JEDDAH: A clip posted by a Saudi man on Twitter showing the wedding function of a Saudi bride and a non-Saudi groom has created a buzz on the social networking site with people commenting on the Kingdom’s social politics, racism and women’s rights.
The clip, said a BBC blog, shows men dancing in a circle, with a traditional Syrian chant heard in the background, marking the union of the Saudi woman and her Syrian hubby in the holy city of Madinah.
More than 50,000 people have used the hashtag “a woman from the Harb tribe marrying a Syrian man in Madinah.”
The tribe to which the bride belongs as well as the nationality of the groom were the major points of contention in the online debate.
Some commenters were jubilant at the thought of an inter-country marriage: “What happened tonight in Madinah is a good example of the Qur’anic verse: Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you,” was one message. Others discussed the consequences of marrying foreigners.
“It is her right to marry whom she chooses, but she can’t come later and shout that her husband and children are foreigners and demand that the nationality be given to them. Think well before you take such a decision,” wrote one tweeter.
Many congratulated the couple, expressing their support for the marriage as a means of combating racism and promoting equality between Saudi men and women: “The most important thing is that he is a Muslim. Say ‘no’ to racism. The law should be equal to both man and woman…”
There are examples of interracial relationships in the Holy Qur’an. And one tweeter gave examples from the time of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to show that intermarriage was accepted.
“Bilal bin-Rabah Al-Habashi (a companion of the Prophet, who came from Habash (Ethiopia) married Hala, from the Quraysh tribe (one of the most respected Arab tribes which controlled Makkah). Islam took away these ignorant and racist traditions and you are resurrecting them,” wrote a Saudi architecture student.
Many Saudis were angry that the hashtag was even created to discuss such a personal event. However, many others brought to the fore notions of the superiority of some groups over others. One tweeter wrote: “Marriage is a whole life; so it is a big mistake for a Saudi girl to marry a foreigner, a ‘Syrian’ specifically. I wish that she becomes the last Saudi woman who marries a foreigner.”