Breakthrough For Saudi Women

Saudi clerics took an unprecedented stand Tuesday against forcing women into marriage, saying that fathers who try to do this should be jailed until they changed their minds.

The kingdom's mufti, Sheik Abdul-Aziz bin Al al-Sheik, who has ministerial rank, issued a statement saying the board of top clerics had ruled that coercing women into marriage is "a major injustice" and "un-Islamic."

"Fathers who insist on making their daughters marry those they do not desire should be punished by imprisonment, and should not be released until they change their minds," al-Sheik said in the statement.

The high number of forced marriages is believed to be the main reason behind the sharp increase in divorce. According to Saudi newspapers, about half of all marriages end in divorce.

The status and restrictions on Saudi women have long provoked criticism. Women cannot drive a car, mix with men in public, leave home without covering themselves in a big robe from head to toe. A Saudi woman typically marries whomever her family chooses.

As part of a recent campaign of limited reform, the authorities have taken steps toward giving women more rights and jobs. However, women are barred from running or voting in this year's landmark municipal elections.