After the changes to the Family Law.. Has the time for marriage expired in Egypt? (private)

New changes are expected in the marriage system in Egypt through a draft law on personal status that the government needs to finalize and submit to parliament.

The proposed changes, the final text of which has not yet been published, include conducting a psychiatric examination and drug detection, with the formation of a commission headed by a judge to determine the husband’s competence for the wife, with the husband’s obligation to pay compensation. the amount of money that is placed in a fund intended for family support, to be spent from it in the event of a divorce for the children and the divorced wife.

These amendments caused a wave of controversy, between supporters and opponents, especially because they come in the light of difficult economic conditions after high prices of goods and services, and high values ​​of gold, real estate and furniture.

“Al-Ain News” examined the opinions of numerous psychological, social and religious experts on these proposals and whether they represent an obstacle for young people to get married or as some sarcastically ask: Is the time for marriage in Egypt over. ?

Likewise, do the new legal changes contribute to the support of marriage stability? Or are you contributing to the circumvention of the law and leading some to think of resorting to extramarital union or seeking forbidden pleasure?

Open the door to corruption

dr. Ahmed Al-Basousi, a consultant in psychiatry and addiction treatment, believes that excluding inequality through psychological and drug analyzes will lead to positive results compared to doing nothing, but it must be noted that the human personality is full of complexities and psychological problems.

Al-Basousi added, in an exclusive statement to Al-Ain News, that he does not believe that customary marriage will disappear. Since the complexities are great, and the needs, interests and desires of individuals are intertwined, those who want permanent stability will resort to formal methods of marriage, otherwise they will resort to informal customary marriage.

Al-Basousi fears that the many procedures and paperwork required to get married could open a door to corruption that cannot be closed, and open the door to other illegal methods.

And the consultant psychiatrist concludes with the words: “No one guarantees the stability of the relationship between two people, but by conducting a psychological examination of the spouse, better results can be obtained so that we are not surprised later by an explosion of marital problems.”

Economy, not procedures

dr. Saeed Sadeq, professor of sociology at the American University in Cairo, believes that marriage is most affected by the economy, and not by the increase in procedures, given that the price of paper and procedures, whatever they may be, is lower than the price of an advance, delay and dowry.

And Sadiq opined, in a separate statement to Al-Ain News, that the increase in procedures in the law will not affect; Because whoever wants to get married will get married, considering the controversy surrounding the changes to the Personal Status Act as just “comedy and rhetoric” that distracts people from real problems.

Sadiq ruled out an increase in customary marriages, confirming his view that spouses seek documentation of rights, and rights are lost in customary marriages. He added: “Because of the economy, marriage rates will go down and divorce rates will go up. A young man will get a million pound flat.”

Sadiq believes that the decline in the marriage rate will be temporary and adds: “Whoever wants to get married will get married, and society will start making concessions regarding the requirements of marriage, such as housing, dowry and gold. Like Europeans and Americans.”

Halal difficulty

On the other hand, Sheikh Yasser Al-Qurashi, a legal official, believes that the increase in marriage procedures will make it difficult for those who want to get married.

Al-Qurashi added in a special statement to “Al-Ain News” that the exaggeration of dowries has caused the decline of marriages, and warns against this, saying: “The more difficult we make what is permissible, the more it opens the door to what is forbidden.”

Regarding the main reasons for divorce, Al-Qurashi says: “The mismatch between the two parties, and there are also financial and religious reasons due to the weakness of religious faith,” highlighting the low rates of marriage compared to divorce, since Egypt ranks first in world by divorce rate, according to Al-Qurashi.

Contrary to al-Qurashi’s statements, Major General Khairat Barakat, head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, an official body that deals with statistics, confirmed that Egypt still witnesses the lowest divorce rate in the world and Arab countries, according to the statistical statement provided by issued by the United Nations, which draws comparisons between different countries scientists.

Barakat added, in statements to the “Under the Sun” program, via the “Al-Shams” satellite channel, last June, that the average divorce cases in Egypt, according to statistics for 2020, amounted to one divorce every 2.4 minutes, 25 cases per hour, and 608 cases per day, and 18,500 cases per month.

The head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics pointed out that the divorce rate in urban areas is higher than in rural areas and that the Cairo governorate is the first in divorce cases. He added that 12% of divorce cases occur in the first year of marriage, 9% in the second year, and reach 6.5% in the third year.

Make it easy and don’t make it difficult

For his part, Dr. Sami Al-Asala, former director of religious inspection at the Ministry of Endowments, confirms that what is happening now in the matter of marriage is contrary to the Qur’anic and Prophetic approach, as the Qur’an and Sunnah have called us to to make it easier, not to make it harder, and God’s Messenger said: “The smallest dowry is the most blessed.”

Al-Assala added, in a separate statement to Al-Ain News, that there is a directive to facilitate, and as the religion has ordered us to facilitate in the religion, we must facilitate in this world.

Al-Assala added: “What happens with the bride’s equipment and the abundance of equipment and gold is a problem that makes it difficult to get married, and I personally have many cases of weddings that are stopped because of the failure to furnish the house, and the engagement is broken due to the inability to prepare such as relatives.”

Al-Assala added: “This kind of life will not continue, and there are many cases of divorce and broken engagements because we have strayed from the teachings of our religion.”

On the proposed amendments to the civil status law, Al-Assala says: “I see that these are not complications, they are controls that would maintain stability, and I personally support what President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said.”

He continued: “What is being said are proposals and we are waiting for them to be presented to the House of Representatives, who will refer them for presentation to Al-Azhar and the Council of Senior Scholars. At that time, the final picture of the law will emerge and we can predict its effects.”