*** ----> Egyptian woman divorces Bahraini hubby, returns 23 fils ‘got in dowry’ | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Egyptian woman divorces Bahraini hubby, returns 23 fils ‘got in dowry’

In a first-of-its-kind case to be heard before the Bahraini courts, an Egyptian woman has divorced her Bahraini husband and returned the BD0.023 (EGP1) dowry “he had paid her earlier”.

The case was reviewed by the Sharia Court here, where the woman had filed a lawsuit against her husband, demanding a divorce due to alleged maltreatment, being subjected to physical and verbal assault, not paying alimony and the continuous interference of her mother-in-law in her private affairs.

In the court, the husband demanded the wife to return the dowry he had paid her when he wedded her in Egypt few years ago. He claimed that the paid dowry was BD1,000, without supporting his claim with any physical evidence. According to the woman’s attorney, Khulood Mathloom, her client denied the husband’s claims and provided the court with the original marriage documents that were issued in Egypt and clearly stated that the paid dowry was EGP1, which is less than 25 fils; the smallest coin issued by the Central Bank of Bahrain.

The lawyer quoted Article 95 of the Family Law in Bahrain, stating that it is the right of the wife to demand divorce provided she returns what has been paid by the husband in dowry. Ms Mathloom also mentioned that the couple have one child (boy) together, but didn’t reveal any information about the custody or the fate of the child.