Dr. Ahlam Alaqi
Marriage has become a frightening thing. I have heard many mothers say it. But why do they view marriage like that? I once asked a mother why she said this and she told me a sad story.
She married her daughter to a young Saudi man who was studiying abroad. Her daughter traveled abroad to live with her husband, who turned out to be selfish, irresponsible and above all a miser. Her poor daughter suffered immensely, especially after giving birth to their first child. The mother decided to go abroad to help her daughter and was shocked when she arrived at their home to find the fridge empty expect for some water bottles. She discovered that her daughter was living on milk and cereals.
The house was a complete mess and the husband spent most of his time out with his friends while her daughter took care of their newborn child. One day, the mother saw the husband slapping her daughter on the face and she immediately called the police. Following investigations, it turned out that her daughter was a victim of physical abuse.
I still remember the very words of the mother: “My daughter was in perfect health before marriage. After marrying this man, she has developed psychological problems and lost weight.”
Today, the mother and father feel petrified about marrying their daughters to men. They thought that this man was a kind and well-educated person but he turned out to be abusive.
Most young men today refuse to take on any responsibility and tend not to provide for their wives. So many negative habits have become prevalent in our society and the role of men as responsible husbands and fathers has changed. Perhaps having housemaids and drivers at home has taught our sons to be irresponsible and selfish. We need to teach our sons to be responsible and respect women.
