Marriage Customs of the Ruling Family

[brucantuosi]

Sheikh Mohammed married them before Sheikha Hind but the official wife is her because she is his cousin (AL Maktoum)

[bettina]

Well, i was told some time ago on this forum there isn't anything like an un-offical wife in Islam, a wife is a wife. So that would mean, the only way that Hind stands out is that she is a cousin and that she is publicly known. (although we don't know if Mo married more cousins and Haya is also public knowledge)
But i'm also curious about the other wives. It must be more then four given the number of children Mo has. He can be divorced several times ofcourse but still it seems much

[dazzling]

Originally Posted by bettina

Well, i was told some time ago on this forum there isn't anything like an un-offical wife in Islam, a wife is a wife. So that would mean, the only way that Hind stands out is that she is a cousin and that she is publicly known. (although we don't know if Mo married more cousins and Haya is also public knowledge)
But i'm also curious about the other wives. It must be more then four given the number of children Mo has. He can be divorced several times ofcourse but still it seems much

As you said a wife is a wife, there is no official wife in Islam.
Hind is publicly known since she is a ocusin and a local.
The other wives arent really known in Dubai especially Sheikha Manals.
Sheikh Mohammed can have 4 wives at a time. We dont know who he is still married to besides Hind, Haya and Sheikha Maithas mother.

[bettina]

Sorry Dazzling but do you say that Mo is still married to Sheikha Maithas mother and not to the mother of Manal? How do you know?

[amboo]

Check out your dictionary for the word Official and the defanition of the
word is to hold public body as you have quiet rightly explained.

[bettina]

An official marriage is a legally valid marriage. Making Your Marriage Official

[faith_g]

Originally Posted by bettina

Sorry Dazzling but do you say that Mo is still married to Sheikha Maithas mother and not to the mother of Manal? How do you know?

I had no idea he was still married to shiekha maitha's mom?
*by the way how to pronounce sheikha maitha's name? is it like May-tha or
Ma-e-tha? and is it sheikha hessa or hussa? these names confuse me?

[dazzling]

Originally Posted by bettina

Sorry Dazzling but do you say that Mo is still married to Sheikha Maithas mother and not to the mother of Manal? How do you know?

Yes he is, its just one of those things you know when you know people in the circle. Mant people in Dubai as well know that they are still married. She keeps a really low profile, does not attened any parties nor does she mix with the family for some reason.
For a very known fact, Sheikh Mohammed had left Sheikha Manals mother when Sheikha Manal was born. Sheikha Manal was brought up by her aunt Sheikha Hussa (Sheikh Mohammeds sister).

[brucantuosi]

I didn't know Sheikh Mohammed had sisters. Then Sheikha Manal didn't know her own mother?

[faith_g]

but her kids live with her? or at Zableel? but then I always thought Zableel was for Sheikha Hind and her kids?

Originally Posted by brucantuosi

Then Sheikha Manal didn't know her own mother?

Thats really sad

[bettina]

Do people in UAE still find it normal that Hamdan marries his cousin against his will and then hide her from the world?
I know that UAE is strict in some ways but i thought there is also a lot done when it comes to women's rights and education and stuff like that ?
You are from UAE? Is this still common practice or do people in UAE also marry more and more for love ?

[dazzling]

Originally Posted by bettina

Do people in UAE still find it normal that Hamdan marries his cousin against his will and then hide her from the world?
I know that UAE is strict in some ways but i thought there is also a lot done when it comes to women's rights and education and stuff like that ?
You are from UAE? Is this still common practice or do people in UAE also marry more and more for love ?

Who says he is marrying her against his will? What has been said is that he is the one who choose her, they have known each other for many years.
UAE has womens rights but what does that have to do with Hamdans engagement? Yes women in the UAE go to school & Universities, they work and love a life like any other women around the world (sorry off topic)

People in the UAE do marry for love, not all weddings are arranged.

[zabeel123]

and in addition to that, even some arranged marriages turn to love.

[jlova]

Maybe you have to defined MANY YEARS because she´s quite young... and althought is posible to Sheikh Hamdan MAY BE in love of this girl it doesnt make it lest arrangeded. The fact that he cant marry a girl outside the family to be his official wife seams to me a force decision put on him.

MAYBE he chooses her about all his cousins... and that´s very sad for him and especially to all this girls they are preparing herself to wait untill a cousin chooses her to be his wife at theirs early 20´s o even younger.

So, what I mean is that dont kidd on ourself, he made a force desicion no matter if he choose the girl o his daddy o mommy did for him.

Sorry the bad english

[faith_g]

Originally Posted by Lindinha856

Wow did u just say hamdan has NO CHOICE? U mean he's being forced to do this?

obviously u n I (both frm the US) kno bout it n yes both of us do kno who he is n we obviously care enough bout it, cuz or y else wud we be on this forum

Originally Posted by jlova

Maybe you have to defined MANY YEARS because she´s quite young...

ur right in the sense that his "official" wife has to be his cousin
but it is quite obvious that a man or "sheikh specifically" can luv his "other" wife regardless of her official or unofficial status, sheikh mo for example: he obviously luvs his other two wives (at least the two we know of) and they are not official
*and maybe most of us are having n issue with the whole ordeal cuz of the cultural difference
few of my pakistani and indian friends, who are also getting arranged marriages, don't have a problem with it because they simply are accepting of it. One of them said, "that she has always known she was going to get an arranged marriage, so she never thought of things in any other way even though she's grown up in the US"

maybe thats how it is with sheikh hamdan and his fiance, all their lives they have known that they would get an arranged marriage (maybe not to eachother) but that it would be arranged, and they grew up knowing that, so they will most likely be much much more accepting of it than the rest of us westerners.

*sry for it being so long

[Lindinha856]

Originally Posted by faith_g

obviously u n I (both frm the US) kno bout it n yes both of us do kno who he is n we obviously care enough bout it, cuz or y else wud we be on this forum

I am sure u did not got the point I was tryin to make! I accidently found out about hamdan when forbes mag came up w/ the hottest young royals around the world otherwise I would of never had found out about him! WHY? People in the West don't really know about the Maktoums, they could totally go to a Mall here in the US at least and shop peacefully even without security guards WHY? B/c people won't know who they area period! We can't say the same when it comes to Prince William since he is known world wide he simply can't go out without his cap and his security! That's my point now if u disagree or won't accept it that's ur probem!

[jlova]

Originally Posted by faith_g

ur right in the sense that his "official" wife has to be his cousin

Dont get me wrong, since im vissiting this site i´ve opened my mind around this culture. The only problem that I have, here in the forum, is that people are trying to denied how mandatory is the "your officiall wife HAS to be your cousin" thing.

So it´s mandatory, theres not such thing like a perfect culture, so just because we like the family, or in my case the boys (), lets no pretend that is right. And if we cant get to discuss this stuff here, well its not a forum, its just a fan club.

Im sorry this its not about your opinion, and you´re also right when you say that maybe Hamdan and Sheikha are cool with everything. Im only raising the question: What if they doesnt?

You seam very nice to me.

[tommy1]

The "tyranny” of custom and tradition.

The despotism of custom is everywhere the standing hindrance to human advancement, being in unceasing antagonism to that disposition to aim at something better than the customary, which is called, according to circumstances, the spirit of liberty, or that of progress or improvement.... Custom is there, in all things, the final appeal; justice and right mean conformity to custom.... All deviations ... come to be considered impious, immoral, even monstrous and contrary to nature.
Mill argued with great passion that societal customs and traditions could, indeed, very often be the worst tyranny of all. They were binding rules on conduct and belief that owed their force not to coercion but to their being the shared ideas of the right and proper held by the vast majority in the society. They represent what the ancient Greek Pericles referred to as “that code which, although unwritten, yet cannot be broken without acknowledged disgrace.”


Customs and traditions weigh down on the individual, they stifle his sense and desire to be different, to experiment with the new, to creatively design ways of doing things that have not been tried before, and to break out of the confinement of conformity. Custom and tradition can be the straitjacket that restricts a person’s cry for his peaceful and nonviolent individuality.

But while customs and traditions may hold such power over men, because of their fear of disgrace and ostracism by family, friends, and neighbors, they are still not coercion. No matter how strong a hold custom and tradition may have over men’s minds and therefore their conduct in society, an individual can still choose to go his own way and be the eccentric and outcast, if he is willing to pay the price in terms of the disapproval of others in his community. Political force is not the weapon that ensures obedience. The power of custom and tradition comes from social and psychological pressure and the human desire to avoid being shunned by those whose association is wanted.


John Stuart Mills.



John Stuart Mill and the Three Dangers to Liberty

[faith_g]

Originally Posted by Lindinha856

I am sure u did not got the point I was tryin to make!

calm down...i wasn't being judgmental about your point, as a matter fact, I too found out about Hamdan and the Maktoums from that same forbes list. I just didn't see how the point u were making was relevant to the topic.
and yes Prince william is more recognized in the west, because technically England too is considered the west, u would expect a guy to be well recognized in the region he is from
i'm sure Hamdan is just as well recognized in the gulf, that he too gets mobbed when he's out n about in the malls and everywhere else he goes, because he's from that part of the world and people of that part of the world are going to recognize him
besides the arab world (imo) is very reserve about what it does in the public
whereas us westerners aren't and that includes the british royal family
you will never find a picture or video of hamdan or rashid or any of them stumbling out of a club drunk or walking around with a nazi patch
its things like these (dirty laundry) that most of the time make the news and get you recognized
*again i apologize if you feel i was hammering u, but that was in no way my intention

Originally Posted by jlova

Dont get me wrong, since im vissiting this site i´ve opened my mind around this culture.

thank you, u seem very nice as well
i guess what i'm trying to say is:
think of it this way, the british royal family cannot marry a catholic and if they do, they have to give up their succession to the throne
now would you call this forceful?
*telling a prince or princess that he/she absolutely cannot marry a catholic (regardless if he/she falls in love with a catholic)
correct me if i'm wrong, but this is no different than telling a sheikh that his "official wife, whatever that means" has to be his cousin
that if its not, or if she isn't a muslim, he will be stripped of the title
yes these are two very different contents but with very similar results
and please do feel free to give your opinion...and ur right this isn't a fan club
i too do not agree with a lot of things the maktoums do, but in the end i realize that the only reason they dont' make sense to me is because, no matter how open minded i am, the cultural difference will always be there
chao

*i also know that sooner or later, we're gna be told that we are VERY off topic

[Princess Robijn]

Actually there is a difference, a catholic girl can convert before the wedding and there would not be a problem. (Autumn Philips converted before her wedding and Peter stayed in line of succession) I still don't like the fact that it is necessary, but it is possible.

However, you can't change being born in a family.

Josette

p.s. I'm not saying I agree or disagree about the other points made in the above posts.
p.p.s. I'm (almost) positive there is a better topic to move these posts to.