After 30 years of marriage, he never saw her face

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Floh

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No. he's not blind

After 30 years of marriage, cynics might say most husbands and wives would have seen quite enough of each other, thank you very much.

But not in the case of one Saudi Arabian man who managed to live with his wife for three decades without setting eyes on her face.

Not that he had much choice about it. His 50-year-old wife followed the tradition of her native village near the south-western city of Khamis Mushayt and kept her features veiled at all times.

Until one night last month, that is, when the husband was finally overcome by curiosity and tried to lift his wife's veil as she slept to take a look at her face.

It was an error he is unlikely to be given a chance to repeat for his outraged wife woke up during his sneak peek and is now demanding a divorce.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...ews.html?in_article_id=567199&in_page_id=1811

Extraordinary lives . . .
 
I said on another thread... what a screwed up country!
 
Wow.

I'd be curious too.
I would have been curious decades ago tho.:eek:
 
what a screwed up religion, is more like it.
 
reb said:
what a screwed up religion, is more like it.
Click to expand...


It's not a religious edict at all. I believe it is actually a pre-Islamic tradition that women in the Arabian Peninsula cover themselves to an extraordinary degree.
 
absinthe said:
It's not a religious edict at all. I believe it is actually a pre-Islamic tradition that women in the Arabian Peninsula cover themselves to an extraordinary degree.
Click to expand...

Yes - the article even points out that this is not an Islamic practice. It is an old tradition that some folks keep up.
 
southcitymom said:
Yes - the article even points out that this is not an Islamic practice. It is an old tradition that some folks keep up.
Click to expand...


Just read it, thanks :) There are still pockets of Bedouin who practice very ancient non-Islamic religions, especially in southern SA and Yemen. The women (and some of the men) cover themselves very diligently. It's just one of those weird old customs, like bound feet and ritual scarring, that seem quite barbaric to us but probably have very little to do with religion, per se.

This is not to say that I don't think that there are aspects of Arab culture that are extremely condencending, controlling and even violent toward women. This just isn't one of them. I actually find this story funny and am heartened that the whole world hasn't been stripped of its strange customs yet.
 
haha... serves them right. maybe they will get so fed up with their extremism (is that a word?) that they will do away with this veiling altogether. i have never understood it (sorry to offend anyone). i just think that if the men do not have to be veiled, the women should not have to be either!!
 
I don't know but some of these strange customs don't allow growth for the individual. It may be wise to carry a few old world things like cooking certain meals or adhering to certain holidays but for a person to keep their face hidden for 30 years smells more of a great compromise than allowing freedom.

I just don't see the benefit and it isn't to do with religion but personal freedom. I just don't see the logic behind this.
 
concernedperson said:
I don't know but some of these strange customs don't allow growth for the individual. It may be wise to carry a few old world things like cooking certain meals or adhering to certain holidays but for a person to keep their face hidden for 30 years smells more of a great compromise than allowing freedom.

I just don't see the benefit and it isn't to do with religion but personal freedom. I just don't see the logic behind this.
Click to expand...


From what I read, it seemed as if the woman wanted to keep her face covered against the wishes of her husband.
 
pedinurse said:
haha... serves them right. maybe they will get so fed up with their extremism (is that a word?) that they will do away with this veiling altogether. i have never understood it (sorry to offend anyone). i just think that if the men do not have to be veiled, the women should not have to be either!!
Click to expand...

Although it seems odd to us, many of these women feel that being veiled empowers them. They feel like they never have to worry about being judged because of their looks, only their character. Many of them feel sorry for American women who have to strive so hard to maintain their beauty.
 
absinthe said:
Just read it, thanks :) There are still pockets of Bedouin who practice very ancient non-Islamic religions, especially in southern SA and Yemen. The women (and some of the men) cover themselves very diligently. It's just one of those weird old customs, like bound feet and ritual scarring, that seem quite barbaric to us but probably have very little to do with religion, per se.

This is not to say that I don't think that there are aspects of Arab culture that are extremely condencending, controlling and even violent toward women. This just isn't one of them. I actually find this story funny and am heartened that the whole world hasn't been stripped of its strange customs yet.
Click to expand...

Me too - funky and oddly sweet. I hope they can work it out!
 
bnhall said:
Although it seems odd to us, many of these women feel that being veiled empowers them. They feel like they never have to worry about being judged because of their looks, only their character. Many of them feel sorry for American women who have to strive so hard to maintain their beauty.
Click to expand...

Thanks for bringing up this point, bnhall - one that American culture would surely do well to consider!
 
bnhall said:
Although it seems odd to us, many of these women feel that being veiled empowers them. They feel like they never have to worry about being judged because of their looks, only their character. Many of them feel sorry for American women who have to strive so hard to maintain their beauty.
Click to expand...

There are days when I sympathize with the sentiment. Then I remember my enormous cosmetics and mini skirt collections.
 
absinthe said:
It's not a religious edict at all. I believe it is actually a pre-Islamic tradition that women in the Arabian Peninsula cover themselves to an extraordinary degree.
Click to expand...

Right! it's an ancient local custom.
 
I wonder if he thought she was cute or not.

I've seen some great looking bodies on men that I'd only date if I didn't know what their faces look like. Marraige might be about love and not faces, but attraction can definitely be broken with the wrong face.
 
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