Saudi Arabia: When You're Here, You're Family (Drink Up)

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/06/09/when-youre-here-youre-f
amilysaudi-s 

 

As many of us know, women and men in Saudi Arabia must be careful not to
mingle, as the insanely strict Islamic law bans mixing between the sexes who
are not related. Recently, the Saudis have issued a fatwa that forces women
who come into contact with unrelated men on a regular basis to breastfeed
them so that they can be considered "relatives" and not potential lovers.
The strangest part is, this isn't the actual issue at hand. The issue is,
how do the men get the milk? I know, it just gets weirder. 

According to the Gulf News, Sheikh Al Obeikan, a consultant to the Ministry
of Justice and an adviser to the royal court stated, "the man should take
the milk, but not directly from the breast of the woman. He should drink it
and then becomes a relative of the family, a fact that allows him to come in
contact with the woman without breaking Islam's rules about mixing." 

This fatwa applies to men who regularly come into contact with the same
woman, or men who live in the same house with a woman. The woman has to pump
her breast milk into a glass and give it to the unrelated male. 

 

 

 

_________________________________________________

Dia L. Michels
Platypus Media -- Resources for Families, Teachers and Parenting
Professionals
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