This intriguing picture of a husband on his knees in the family court, pleading with his wife not to seek divorce, brings to mind an experience I had on Bahnhofstrasse street in Zurich, Switzerland, back in 2001.
It was a memorable encounter with a millionaire, introduced to me by my nephew Arham. Following Eastern customs, I greeted him, asking how he was. His response, “broken,” startled me. What was even more shocking was when he shared that his marriage had also broken down. It made me realize how fragile family life in Western society could be, hanging by a thread of financial strength.
I hail from Swat, often dubbed “mini Switzerland” for its breathtaking landscape, yet it maintains an extremely conservative society where divorce is considered taboo, akin to a sin that brings social stigma to both the divorcee and the divorcer. During a recent visit to a cleric’s office, I was startled to learn that the number of divorce cases has multiplied by hundreds, indicating that something is seriously amiss.
While no proper research has been conducted to ascertain the real factors behind the prevalence of such a high ratio of divorce cases, one commonality stands out: in every case of divorce, one or both partners refuse to compromise or reconcile, leading to their breakup. Throughout my eventful life, where I’ve come to know many people and learned more about their private lives, including my own, I have yet to encounter a human being who is unwilling to compromise or reconcile, be it in the workplace or within their social circle of family and friends. This leaves me pondering why husbands and wives, who are so close to each other, do not make more effort to understand each other, rather than attempting to bring each other to their knees, as depicted in the picture.
