Sabah ELroubat

Department of English, The City College of New York   

Writing for the Social Sciences (ENGL 2100)   

 Professor Crystal Rodwell

March 16, 2025

Historical Roots of Tribal Marriage
The tribal marriage system in the Arabian Peninsula dates back to pre-Islamic times when
the tribe constituted the fundamental social and political unit. Marriage within the tribe was
considered a means of maintaining tribal cohesion and strength while protecting resources in a
harsh desert environment governed by scarcity and continuous struggle for survival.
With the emergence of Islam, some tribal practices were modified, but the tribal system
itself continued as an important social framework. Islam encouraged expanding the circle of
marriage beyond the immediate family while emphasizing the importance of compatibility
(kafā’a) between spouses in religion and ethics rather than tribal affiliation.

Introducing
In my isolated room, via Zoom, I sat with Nora AB, a 27-year-old woman with a master’s
degree in sociology, who strongly adheres to and admires her tribal traditions. It was around 1:00
PM local time and 8:00 PM in Saudi Arabia.
We began our conversation with a brief introduction—Nora belongs to one of the ancient
tribes in northern Saudi Arabia. She grew up in an environment that respects and preserves tribal
traditions, although she studied abroad for two years while preparing for her master’s degree.
“It might seem strange to some that someone like me, who studied abroad and was
exposed to different cultures, holds onto the idea of marriage within the tribe,” Nora began with
a confident smile. “but my experience abroad strengthened my convictions about the importance
of preserving our cultural identity in an era that is rapidly moving toward dissolving
specificities.”

Identity and Cultural Heritage
When I asked about the most important reasons that make her support marriage within the tribe,
she responded: “Preserving identity and cultural heritage comes at the forefront of these reasons.
Each tribe in our society has its history, traditions, and distinctive values. This cultural
specificity forms part of the richness of society as a whole. When members of the tribe marry
each other, this heritage continues to be transmitted naturally and smoothly.”
I agree with Nora on the importance of preserving cultural heritage and identity. Cultural
diversity enriches human society as a whole and should not be compromised. However, I believe
that in our discussion, we neglected the question: Are cultural identities fixed or inherently
evolving? I think the answer to this question would have slightly changed the course of the
conversation.

Family Ties and Social Fabric
We moved on to discuss the impact of marriage within the tribe on social relationships.

According to Nora, marriage within the tribe significantly strengthens family bonds and social solidarity, creating an interconnected network where everyone cares for one another and offers support during hardships. She fears that marriage outside the tribe gradually weakens these traditional connections without establishing an adequate alternative social system. Particularly concerning to Nora is the impact on children, who she believes often suffer from identity confusion when born to parents from different tribes, feeling they don’t fully belong to either culture. While acknowledging that cultural plurality could theoretically benefit children, Nora maintains that the reality she observes involves identity conflicts that can leave children feeling scattered and conflicted about their tribal allegiance and cultural traditions.

I partially agree with Nora, despite my opposition to the idea of limited marriage within
the tribe. Her argument is logical. As someone living in a tribal society, I see with my own eyes
the emergence of these new loyalties that favor one tribe over another. This creates identity and
belonging problems for children. However, I think she exaggerated this point. Despite the
emergence of new loyalties, this does not mean these loyalties will erase the other loyalty, and
despite identity problems, they are not actually dangerous.

Value and Intellectual Compatibility
We then addressed the issue of compatibility between spouses, as they are the ones
concerned with this subject. Why should a man or woman commit only to marriage from within
the tribe?
She answered, “Marriage is not just a relationship between two people, but an integration
between two value and cultural systems. The closer these systems are, the greater the chances of
successful marriage.”
Here I thought Nora meant that marriage outside the tribe would inevitably lead to
failure, but she clarified that she did not mean that. In her study of divorce cases in her
community, she concluded that a large percentage of them are due to cultural and value
differences between spouses. This means she sees tribal marriage as safer but not necessarily that
marriage outside the tribe is failing or dangerous.

Prior Knowledge and Reassurance

Nora believes tribal marriages are safer because they’re built on extensive prior knowledge of one’s partner. In tribal societies, community members know each other’s backgrounds, family histories, behaviors, and moral character, which creates reassurance for both parties entering marriage. She contrasts this with marriages outside one’s social circle, where limited knowledge before marriage can lead to shocking post-marriage discoveries.

While acknowledging that theoretically one could get to know a partner adequately before marriage, Nora argues that in reality, the getting-to-know period is typically too brief in modern societies. Even formal engagement periods often fail to reveal all aspects of personality. She points to the significantly higher divorce rates (80% according to GCCstat.org) among couples from different cultural backgrounds as evidence supporting her view. For Nora, the deep knowledge that comes from long-term coexistence within tribal communities provides a foundation for more stable marriages that can’t be easily replicated in other contexts.

Addressing Criticisms
I did not want to end the conversation without discussing the criticisms directed at the
idea of marriage within the tribe. We observe that new generations clearly reject tribal marriage
and have directed many criticisms at it, so we must discuss them.
I told Nora that some people believe that marriage within the tribe may lead to health
problems due to repeated marriages between relatives. And ask about her opinion
Nora replied seriously, “This is an important and scientific point. But we must distinguish
between marriage within the tribe and marriage between direct relatives. The tribe includes
thousands of people, and marriage can be between individuals who are not closely related.”
She added, “Modern science has provided means for medical examination before
marriage, which reduces potential health risks. I support marriage within the tribe with a
commitment to medical examination and avoiding cousin marriages if there are health risks.”
Some people think that marriage from the tribe only means first cousins, but in reality,
tribes include thousands or tens of thousands of people; the tribe is a state but miniaturized.
Therefore, the health aspect is not as dangerous as people usually imagine.
I asked her about another common criticism, which is that this view promotes racism and
closure to others. She responded firmly, “This is an inaccurate accusation. Preserving identity
does not mean rejecting or condescending to others. We can respect all tribes and cultures while
maintaining our specificity. The issue is not racism, but preserving cultural diversity.”

A Look to the Future
At the conclusion of our dialogue, I asked her about her view of the future of these
traditions in light of accelerating changes:
She replied that the future would witness a balance between authenticity and
contemporaneity. Preserving traditions does not mean rejecting development. We can benefit
from modern technology and science while preserving the essence of our identity.
In fact, Nora does not call for imposing marriage within the tribe on anyone but rather calls for
understanding its value and importance. Each person is free in their choices, but it is important
that these choices are based on full awareness of their implications, both at the personal and
societal levels.

Conclusions and Reflections
I ended the interview with Nora carrying many ideas and questions. She presented a
convincing defense of her point of view, although I do not agree with everything she advocated.
What caught my attention was her ability to blend authenticity and contemporaneity,
adherence to traditions, and openness to the world. She is not merely a blind guardian of
traditions, but a thinker trying to find a balance between past and present, between specificity
and universality.
Perhaps this model—Nora’s model—is the future: an educated and open-minded
generation, but at the same time attached to its roots and identity. A generation capable of
dialoguing with others without dissolving into them, capable of benefiting from the
achievements of human civilization while maintaining its cultural specificity.