Divorce rate among Bruneian Muslims on the rise

Izzati Jalil
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE rate of divorce among Muslim Bruneians after ten years or more of marriage is on the rise, read the latest statistics from the Syariah Courts.

Statistics released on December 21, 2015, showed that 494 Muslim couples filed for divorce in 2014, an increase from 469 in 2013.

Out of the number of divorce cases in 2014, 155 of them were couples that had been married for ten to 19 years.

The statistics also showed that 81 divorce cases were from couples that had been married for more than 20 years.

These divorce cases were more prevalent among men aged between 30 to 39 and women aged between 25 to 34.

Acting Assistant Director of Islamic Da’wah Centre (PDI) Ustaz Hj Abd Aziz Hj Abd Kahar, also a marriage counselor at the centre, urged married couples to keep their romance alive and to maintain household responsibilities to keep their marriage intact.

He told The Brunei Times that marriage is a relationship in which one’s weaknesses are balanced by their partner’s strengths, in line with the Quran.

Ustaz Hj Abd Aziz noted that the rise in divorce is alarming and attributed this to irreconcilable differences as well as the neglect of responsibilities and provision of nafkah (sustenance).

“Most that seek counseling had poor financial knowledge and had neglected their (marriage) responsibilities,” he said.

He said couples with domestic conflicts that arise from constant disagreements should not just ‘settle’ for a divorce, but should instead put their differences aside, empower each other and seek marriage counseling.

The marriage counselor added that couples must be committed to meeting each other’s needs to build a lasting and happy marriage.

One such need is romance, he explained.

“The problem is that within the first few years after the wedding, the romantic flames that burned so brightly during engagement (burns out). It is important that even after marriage, husbands still do what they did when they first (marry). Same with the women,” said Ustaz Hj Abd Aziz.

“Help your spouse clean the house. Remind each other why you got married in the first place and, most importantly, respect (each other),” he said.

He went on to say that divorce trends have been heavily influenced by changing social norms.

“Women these days are less reliant on men for their financial stability, and there is also far less social stigma today about ending a marriage,” he said.

He urged couples who are looking to get married to attend post-marriage courses as this could help strengthen their marriage and reduce the number of divorces nationwide.


Sumber - The Brunei Times