BAGHDAD, April 15, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The relatively high salaries being paid to civil servants since the ouster of Saddam Hussein’s regime has motivated many Iraqi suitors to tie the knot with working women, even if they had to do away with time-honored marriage traditions.

“I proposed to a teacher of my own age who earns a high salary and will be able to help me in making ends meet,” 36-year-old Gamal Al-Ta’e, the owner of an electronic devices store, told IslamOnline.net.

He contended he does not care whether his wife would be able to give birth to more than one child.

“Surely, she will help me overcome the current difficult conditions in the country. In return, I will spare no effort to make her happy,” he said.

The decade-long sanctions slapped on Iraq before the US invasion-turned-occupation have had their toll on almost every aspect of life in the oil-rich country.

With soaring unemployment and salaries as minimum as 7,000 dinars (2.5 US dollars) a month, Iraqis shied away from tying the knot, creating a worsening late marriage phenomenon.

After Saddam’s ouster many Iraqi women sought government jobs to lure suitors, with salaries being as high as half a million dinars (200 US dollars) per month.

The remarkable increase in government employees’ salaries has prompted many Iraqi youth to marry female civil servants, irrespective of the age differences.

This was described by many Iraqi women as a “natural” result of the ongoing developments in the war-torn country.

“It makes no difference to marry a man who eyes my salary as long as he will be faithful to me,” said an Iraqi employee who only identified herself as H. J.

“What matters is to marry a man who can protect me in such difficult circumstances,” said the 35-year-old woman.

Ateka Ali, a government engineer, said it was quite normal to financially help her husband in overcoming their difficulties, adding that marriage is based on cooperation between the couple.

“I chose my husband, who works in ready-made garments store, with a free will,” she asserted.

“I will help him overcome any difficulties we might face.”

However, many other Iraqis have refused to swallow such social changes, preferring to abide by their marriage traditions.

“To return home to see your smiling wife waiting for you is something greater than all the money in the world,” said Nozad Shamran, 27.

Fawwaz Majed, 29, who works in an gas station, agreed.

“For me, the wife should dedicate her life to her husband and children.”

Some Iraqi mothers also refused such a marriage of convenience because, they believe, it does not have the potentials to succeed.

They maintained that a relatively old working woman would not be able to give birth to many children or devote enough of her time to raising them.

“This kind of marriage is unfair to the man who deserves to get married to a young girl to help him when he is old,” said Jumhuria Abdullah, an Iraqi mother.

She stressed that she would never allow any of her sons to seek such a marriage.

“The man should supply for his family.”

The spiraling unemployment rate, which hit 65% in oil-rich Iraq, and sky-high marriage expenses are to blame for late marriages in Iraq, says IOL correspondent.

Therefore, many Iraqis have sought assistance from Iraqi charities as well as the Shiite and Sunni endowment authorities.

In 2004, the Shiite endowment authority helped 300 Iraqis to marry.

In March 2005, the Sunni endowment authority gave 100 Iraqis 500,000 dinars (342 US dollars) each to help get married.

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