I just watched an interesting MSNBC programme entitled More Couples Saying I do in Baghdad about how marriages are booming in Iraq and sure enough, the video features a very lively wedding taking place between a gorgeous young couple in their early 20s.

The young couple getting married swirl around, surrounded by champagne and cute taffeta-clad bridesmaids, before due to jet off to a honeymoon in Syria. You can see them cutting their wedding cake with a ceremonial sword while around 350 proud and relaxed-looking relatives smile warmly and boogie on down while the DJ cranks it up. The mother of the bride beams with pride as the happy couple chat to guests and float around the dance floor.

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I’ve been thoroughly baffled by recent news coverage of the Arab ambassador who cancelled his Muslim marriage to his veiled bride upon lifting it and discovering she had a beard and a squint.

The groom had never seen his wife-to-be’s face because she wore a niqab throughout their courtship.

It throws up so many interesting questions, don’t you think?

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I often wonder what it must be like to marry for a second time. Having spoken to close friends who have endured the sadness of separation or bereavement, it seems starting again has a whole new set of challenges. By second marriage, I mean second time around, rather than multiple marriage…

Been There, Done That…

Second time marriage can be particularly challenging for us Muslims, and more so for us Muslim women. I join many others in the belief that life sometimes takes unexpected paths and leads us to unforeseen places, and that we’re all entitled to a second chance.

I’ve noticed a couple of second marriage agencies springing up in Muslim countries or those with a large Muslim population. One of these is India. In Hyderabad, India’s fast paced, modern “City of Pearls”, 2nd Vivah is a new marriage agency specifically dedicated to those who are marrying for the second time.

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I read an interesting article in the Kahleej Times about how the financial crisis is shaking family ties and threatening marriages in Dubai. It includes some really thought-provoking pearls of wisdom and advice that seem applicable to romantics  around the world who may be feeling the pinch right now.

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Yemeni Liah Saeed al-Naeti is a brave woman. In one swift move, she’s attracted the attention the Yemen’s Jewish and Muslim communities.

To the shock of her relatives and clan, Liah, a Yemeni Jew from a well-to-do family deserted her Jewish husband in June ’09 and eloped with a Muslim, only to marry him a week later. Read the full story »

National and international praise has wafted towards Baghdad since the Iraqi government eased the pressure of former tensions by offering a $2000 incentive to mixed Sunni and Shiite couples who marry. Even President Obama gave Iraq’s new Sunni-Shiia Marriage Law the thumbs up!

The Iraqi government pays all news brides and grooms; but the amount now being given to mixed-sect couples is almost double that of the others.

To apply for the money, mixed couples write to Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi’s office with legal proof of their union. If successful, their bonus is handed to them in an envelope as part of a mass wedding celebration. Read the full story »

A successful Baha’i marriage is seen as more than an entire lifetime’s work towards the health and happiness of husband and wife. Unlike the notion of “till death do us part”, Baha’is believe that marriage outlives the physical lives of the couple and survives into the afterlives. Not surprisingly, choosing a partner is not something Baha’is take lightly.

Baha’u'llah encouraged everyone to marry and Baha’is believe marriage to be a healthy state, like a sanctuary where all feelings can be safely expressed in an atmosphere of love. Premarital chastity and total fidelity and loyalty within marriage are pre-requisites. Couples are free to make their own choices when it comes to a partner and parental arrangement or interference in a marriage is strongly discouraged.

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Shiite temporary marriages, a.k.a.”mutaa”, a.k.a enjoyment marriages are temporary unions that are entirely legal under the Shiite interpretation of Islamic law.

How Does a Temporary Marriage Work?

The practice began 1400 years ago as a way to ensure that war widows had the means to survive. The nuts and bolts of mutaa involve a written or non-written agreement, for a set duration, and the paying of a sum of money to the woman by the man. Shia temporary marriages can take place if the man already has a long-term wife. The “temporary” wife receives her husband according to his wishes, where and when he wants, although of course, mutaa doesn’t take place without her consent. Read the full story »

The fascinating thing about weddings in the broad and diverse range of Muslim countries is that they often fuse indigenous customs with Islamic traditions, and the results are intriguing.

Somali marriage law is a fine example: we’re talking Muslim marriage laws with a unique twist. As I often reiterate in my blogs, I’m a discoverer, a world cyber-traveller and explorer, and I love rummaging around for info on places I may never actually visit in person.

The blog that follows is in no way a reflection of my own, nor of LoveHabibi’s opinions or judgements on Somali culture – it’s just food for thought, digging for cultural truffles on how Muslims in other countries do things – through the internet.

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Two thirds of Bengalis are Muslims, and a further third are Hindus, with the majority religion being one or the other, depending where in the region you are.

One area in which the two religions overlap is in marriage. Almost all Bengali marriages are arranged, be they Muslim or Hindu and family plays a huge role in both cultures, especially when it comes to matchmaking.

This golden rule aside, marriage rules and norms between the two cultures are markedly different. Here are a few examples of the variations in Bengali Muslim and Bengali Hindu marriage laws and customs… Read the full story »