The establishment of specialized counseling centres has become necessary with high divorce rates around the Kingdom. Despite efforts by the Ministry of Justice to deal with divorce cases, Makkah region recorded 1,050 in the past five months. According to the statistics reported by the Ministry of Justice website, the number of completed divorce cases in general courts around the Kingdom has reached 6,310 since the beginning of the new Hijri year. Makkah region is followed by Madina with 673, Taif with 489 and Dammam with 425, according to local reports. Mohammed Al-Eissa, the Minister of Justice and the President of the Supreme Judicial Court, said at the opening of “Family Issues in Courts…Vision for the Future” forum in Riyadh on Saturday that general courts have been working to increase efficiency in dealing with divorce cases. Despite the increase in divorces in Makkah region, Al-Eissa said that reconciliation committees in courts have been successful in solving family cases especially in Riyadh where divorce rates have declined. However, reconciliation committees deal with cases inside the courts during the couple's dispute. Experts have called upon the Ministry of Justice to establish counseling centers outside courts to help couples to reconcile and deal with the core of their disputes. Makkah-based lawyer Ibraheem Al-Zamzami, said that each case he receives, has its own circumstances but the common factor for divorce is the lack of respect between the couples. “I believe the main reason behind most divorce cases in our society is the lack of respect between the couples and not giving them their rights,” he said. Al-Zamzami explained how he dealt with many divorce cases where the disrespect was the main reason behind problems between couples. He gave an example of a young couple that went to study abroad where the wife got the scholarship and the husband didn't. “The husband became jealous of his wife's success because he couldn't get a scholarship and decided not to allow her to complete her studies,” he added ending the story with a lawsuit and divorce. Moreover, Al-Zamzami said how controlling and not trusting a wife or a husband eventually leads to divorce. “I had a case once where the husband was suspicious and controlling, not allowing his wife to use the Internet, go out or even have a mobile. Of course, this caused many problems leading to divorce,” he added. He also has seen many cases where in-laws interfere with the couple's problems, which deepen the gulf between the husband and the wife. “If respect between the couple existed in all its senses, then we won't find those problems and high divorce rates,” Al-Zamzami explained. Al-Zamzami demands the establishment of specialized counseling centers with specialists that doesn't fall under the reconciliation committee at courts. “We need to look into the behavior of both the wife and the husband and analyze their characters in order to solve their problems,” he added. Samer Arar, the Chief Psychologist at Mahart Center in Jeddah, said that there are social, cultural and psychological reasons behind any couple's divorce. However, Makkah region having the highest divorce rate, Arar believes that the cultural changes are playing a major role in those statistics. “This region is advancing and it's witnessing so many changes culturally and socially, which could be a two-edged sword,” he said explaining how advancement is positive but puts the society under many challenges. Arar also said that with globalization, new generations look at marriage as a partnership with a common interest unlike old generations who appreciated love and understanding. “All these factors play a major role in divorce in addition to the couple's psyche,” he added. However, he also called for counseling specialists to work closely with couples who are going through psychological or financial stress. “With the hectic life these days, sometimes people fall under so much pressure due to work, kids and responsibilities,” he added saying counseling could help allay their stress. Mohammed Ahmadi, an Imam at a local mosque, said that marriage has lost its sacredness and its true essence. “I'm sure reconciliation committees are doing the best they can but I believe with the social change we are witnessing now, we have to double our efforts to help the new generation,” he said. Ahmadi blames parents for not helping their sons and daughters to better understand marriage. “There are many factors in a divorce but if there is a true understanding of what marriage is, then we would not have seen such high rates,” he added. __
