RIYADH: A 90-year-old man in Saudi Arabia this morning announced he was divorcing his teenage wife, citing irreconcilable differences stemming from a lack of common interests between the couple.
Ali al-Garhoud, a retired maths teacher in Saudi’s Jizan province, claimed that Binta Salami, 14, whom he married last November after paying her family a $20,000 dowry, had showed “very little concern” for his favoured hobbies of sitting on the sofa in silence, listening to old recordings of Arabic singers like Umm Kulthum and Fairuz, or pottering around the garden while wearing slippers.
“I mean, it was great at first, showing her off to the lads and everything,” he told a local newspaper. “But then, after a while, it just seemed that we had nothing to talk about. All she seemed interested in was covering our bedroom wall in posters of One Direction, painting her shoes in glitter or messaging her friends on Facebook, And, to be honest, I just found it a bit immature.”
Al-Garhoud says he was “duped” by Salami’s family, who convinced him that despite their difference in age they would “get on like a house on fire”.
“Thankfully, the marriage agreement was made with a six-month guarantee, so there shouldn’t be a problem getting my money back. It’s just annoying that I’ve got to go through the whole process again.”
Layal
February 17, 2013 at 11:50 am
He had a six month guarantee -_- what is that..?? so that would just explain that he bought her & told them that if he doesn’t enjoy the merchandise he will refund her. what a shame..!!
SlingTrebuchet
February 17, 2013 at 12:07 pm
The girl’s family should not only give him the dowry back. They should also be obliged to pay interest on it. They really fooled him.
Plus the poor man has got to gothrough the whole process of finding a new 14-year-old. There should be some compensation for that.
I don’t know what’s wrong with young people these days. When I was 14, I loved to do the kind of things that this man says he does in his spare time. Same with all my girl friends. We used to sit around doing that stuff all the time.
Anonymous
June 12, 2013 at 7:30 am
God defines marriage not money. How is that love. Maybe if they loved one another before marrying then it would have worked.
Yunus Raheem
February 19, 2013 at 4:31 am
Lucky grand old man to enjoy life and return the merchandise after use. Real consumer protection act
Zahava
June 11, 2013 at 7:19 pm
well, her family isn’t any better than the old geezer they sold her to for $20,000. sad and pathetic world we live in.
Freddie Mercury
June 12, 2013 at 3:54 am
to the tune of “another one bites the dust”
“dumb dumb dumb – another one suckered in
dumb dumb dumb – another one suckered in
and another one in, and another one in,
another one suckered in…”
Sheikha Stevens
June 12, 2013 at 5:33 am
What’s the world coming to when a handsome old dude like that can’t find a decent teenage bride? Obviously he needs to learn from this sad experience and go for somebody younger who’ll appreciate him more.
Muhammad Aldalou
June 12, 2013 at 7:21 am
I wait for the day when readers finally realise that this website’s content is SATIRICAL.
Alaa
June 10, 2015 at 3:50 pm
it’s so funny though! I enjoy the serious comments more than the article sometimes!
Anonymous
June 12, 2013 at 10:12 am
Are you writing the comments to now?
drox
June 12, 2013 at 10:34 am
Shame on Saudi’s,.. !! This is what wahabism teaches…. Shame
this is what I can say
WJM
June 12, 2013 at 3:18 pm
stupidity like this shouldn’t be allowed to thrive……the parents should be eliminated like this stupid old bag. Humanity doesn’t thrive with this level of stupidity…..even nature eradicates the retarded and the deformed.
Chrystal Chipotle
June 13, 2013 at 6:42 am
So nature eradicates the retarded eh, WJM. I would suggest you don’t go on holiday to an earthquake or hurricane prone destination anytime soon. Oh, and look up satire why don’t you!
SlingTrebuchet
June 13, 2013 at 8:40 pm
I try to convince myself that that comments appearing to take the story seriously are actually being satirical.
On the other hand… perhaps it might help if the sub-head in the site banner read “Mixed News Grill. With Humorous”. Or perhaps not.
Matt
July 29, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Lucky he paid for the extended warranty. It could have got ugly otherwise.
Liz
April 18, 2015 at 1:11 pm
What 14 yo is on Facebook? Snapchat could’ve saved this marriage.