witnesses to prove that the Messenger had permitted it after forbidding it.” [Ibn Majah]
Imam Muslim has narrated that according to Mohammad Bin Abdullah Bin Numayr who said:
“My father had narrated to us according to Ubaidullah according to Ibn shahab according to Alhassan and Abdullah the sons of Mohammad bin Ali according to their father according to Ali that he heard Ibn Abbas being lenient towards temporary marriage, so he said, ‘wait Ibn Abbas, the Messenger of Allah had forbidden it on the day of Khaybar when he also prohibited the meat of domestic camels.’” [Sahih Muslim]
Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa:
“In the year of Autas, Allah’s Messenger permitted a temporary marriage for three nights, but he prohibited it afterwards.” [Sahih Muslim]
Narrated Ali (رضّى الله عنه
“Allah’s Messenger forbade the temporary marriage in the year of Khaybar.” [Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari]
Narrated Ali (رضّى الله عنه
“At the battle of Khaybar, the Prophet forbade the temporary marriage (i.e Mutah) of women, and the eating of the flesh of domestic asses.” [Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Ahmad, An-Nasa’i, At-Termidhi and Ibn Majah have all collected it]
It was narrated from Ali ( رضّى الله عنه ) that:
The Messenger of Allah forbade Mutah marriage and the meat of domestic donkeys at the time of Khaybar.
According to another report, he forbade Mutah marriage at the time of Khaybar and he forbade the meat of tame donkeys. [Narrated by Bukhari, 3979; Muslim, 1407.]
It was narrated from al-Rabee’ ibn Sabrah al-Juhanithat his father told him that he was with the Messenger of Allah who said:
“O people, I used to allow you to engage in Mutah marriages, but now Allah has forbidden that until the Day of Resurrection, so whoever has any wives in a Mutah marriage, he should let her go and do not take anything of the (money) you have given them.” [Narrated by Muslim, 1406.]
Sabrah bin Ma’ bad al-Jihani reported:
“I went forth with the Prophet for the conquest of Mecca, and he allowed us Mutah with women. But we had not even left the city [yet] when it was prohibited by the Messenger of Allah.”
The fact is that in the end the Prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم ) forbade Mutah. Perhaps some people might not have been aware of its prohibition and subsequently contracted it after the Prophet’s death; however, when Umar ( رضّى الله عنه ) found out about it, he made another public declaration against it and enforced the ruling as the Caliph and head of the Islamic state. Abu Bakr ( رضّى الله عنه ) demanded the people to give Zakat
when he became Caliph; does any rational mind claim that it was Abu Bakr ( رضّى الله عنه ) who invented the obligation of Zakat? There were even some Companions who were of the opinion that Abu Bakr ( رضّى الله
عنه ) should be lenient towards those Zakat evaders, and yet Abu Bakr ( رضّى الله عنه ) rejected these calls for lenience. Likewise, there were some people who were lenient towards Mutah, especially in light of the fact that there were many new converts in a fast-growing empire, but Umar ( رضّى الله عنه ) rejected these calls for lenience and instead called for the rigid implementation of the Shariah.

Not forgetting that of all lawful actions - divorce is most disliked by Allah. So they go into the marriage with the intention of divorce..... tha tha!