The Grand Mufti of Dubai has called for restrictions on Emiratis marrying outside their nationality.
More than 30 per cent of Emirati marriages in Dubai this year were to foreigners, according to Dubai Statistics Centre, and the emirate has witnessed a 10-per-cent growth in mixed marriages over the past four years – something Dr Ahmed Al Haddad described as a “negative trend”.
“In Islam, choosing your life partner is a personal freedom,” he was quoted as saying by The National at the Ramadan majlis on Sunday night. “But personal freedoms can be restricted for the benefit of the public interest.”
Mixed marriages are more likely to end in divorce and their children are more likely to commit crimes, some experts at the majilis said.
“There should be very specific circumstances for when such marriages are allowed,” Dr Al Haddad was quoted by the paper. “Such as when a man is too old and cannot find an Emirati to marry him, or when he wants to take a third of fourth wife for certain reasons and no Emirati woman agrees to do so.”
While some at the majlis agreed with Dr Al Haddad, many said his call for restrictions was unnecessary.
Sharing the opinion of several speakers, Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim, the Chief of Dubai Police, said not all mixed marriages were a failure: “There are many mixed marriages that are successful and have played a positive role in our society.”
Social experts have attributed the escalating trend to the large dowries demanded by Emirati women – as much as Dh800,000 – and to high wedding ceremony expenses that have reached Dh1 million.