What is the best way to choose your wife? [Archives:2007/1091/Reportage]
Interviews by: Almigdad Dahesh Mojali
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In some communities in Yemen and as a result of the underdeveloped customs and traditions, the female relative of the man is responsible for choosing the suitable wife for him. In spite of few successful marriage experiences conducted this way, many other marriage experiences proved that this way of selecting wives is wrong as the couple don't know many things about each other, and that they understand each other only after the marriage. Consequently, new generation try to change such traditions.
Abdullah Al-Najdi, 48,
“Making others choose your wife was effective in the past, but I think that was wrong. One should choose his wife himself. In the past what was important for us is a woman's beauty, ability to do housework, and her family ancestry. But now a good wife has to be educated and mind-illuminated to take care of the children. Not only that, the couple should know each other well before marriage.”
Ahmed Al-Jabri, 42
“In my opinion, a mother or sister will not deceive a male relative when choosing a wife for him. The man will explain to them the characteristics he wants to be available in the woman he dreams of. Then they can look for a suitable one and then the man can decide.”
Aum Akram Al-Ja'adabi
