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ROCKY FUTURE FOR MIXED MARRIAGES
Times of Oman, Sultanate of Oman
April 16, 2013 Tuesday
by: Saleh Al Shaibany
Muscat: Foreign spouses married to Omanis face cultural challenges,
and the majority of them are ...
Muscat: Foreign spouses married to Omanis face cultural challenges,
and the majority of them are fighting a losing battle in trying to
be accepted by their in-laws as well as the community around them.
Some are lured into marriage by promises of a better life and riches,
while others get tragically ensnared by love only to end up leading
an unbearable life. Some marriages even end in tragic divorces.
Maryam Al Harthy, who changed her name from Alice Campbell after her
marriage, is one example of a daughter-in-law who was treated as an
outcast by the family of her former aeronautical engineer husband.
"For 11 years, I was British with an Omani passport, not fully accepted
by the rest of my husband's family, even after I converted to Islam. It
put a strain on our marriage, and finally, we both agreed to go our
separate ways," Alice told Times of Oman.
The obstacles in mixed marriages include methods of raising children,
dress codes, and the general lifestyle in Oman. But sometimes, it goes
beyond these boundaries, as Armenian-born Natasha Merzaban found out
the hard way. Her in-laws accused her of "snatching" away their only
son and introducing him to a "foreign" culture.
"My husband Faisal was expected to marry a nice Omani girl from the
same tribe. He was a disappointment to them, and I was the enemy. Our
marriage lasted only three years. He bowed to his parents' pressure
and married his cousin," Natasha explained.
But Natasha and her husband are still friends. He helped her to
start her own fashion business in Muscat to make up for the breakup
of their marriage.
Such marriages don't always end amicably. The divorced foreign woman
would have her residence status cancelled and would be left out in
the cold in her native country. Even more sinister is the fact that
rich parents sometimes use their wealth to force their children to
divorce their foreign spouses.
"My former husband was told by his father that he would not inherit
anything. He had to choose between money and me. For six years, he was
not tempted. Then, his father had a stroke. Our marriage ended shortly
after that," Pakistan-born Rukhsana Ahmed said. There are exceptional
cases; however, they are a precious few. Information Technologist
Badr Al Busaidy has been married to his English wife Sarah for more
than 30 years. "Our secret for being together? Simple. My husband
is strong-willed and is thoroughly committed to our marriage," Sarah
said. Statistics of mixed marriages registered in Oman were not made
available to Times of Oman, but an official who spoke off the record,
said it was approximately nine per cent of all marriages in the
country. At the moment, at least 300 people are waiting for clearance.
Times of Oman, Sultanate of Oman
April 16, 2013 Tuesday
by: Saleh Al Shaibany
Muscat: Foreign spouses married to Omanis face cultural challenges,
and the majority of them are ...
Muscat: Foreign spouses married to Omanis face cultural challenges,
and the majority of them are fighting a losing battle in trying to
be accepted by their in-laws as well as the community around them.
Some are lured into marriage by promises of a better life and riches,
while others get tragically ensnared by love only to end up leading
an unbearable life. Some marriages even end in tragic divorces.
Maryam Al Harthy, who changed her name from Alice Campbell after her
marriage, is one example of a daughter-in-law who was treated as an
outcast by the family of her former aeronautical engineer husband.
"For 11 years, I was British with an Omani passport, not fully accepted
by the rest of my husband's family, even after I converted to Islam. It
put a strain on our marriage, and finally, we both agreed to go our
separate ways," Alice told Times of Oman.
The obstacles in mixed marriages include methods of raising children,
dress codes, and the general lifestyle in Oman. But sometimes, it goes
beyond these boundaries, as Armenian-born Natasha Merzaban found out
the hard way. Her in-laws accused her of "snatching" away their only
son and introducing him to a "foreign" culture.
"My husband Faisal was expected to marry a nice Omani girl from the
same tribe. He was a disappointment to them, and I was the enemy. Our
marriage lasted only three years. He bowed to his parents' pressure
and married his cousin," Natasha explained.
But Natasha and her husband are still friends. He helped her to
start her own fashion business in Muscat to make up for the breakup
of their marriage.
Such marriages don't always end amicably. The divorced foreign woman
would have her residence status cancelled and would be left out in
the cold in her native country. Even more sinister is the fact that
rich parents sometimes use their wealth to force their children to
divorce their foreign spouses.
"My former husband was told by his father that he would not inherit
anything. He had to choose between money and me. For six years, he was
not tempted. Then, his father had a stroke. Our marriage ended shortly
after that," Pakistan-born Rukhsana Ahmed said. There are exceptional
cases; however, they are a precious few. Information Technologist
Badr Al Busaidy has been married to his English wife Sarah for more
than 30 years. "Our secret for being together? Simple. My husband
is strong-willed and is thoroughly committed to our marriage," Sarah
said. Statistics of mixed marriages registered in Oman were not made
available to Times of Oman, but an official who spoke off the record,
said it was approximately nine per cent of all marriages in the
country. At the moment, at least 300 people are waiting for clearance.