Reasons Abound For Late Marriages Among Youths In Arab, Gulf Region

There are several reasons for the reluctance of some young people in the Arab and Muslim societies to get married- amid high rates of rejection becoming more pronounced in recent years, reports Al-Rai daily.

The reason for this trend could be physical, psychological or even intellectual, and socialism is also an important fundamental factor. Some values and ethics have begun to shake the minds of some young people and teenage girls, and a disproportionate number of women are as well haunted by the fear of not getting married, berating the idea of online dating to marry.

Many young men who want to settle down are now skeptical of women, and their outlook turns into doubt. The worst-case scenario is the possibility of women in previous relationships jumping into the global electronic communication space with written and audio conversations as well as video about their next move. Of course, some people support this trend and others oppose it.

We cannot deny that most marriages happening among people from different nationalities and countries who are separated by geographical location, customs, traditions and cultures became possible through acquaintances on Facebook pages. There is no doubt that “e-marriage” is associated with many caveats and fears since it is difficult to ascertain credibility of the parties in what they say, even if it could lead to marriage. The journey starts with doubt, hell and tense relationship, and ends with psychological and social issues that lead to divorce especially if the relationship had no genuine foundation.

Fahad Ahmed Hussain, a Kuwait University (KU) student said “We live in the age of technology and speed, so I use technology in everything related to my studies and communication with other students. I also communicate with professors via advanced programs invading our smart devices. Of course, there are students who make the best use of technology while others abuse its use.”

As for early marriage, Fahad says: “The Prophet (PBUH) urged us to marry if we have the ability to do so, and in my view, age is only an increase in number. It’s experience that qualifies an individual to take responsibility.” “I am very interested in technology and social networking. Usually, a person who does not invest his time is naturally preoccupied with temptations on social media to the extent of forgetting to pray sometimes. It is unfortunate that many sites facilitate means of acquaintances between the sexes rapidly and in secret, which may lead to many problems. I am against electronic acquaintances, because it is based on a special case in which a young man occupies his free time and get entertained by interacting with women,” said Khaled Walid Al-Qattan, another KU student. Saad Al-Enezi who just got married said “I believe in early marriage and I do not see it as being early. It is rather a marriage at the right time”. He stressed, “A man of good faith and good character would prefer to marry if he has the ability to do so. Marriage should be through family knowledge, because it is safer than social communication that is not trustworthy and could be misused.”

In the feminine aspect of the discussion on this important issue that affects the structure of young men and women in our Islamic societies, a student at the Institute of Technical Studies in Morocco Yousra Al- Asri stressed that she is against the idea of early marriage, because the concerned girl or boy may be immature and do not know the meaning of responsibility. Marriage is all about patience, love, affection and responsibility but sadly in this era, early marriage has become a fashion and show off only in some families. She continued, “Some mothers may be proud to offer their daughters as a commodity for the person ready to marry her to prevent neighbors from making negative comments about them in future.”

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