Dar al-Iftaa launches campaign to facilitate marriage terms

CAIRO – 6 February 2019: Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa launched a new campaign and a hashtag titled “Yasser” (make it easy) to facilitate marriage conditions, in response to campaigns recently launched such as “'Let her become a spinster'” and “stay with your mother”.

According to a statement issued by Dar al-Iftaa on its Twitter account,Dar al-Iftaa urged the parents to facilitate marriage conditions, calling on people to follow and support the hashtag.

A number of social media users launched "KhalihaTe'anes" hashtag, translated into "let her become a spinster", in efforts to convince a probably undefined party to bring down marriage expenses.In response, a group of girls launched another campaign called “stay with your mother” in protest against the campaign.

The term 'spinster' is exactly as offensive to many cultures as its equivalent in Arabic "Aanes".

شاركمعناوتابعحملةدارالإفتاءالمصريةعلىالهاشتاج#يسروا#خلي_المأذون_يكتب#وحدة_الإرشاد_الأسريhttps://t.co/WNqlrEp64d

— دارالإفتاءالمصرية🇪🇬 (@EgyptDarAlIfta) February 5, 2019

حملة#خليها_تعنس ..#خليك_فى_حضن_امك .. #خليه_ينقرض .. #خليه_يخلل
مجموعةحملاتتمإطلاقهامؤخرًاتحملالشبابعلىالعزوفعنالزواج
شاركفياستطلاعالرأيالمؤشرالعالميللفتوىالتابعلدارالإفتاءالمصريةحولهذهالحملاتلتقديمحلولعمليةللتيسيرpic.twitter.com/UVyVJMU4cx

— دارالإفتاءالمصرية🇪🇬 (@EgyptDarAlIfta) February 5, 2019

التيسيرفيتكاليفالزواجيجلبالبركة،قالرَسُولاللَّهِصلىاللهعليهوآلهوسلم: «إِنَّأَعْظَمَالنِّكَاحِبَرَكَةًأَيْسَرُهُمُؤْنَةً»رواهالإمامأحمد.#يسرواpic.twitter.com/PFACYOyNNv

— دارالإفتاءالمصرية🇪🇬 (@EgyptDarAlIfta) February 5, 2019

Maya Morsi, head of the National Council for Women, expressed her dissatisfaction with such campaigns, describing them as "unacceptable."

In an interview with Egypt Today, Morsi said that the wrong traditions which increase the expenses of marriage will not be solved by such campaigns. She also expressed displeasure with the term "spinsterhood," adding that "late marriage" should be used for both men and women instead.

One of the most significant traditions in Arab countries, including Egypt, is that many parents can reject a man who wants to marry their daughter, because he is poor, he does not own a luxurious apartment, he does not have a prestigious car, or he cannot offer a comparatively valuable “shabka”, which is the jewelry granted by the man before he is affianced to the woman he wishes to marry. “Shabka" is claimed to be a gift.

However, men find themselves obligated to buy itfor their future fiancées in most cases.

Additional report by AmrKandil