Page 257 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

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NEGLECTED AKA HI A 15
crueller than the mandated, had ordered his eyes burned out. Such a
>weel, gentle nurse she had been. How carefully she had led him
around trying to soothe his cruel hurt with the magic of her love.
She surely did nut obtain a reward in kind, unfortunately, for one
day there came a hurry-up call tor the Hakima. Oi) her arrival at
the house, the doctor found this beautiful young girl with jjreal hob •s •i
in her scalp and bunds—wounds from an iron rod, with which a male
relative had beaten her. After faithful treatment she finally recovered,
but the one who had so injured her was never punished.
This same young girl was not yet twenty, but she was already married
to her third husband. Divorce here can be obtained in just half i
minute. The husband says, “You are divorceu," and the thing is done.
If he says it three times, he cannot take her back until she has first
married another man.
One afternoon we went to call on what looked to me at first merely
a pair of brown eyes, but upon the veil being lifted we saw a Bedouin
vsuinan of an almost Madonna-like type. Hers is a happy life of
absolute devotion to her husband, who, in turn, adores her. One day.
however, there was a decided rift in the lute. She had gone out in
her green dress, though covered by a black abba. Her husband became
angry and declared she wanted to attract other men. Recklessly, he
rapidly pronounced, “You are divorced" three times, and then was
horrified at what he had done, for he loved his. wife and didn’t want
lo put her away.
She was inconsolable in her grief, and he suffered tortures, but the
thing was done. At last they sadly admitted that their only solution
lay in her marrying the inevitable other man, who would be paid to
divorce her, and then she could once more be with the one she loved.
It was done, but she, loving her husband, found the whole thing mi
intolerable that she managed to escape. Though she was severely
criticized for not having carried out the law, little did she care now
that she had attained her desire, that of again being with her husband.
One queries whether she ever wonders if she’ll always be the only
one, or if her husband will some day weary of her and seek a new t
*ifc. She knows that other men must often boast to him of their four
wives. If, having four wives, a new face attracts, one of the first
four must be divorced. Which one will be the unfortunate? Surely
the aword of Damocles must have been nothing, compared to this which
luiigs over every woman’s head.
It is no wonder that the women of the Bible seem to have loved
Oirist, with a peculiarly tender love, for He not only held out to them
promises of future happiness and blessing, but He cared about their
fifthly life, as evidenced by his commands regarding marriage, divorce
mil the family relationship generally. We women of Christian lands
oiu>t love the Lord whole-heartedly or be guilty of rank- ingratitude to
Hun. Wherever Christ is worshipped, there the status of Woman is
inured, so Christ is the solution for our Arab sisters.