SAUDI society has changed dramatically from how it was 20 years ago. Women now have more opportunities in many fields. Children have access to better education and our society’s perspective on music and art has definitely changed. However, we are still unconsciously subject to some meaningless traditions and customs that pass from one generation to another.
An example of this is that some people still consider that it is important to be “racially equal” when getting married. As a result, some married couples are forced to divorce by relatives due to these traditions and customs. The Kingdom’s laws, shockingly, support the advocates of couples being from the same racial background and so the relatives always win. Many married couples still face this problem today. These traditions and customs are in fact based on racism.
Even though Saudi society has greatly changed, it is unclear if these meaningless traditions and customs will ever stop. Will married couples 20 years from now still face the same issues that married couples face these days? What I find hard to understand is that although husbands and wives are both Saudis, they are forced to divorce because they are from different ethnic backgrounds.
The ideologies and mentality that underpin these attitudes need to change for the sake of developing a better society. No one should ever pass such traditions and customs on to the next generation because they are based on racism in its worst form. These traditions and customs can destroy families. No one ever choses their race, color or last name.
Families and relatives should focus on good manners instead of people’s surnames. They should focus on having a better future and building a better society that is free from these so-called traditions and customs. I have faith in the younger generation. Hopefully, this mindset will disappear through the power of our youth. Time is what our society needs and we should spread more awareness on such topics, especially to children, for the sake of building a better society and future.
Nouf S. Al-Qwidi
