Quote:
Originally posted by Anisa
North Africa
A trip to the disputed territory of the Western Sahara, home of the Saharawis, showed how Muslim women could really enjoy better rights, in harmony with Islamic beliefs. In Laayoune I was invited to numerous weddings, with ululating women and growling camels. The magnitude of wedding celebrations in the Western Sahara is only matched by the parties Saharawi women are thrown by their communities when they decide to divorce. "A woman," say the Saharawis, "is the hat of a noble man and the shoes of a dog."
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Under the new Mudawana, couples have to go to court to obtain a divorce rather than just getting a letter of repudiation from an Islamic official.
Women's groups in Morocco say this is a step forward, fewer women are turned out on to the streets with their children to look after, as judges must now award the family home to whoever has custody of the children.
But for Saharawi women, divorce has never presented a problem and Saharawi men too are unhappy about the new rules.