Gaza Dating Site Matches Widows to Men Seeking 2nd (or 3rd) Wife
"I said yes because I wanted a man who is not jobless, who has a good life
and works on his future." Mr. Sheikha, Wesal’s founder, says he wants the site to challenge longstanding customs surrounding matchmaking in Gaza, and to give women more agency in the process.
"In most cases the husband’s family pressures the woman to marry the brother in law to control her life and seize any financial aid she receives." Ms. Owda added
that if the widow’s husband is affiliated with a political party, it might intervene and pressure the woman to marry a man from the same group, and she will often agree because she is struggling financially and the group will pay her a salary.
By MAJD AL WAHEIDIJUNE 4, 2017
GAZA CITY — He was looking for a woman with particular attributes, hopefully a widow of a man killed
in the struggle against Israel, without children, between 25 and 30, from southern Gaza.
ccurate, and that I won’t use this website for entertainment." What Wesal does not have is profile photos or any online chatting functionality, to protect the privacy of women and because both would be considered "haram," or forbidden under Islamic law, Mr. Sheikha said.
that I swear by Allah the Great that all my information is a
Shatali said that I felt like I was the happiest man in the world on my wedding day,
Women are not a sack of onions," said Lina Zein, 25, a single woman from Gaza City, explaining
that Wesal felt too transactional in its approach to arranging weddings.