2023-08-18 15:31:36
The secret lies in the lack of problems and costs… An increasing number of Iraqis are marrying Syrian women
Salam Maher plays with his two children in the garden of his house, which he equipped with a swing and other games, and the two children respond to their father with a mixture of the Iraqi and Syrian dialects.
This hybrid dialect, which the two children derived from the conversations of their Syrian mother and their Iraqi father, was very popular with him, according to a report by the “Arab World News Agency.”
Maher, 44, married a Syrian woman during one of his frequent visits to Syria. “I was very impressed by the nature of Syrian society and the character of Syrian women,” he says, placing his hand behind his head.
4 years ago, Maher consummated his marriage in Damascus, and brought his wife with him to Iraq to live together in their home in Wasit Governorate, 180 kilometers south of Baghdad. He says that he did not find it difficult to agree with the wife’s family, because “that was her wish, so they respected her.”
He explains this in his interview with the Arab World News Agency, saying: “Syrians are now going through a severe economic and financial crisis, so they seek to secure a decent life for their daughters, whether the applicant is Iraqi or of another Arab nationality. What matters is the good manners of the husband.”
He notes the closeness of the cultures of the two countries: “None of the two peoples finds it difficult to get along and adapt with the other.”
While Syria suffers from a difficult living situation, Iraq is experiencing a state of economic stability following decades of sanctions and wars. Many Iraqis are keen to visit Syria annually for the summer, to visit shrines, and to receive treatment sometimes, and these visits have resulted in many cases of marriage between the two peoples.
Searching for a better life
Last June, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that regarding 90 percent of Syrians today live below the poverty line, and that more than 15 million Syrians need humanitarian aid.
The recovery of Iraq’s economic situation and its relative stability contributed to many Syrians resorting to the neighboring country in search of work, especially following their travel routes became faltered and it was not possible for them to seek refuge in Europe, Australia, the United States and others since the outbreak of the conflict in their country 12 years ago.
Fahd Ali, an Iraqi from Baghdad married to a Syrian, believes that Syrian families prefer to marry off their daughters to Iraqi men because they find them worthy of responsibility, and out of the motive of preserving their daughters and protecting them from destitution.
Ali (37 years old) says: “The deteriorating financial situation in Syria makes living in Iraq for the Syrian girl more stable and luxurious. Because Iraq’s current economic situation is much better than the neighboring country, unlike before.
Speaking regarding his experience, he adds: “During my visit to Syria, I got to know a Syrian man, and following my relationship with him developed, I visited him at his home and got to know his family. Then the situation developed into a request for the hand of one of his three daughters, and he agreed immediately.”
Syrians also marry Iraqi women
The matter is not limited to Iraqis marrying Syrian women, as there are some Syrians who also marry Iraqi women.
In Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, located regarding 370 kilometers north of Baghdad, the Syrian Ayham Hassan (43 years old) lives with his Iraqi wife, who comes from the city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, and works in selling perfumes.
Hassan speaks to the Arab World News Agency, saying: “I met my wife during her visit to Damascus with her family in 2018, when I accidentally met the family there, provided her with some services, and provided her with some needs, which strengthened my connection with the family, prompted her to communicate with me and urged me to come.” to Iraq”.
Hassan points out that reaching the Kurdistan region of Iraq was much easier for him than Baghdad and other provinces, so he decided to come to Erbil and search for work, and there was another meeting during which he decided to officially propose to his current wife.
He adds, “After marriage, my wife and I preferred to stay here, although the movement mechanism was facilitated, and I might go to any region in Iraq.”
Hassan is now planning to obtain Iraqi citizenship by taking advantage of the Iraqi law that allows non-Iraqi husbands and wives to obtain it following 5 years of residency, which will be achieved following a few months.
The Kurdistan region of Iraq is a popular destination for Syrians. Due to the low costs and the ease of obtaining work and residency, it may sometimes end in stability and marriage, not to mention the freedom to open commercial projects and the freedom to work in general.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fouad Hussein, had recently revealed in statements on the sidelines of a conference held in Brussels under the title (The Future of Syria and the Region) that the Kurdistan region of Iraq hosts nearly 260,000 Syrian citizens on its territory, while statistics and other sources indicate that their number exceeds half a million. breeze.
marriage brokers profession
It seems that coincidence and desire are not the only factors behind such marriages, as mediation to complete the marriage matter has become a popular business for some.
Zain Hussam, a travel and tourism company worker, reveals that “marriage to Syrian women takes place according to two methods; Either through a direct relationship and progress to the girl’s family and her official engagement, as is the case in Iraq, or it happens through mediation.
Hussam (31 years old) explains: “The mediators are mostly Syrians, their first goal is to get money, and some of them do not even require an official contract to be concluded in court, so you find many of these marriages are not registered.”
And press reports had talked regarding the Sayyidah Zeinab area, which has a Shiite majority, in southern Damascus, turning into a center of attraction for Iraqi marriages to Syrian women through intermediaries and companies that facilitate these marriages in return for commissions or money.
It is known that Iraqis visit that region in large numbers as a kind of religious tourism, which may have expanded to include other purposes.
Easier marriage and lower costs
Social researcher Muhammad al-Mawla attributes the reasons why Iraqis turn to Syrian women to “the ease of marriage and its low cost, in addition to the societal harmony between the two peoples and the desire for change and departure from the norm.”
He adds, “It is not only marriage that is easy, even divorce. Whenever the spouses find that they do not agree, the conditions for separation will be easy compared to the complications that exist in the marriage of an Iraqi man to an Iraqi woman.
He goes on to say, “In addition to this, the Iraqis are emotional. There is social sympathy towards Syria for various reasons, including the similar circumstances that the two countries went through, which is what pushes some Iraqis to go through the gate of marrying Syrian women.”
He agrees with the opinion of the legal expert, Adnan Al-Sharifi, who indicates that the Syrian marriage laws may have been more lenient compared to similar legislation in Iraq, which encourages the completion of such marriages.
He says, “Iraqi law places restrictions in the event of polygamy. It requires the husband to prove financial ability in addition to the consent of the first wife, while the Iraqi in Syria does not need that.”
As for the social researcher, Ibtisam Al-Shammari, she sees political reasons behind the association of Iraqis with Syrian women, and she talks regarding the affiliation of some of them to political or armed currents and organizations that encourage them to do so.
And she added during her speech: “But that does not make us overlook the economic factor that increased these marriages, as it secures the wife’s livelihood and the livelihood of her family sometimes.”
She adds, “The high number of divorce cases in Iraq and its repercussions are among the problems that push many people to refrain from re-marrying Iraqi women, and resorting to marrying Syrian women has become the most appropriate alternative for some due to the low costs and separation without problems in the event of incompatibility.”
As for the legal aspect, lawyer Ali Adel asserts that marriage to a Syrian is a legal matter that can be registered in the Iraqi courts in a proper form, adding: “The conditions that apply to marriage to an Iraqi woman are the same to a Syrian woman, such as the presence of witnesses at the marriage contract and the registration of the presenter and the latter.”
He points out that the process of registering the wife’s residence in Iraq is taking place officially: “However, what happens is that many of these marriages are not registered in the courts, so there are no official statistics, because registration requires procedures and documentation of contracts, and this requires reviews and approvals.”
He adds, “These laws apply to the husband or the wife, and there is no difference in that.”
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