In a conversation she held a few years ago with journalist Emanuel Rosen, the question of whether she would marry a Muslim Arab came up. Aharish replied an unequivocal sound “no”.
“Given the current supply, no way,” she replied in fluent Hebrew.
“My parents very much want us to get married with a Muslim Arab man, educated, liberal, with a good job, who looks good. Impossible conditions.”
Rosen: “So the only option you have left for yourself is to remain alone, or marry a Jew.”
Aharish: “Yes.”
Rosen: “These are your only options?”
Aharish: “Yes, for me, if I can find a Jew who will agree.”
At this point, journalist Yoram Binor joined the two, and says, “The girl has lived in another society, and for her to marry an Arab man – it's kind of a gamble. “What kind of person is he — would he be able to put up with a pluralistic, liberal girl living in the 21st century among Jews?”
Lucy related what happened in a family scene when she was sitting at one table with her parents. She opened up her heart to her parents and told them why she refused to marry an Arab.
“Today everything looks rosy and nice and the future looks great and cool. But if I go ahead and marry him, after a year, he’ll completely change and start beating me. He won’t like any more that I go to work, he’ll say it’s not appropriate.”
Facts and figures:
- 37% of Arab women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime. There are indicators that the percentage might be higher.
- Domestic violence is considered by many to be a problem in Muslim-majority cultures, but because women hide their bruises and don't report domestic abuse to authorities, the incidence in many Muslim-majority countries is uncertain, but believed to be a great problem.
