Princess Haya of Jordan to Sheikh Mohamad Bin Rashad Al-Maktoum of Dubai: 2004

[Sister Morphine]

I don't agree with polygamy, but to each culture their own. I only hope that she is happy and that she is loved and cared for.

[Next Star]

Originally Posted by sommone

Maybe she chose her husband based on other attributes besides looks and age.

I agree with one that but about the man's age and plus he has to be smart too.

[Vanesa]

I don't agree with polygamy, either. But yes...If they are happy sharing their husband with other women, that's perfect for them.

I hope she'll be happy. ..His husband seems nice and intelligent. That's important for someone who marries.

Vanesa.

[Vanesa]

Originally Posted by Prince of Chota

All of your scandal amuses me. You are all really funny and incredibly ethnocentric...to react to this marriage in such a way. The Islamic tradition is different, just as is the culture. You may not understand it, but just because you don't does not make something like polygamy universally wrong or immoral. I am only surprised that she did not take a European husband, or someone so liberally Muslim that he barely qualifies.

I am proud of her for marrying well, and marrying within the ranks of royalty. As for the first wife, that is a status that the woman will retain, and the culture makes every accommodation for the family to be a fully-functional one. Just because the cultural norm is different in the Islamic world from the "Western" or Christian one does not mean that it is wrong...

...better to know that one is being replaced and will retain her position as first wife than be cast out and pushed aside, I suppose. OR to be left in a loveless marriage.

I strongly recommend that you read up on the Islamic institution of marriage, and make sure that the sources that you look at are credible and not biased against Islam. The idea is not really to replace the first wife, as the Sheikh must treat all of his wives equally. And he can afford them...hahaha...

Yes. You are right. It depends the way you see it.

I'm not very used to polygamy (not for religion even if I am a Christian a thing that I supposes is not wrong, nor for I'm an ethnocentric...You know I'm not), but for I think the true love is just one (I'm desperately romantic..that yes, for sure), not for any obscure reason other than this one.

However, I think you made an important point: Princess Haya married a husband who is from Ryalty. This is very odd nowadays and priceless. The Royal-to-Royal marriages are disappearing and I was getting worried for this. The very Monarchy Institution is in danger if there are not more Royal marriages. I'm not againts Royal-Commoner marriages, far from that (if the marriage is for true love, welcome all commoners of the world!) But if the Royal-Commoner thing is almost the only one you may find, something is going wrong there. Nowadays, almost all Royal marriages are with commoners. We must say a great "Congratulations!" to Princess Haya to have choice a Royal among all men she knew. And I think she loves him. Saying she married for money it's a calomny without any basis behind it...

And no; I do not like people who marries for money (even if an article said it's good...Nowadays journalist accepts all kind of inmoralities) or to have a highest social position. I bet Princess Haya is not one of these.

Vanesa.

[Duke of Marmalade]

[quote=kaffir]Because she is one of 12 orphans with an expensive equestrian habit, and he has a lot of money.

Well said. Plus a lot of behind-the-scenes agreements between Mo & KA.

At the end of the day all parties involved benefit from this marriage in some way. But I don't believe in a second it has to do with love, rather with business interests. And Haya's behaviour shows she's well aware of that - she tries to put the love story image into people's minds whenever she can by clutching on her husband, especially in Europe. Having lived in Germany and UK for a long time, she knows exactly that people there don't understand her choice because they don't share the arab culture. Marrying a husband who already had three wifes did some damage to her image as "1001 night princess" who is a modern woman, royal and well educated. She used to be very popular and a good ambassador for Jordan in that sense in Germany. To compensate this image desaster, she's trying to make people believe she married the love of her life and even did some statements in the German press that could make people believe that Mo got rid of the other wifes or she tolerates them because she does not want them to be banned from the family by divorce. I guess that's as far apart from the truth as the earth being flat.
I don't blame her for that behaviour though and I don't think there is something wrong in marrying for such reasons as long as everyone involved is happy. In case of Haya, I have my doubts here - her begging for attention speaks a different language. No question she has a tough side but in interviews or in person she can come across quite immature and childish.

[Little_star]

If Haya's marriage is arranged then she's really not that different from the millions of other people have have arranged marriages. So long as she is happy with the outcome that's what counts.

[reeda2000]

Originally Posted by Little_star

If Haya's marriage is arranged then she's really not that different from the millions of other people have have arranged marriages. So long as she is happy with the outcome that's what counts.

I agree with you

[Seraphine]

To me it seems, that horses are her mother's compensation and SMo is her father's compensation.

I'm kind a sure she had a hard childhood, her beautiful, warmth mother died early and just a year after another woman came ( I adore Noor) who was new Queen, new number one. Alia seems a bit forgotten, like the other women, like the other children ( Hamzah was crownprince, although normally the eldest child/ male family member is ).
She seems so lost to me, but I don't think, that he was the right choice. He added her some glamour in the arab world, but not in the western world, where she likes to shine either.

[Zonk]

Let's stay on topic....the purpose of this thread is to discuss the actual wedding day of Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohamad...not to analyze the reasons for their marriage.