Iraq Politics: a Shi’a “Mut’a” Marriage, a Wahhabi ‘Mesayar” Marriage, a Western Hook Up…….
“What is clear today – with the noticeable rapprochement between the Iraqiya bloc that is led by Dr. Iyad Allawi, and the State of Law coalition that is led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and the talk of an alliance between the two that will lead to the formation of a new Iraqi government – is that the al-Hakim – al-Maliki alliance, or the alliance of the major Shiite parties, is not an alliance where divorce is impossible, but rather it is more like a temporary marriage that has split even before the ink has dried [on the marriage certificate]. This is to be expected, especially as Tehran tried to unite what cannot be brought together, this alliance will not survive because it is built upon sectarian logic rather than the rhetoric of national interests; it is an alliance that is meant to exclude Allawi and the Iraqis who elected him…….” Editor of Asharq Alawsat (Saudi Daily: their own mediocre translation from Arabic. The Arabic is always better at expressing their point of view because they don't pull any punches. Besides, the versatile Arabic is almost always a better language to express things.)
This editor of is too cute for his own good. If the alliance between al-Maliki and INA is a Shi’s-style “Mut’a” temporary marriage, as he claims, then any marriage with Ayad Allawi’s Sunni bloc would be a Wahhabi-style “Mesayar” part-time marriage. The “Mut’a” is a temporary marriage of convenience, mostly of “human urges”. The Saudi “Mesayar” is a part-time, or time-share, marriage of convenience and “human urges”, where a couple do not live together and have no obligations toward each other beyond the “human urges”.
The real difference is that the Shi’a “Mut’a” marriage is waning, it is on its way out and is mostly a fringe practice by a very few because it is frowned upon by most, while the Saudi “Mesayar” marriage is now fully mainstream, has not even peaked yet, and it is rising and spreading across to other Gulf states and Egypt. It is a way to meet “human urges” without all the social taboos and tribal restrictions and financial obligations. In my view any arrangement, marriage, or hook-up between consenting adults is kosher.
Which one Iraq gets? My fatwa that Allawi and his gaggle of Ba’athists will not be “the man” for this Mesayyar wedding stands.
Cheers
mhg
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