Saudi clerics took an unprecedented stand yesterday against forcing women into marriage, saying that fathers who try to do this should be jailed until they change their minds.
The kingdom's mufti, or Muslim scholar, Sheik Abdul-Aziz bin Al al-Sheik, issued a statement saying the board of top clerics ruled that coercing women into marriage is "a major injustice" and "un-Islamic."
The high number of forced marriages is believed to be the main reason behind the sharp increase in divorce. According to Saudi newspapers, about half of all marriages end in divorce. A Saudi woman's family typically chooses her husband. AP