A Cousin for a Wife!?
He has waited for long, seeing his nephews getting married, one after another. He was looking at them penetrating from his hands, as if they are trying to escape from a scabies camel. No one of them or their fathers have ever thought why his daughter has been without marriage during the last period. She has completed her studies and sat home, and her youth flower was leaving and withering with the days. Like a fruit that is ripe and its time for its picking, before falling off her mother, and affected by defect and damage. There she is waiting impatiently for the groom. Is it not his right on them to take care of his feelings and the feelings of his daughter?! They are just like Athary water spring quenching the far distant and leaving the near by thirsty and killed by dryness.

If it was his bad attitudes that caused the people to run away from him, for example, should she be blamed for the guilt of her father?! Is a bearer of a burden has to bear the burden of another?! If he is to be blamed for not telling his brothers about her?! He did not leave any opportunity or occasion, to talk to them and remind them of the kinship duties among them. He did not forget to mention his daughter's mater, and her readiness for marriage and engagement to any of their sons. He has reminded if the reminder dose any good!

If that was because of his avoidance to visit his siblings?! The problems and the difficulties he has gained due to those visits were many! He was not able to attend any family or social gathering, without expressing his views. That has made him to stay away with time and slow down on the visits, to avoid the differences that have emerged because of the opinion difference! They do not respect him, but contradict his ideas fearing the psychological impact on some of the attendance, or for their belief of his madness and non-wisdom.

Or is it because of their fear of genetic disease, transmitted through relatives' marriage?! Is there any one in the region these days, who is free from diseases, both genetic and non-genetic?! Why don't they look at the residents of the area, are not they all relatives, either from the fathers side, or from the mother side?! Do not they know that they suffer only from what Allah has written on them?!

Therefore is it conceivable to leave the children to marry from outsiders and out of the family home?! Are not they supposed to be guided to their duty toward their families!? Is it conceivable to leave many of the family's girls, just for the whims and wishes of some youths?! All of this just for trivial reasons, the time has changed, ideas have changed, no longer children listen to the views of their families. These were not our customs and traditions, which we were brought up on. The parents were choosing the husband and the wife, and the young man and young lady have to accept and obey without negotiation or objection. Did it ruin their lives, because of that way?!

Or, are they adjourning to the opinion of religion, which they resort to when it's ruling to their side and their favor. They should not compel a young man or a young woman to marry who they do not like. Dose the divorce rate dropped, due the impact of giving freedom openly?! Will they be happy if his son get married to an outside girl and leaves their daughters?!

He has lost his patience, and no longer bears the whole situation. There he finds his daughter wilts, and loses her youth day after another, and he is not been able to change or do anything towards her! No longer can he influence his siblings and their children, and has enough of humiliation inflicted on him, by rubbing his dignity under their feet! But no life in whom you are calling!

It was strange to him, can not tolerate and accept as a reality, and dose not see it as a duty to acclimatize with! Therefore he has found himself obliged and compelled to do something, even if it is regarded as illogical, unreasonable and unacceptable socially. All of that to put an end to his brothers' change and the change of their thinking, and to bring them back to the way he likes and satisfies him. And saves his daughter from her disappear and concern, and put an end to her tragedy.

Therefore, he has taken a step, which he has seen irrational and unacceptable in the past. But who has been forced, has to mount the difficulties! He has agreed to the marriage of his daughter to a person from outside her society and outside his country. He is not her match in knowledge, intellectually and socially level, and even different from her in customs and social traditions.
Written by: Noah Hussein Mashamea - Qateef province-Saudi Arabia