The relationship between states and their citizens has, of course, been a topic of heated discussion in philosophical and political circles for many decades. Laws enacted by states are quite often controversial for one reason or the other. Other laws may be opposed by people because they restrict activities, such as free movement.
But the recent laws enacted by Saudi Arabia on marriage are truly bizarre and infringe into what should be a purely personal matter. They lay down that no Saudi man can marry a woman from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Chad or Burma and also puts in place tough restrictions on marrying Moroccan women. This law is obviously openly discriminatory in nature — rather like some of the other laws in place in the Kingdom. Since the Saudi government has made no statement on it, it is unclear what motivated this step. Already, under the existing Saudi regulations, persons from outside Saudi Arabia wishing to marry a Saudi must make an official request with much bureaucracy involved in processing it. There is, so far, silence on whether a Saudi woman can marry a man from any of the countries named, but it is safe to assume that this is also probably not allowed.
As a matter of principle, no state should have the right to determine who a citizen chooses to marry. The fact that the Saudis have laid down checks on this further limits personal freedoms in that country. If cases of abuse or exploitation of any kind were involved, this should be explained. The singling out of specific countries also verges on the edge of racism of some kind and is in its nature offensive. We can only hope that Saudi Arabia will reconsider the measure or, at least, provide a full explanation as to why it was thought necessary. There are, after all, many other issues in that country, which require priority attention, including the granting of basic rights to women who are held back from all kinds of day-to-day activities. It is these matters that lawmakers in Saudi Arabia should be taking up.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 9th, 2014.
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@Sonny Baloch: But no one will listen to you.
@ajeet: That's what we say of the indians everyday
Has anyone tried to find out the reasons behind the ban? Perhaps it will help many Pakistani women -- in Pakistan and in Saudi Arabia -- from being exploited by Saudi males with money.
Express tribune, what is the problem with the writer of this article? Has Saudi Arabia ever interferred and asked for the expalanation of laws in Pakistan and othe countries?
Why the writer is dying to get pak women get married to Saudis? I am happy its not happening having lived in this country for two decades.
Why we Pakistanis always willing to poke our nose in every Islamic country's matter? We should get our house in order first.!
Saudis believe that Pakistanis are duplicate Muslims, fit to be slaves.
It is good to see that the editor of Tribune is standing up and raising his voice for Pakistani women. I hope he will do the same for Pakistani Ahmadis, Shias, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs who are discriminated at so many levels in Pakistan.
So now we see an editorial because Pakistanis are being discriminated in KSA.
Pray why didn't the editors feel the need to write any editorials, when Saudis were discriminating against dhimmis/kafirs & non-Muslim guest workers, by not allowing them freedom of workship.
Why was there no editorial when the Saudis looked down upon other Muslims of the world?
ET - Hope this gets published.
The Saudis do not care what Pakistan or other countries think about their laws. Oil wealth has made them arrogant and believe they have Divine rights over their citizens. That their laws trespass on individual rights, does not seem to bother them. As long as Oil lasts their feelings of self importance will continue, once over no one will bother to ask, where is Saudi Arabia.
When Pakistan prohibits her own Non-Muslim citizens from standing for the office of President and Prime Minister, it smacks of hypocrisy to bleat about Saudi Arabia’s marriage prohibition. Saudi Arabia is an Arab country and despite the fervent wish of Pakistani’s to be Arab, Pakistani’s are not Arab and hence cannot lay claim to be citizens who like the Non-Muslims of Pakistan are being discriminated in the manner set out above.
Pakistan must take note of the bitter lesson that Saudi Arabia has dished out here. The bitter lesson is that draping Pakistan in Islamic titles like Islamic Republic, Sole Islamic Nuclear Power, Citadel of Islam and Ideological Muslim State even when claiming Arab genes and the supposed egalitarian nature of Islam is no guarantee that Saudi Arabia will consider Pakistan as anything but an inferior underling. The Arab term for Pakistan is I believe” Miskeen” and this Saudi marriage policy is a reminder of that lowly status.
Masters can do what they want to slaves. Cutting yourself off from your culture leads to this.