LAND OF EASY DIVORCE

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1925, Page 4

LAND OF EASY DIVORCE

1 “ I iJU.N l » -VA i mi , I 1 An interesting afternoon in ail Arab ' divorce court at Tunis is described by Airs Albert Bradshaw, an authoress, j who has been travelling in North Africa ill search of “ local colour.” I “An Aral) husband has merely to say to his wife three times, M don’t want you,’ in order to get rid <>i her. y, i- liradshaw said. “ lint questions cil' inheritance, trusteeship, and child ren have to he decided by the courts, which are always full of chattering litigants. ' “Tlie Divorce Court in Tunis laces the old slave market. The main court 'is lined with richly-upholstered diI vans, on which sit facing each oilier, t seven .Judges. Applicants tell theii I tales of woe to one set of Judges, and if they are unable to get satisfaction they march to the other side and re--1 peat their stories, in the hope of making a better iinpresssion. As men. i women and children crowd at eouits, i nil talking endlessly at the same time : it is rather difficult for a stranger In , ! get an idea of what is happening. “The women, ol course, are houril\ ! veiled. In Tunis their veils are black, j These Aral) women are olten married when no more than children, and as ! their husbands do not see their laces .' until after marriage, there are occasional ilisillilsioiiments, which result in | speedv divorce. Ihe wives then go I - i the Divorce Court to air their griev- ! ;l! ices. .My guide on otic occasion was [[ a Tunisian, who complained that he , 1 could not marry because he had live , I sisters to support, anil that as tlmy , j bail no dowry there was no chance ol their marrying. • the Arab theatre in Tunis is n j strange mixture. It has 111 WO tip-up seats, Imt aisles of brown earth. I went to a performance there and it was quite amusing. Home ol the artists 1 1 ; 11 1 made an ell'orl. to Europeanise D cY dtf ss, and one man appeared in English evening clothes. With a wasp waist, lie carried a walking-stick all the time, and also wore a fez. The I verv few women present were all heavily ' veiled.