Concern over rising divorce cases in Wajir

A Muslim hijab-gown designer posing for a photoshoot in a past event.

WAJIR—The Wajir County Kadhi has raised concerns over the increased cases of Muslim couples going to the Kadhis’ courts to seek divorce.

Sheikh Athman Abdiwahab said that exaggerated demands and greed for wealth by some parents were leading to the increase in divorce cases stressing that urgent measures and interventions are needed to tackle this worrying trends.

Speaking in his office, Sheikh Abdiwahab noted that more than 200 divorce cases had been reported last year at the Wajir Kadhis’ courts, while for this year, 95 other cases are yet to determined.

The judicial officer said that 70 per cent of the cases received that the court relate to divorce, and said this calls for Islamic scholars to address the matter so as to safeguard the sanctity of marriage.

“Most people are ignorant of the Islamic sharia pertaining to marriage as an institution, hence making it difficult to make decisions,” he added.

He cited demands by parents and peer pressure from families as the main cause leading to high divorce rates and cases which take up to six months to resolve Sheikh Abdiwahab advised couples to respect the institution of marriage and view it as an institution which two people come together to start a family and give dialogue a chance in case of dispute and misunderstandings..

He told parents to encourage their children to marry to preserve their modesty and strongly spoke against practices where parents reject suitable spouses for their children on the basis of tribe, clannism and financial backgrounds and stressed that they should instead provide them with support and guidance.