The Unfurling, Nimah Ismail Nawwab’s recently published anthology of her work, contains the poem For Fatima, which examines the plight of a happily married woman divorced against her and her husband’s will. The case goes back to August 2006 when a court ruling annulled the marriage contract between the al-Taimanis - Fatima and Mansour al-Taimani - which was initiated by Fatima’s brother on the grounds that Fatima’s tribal lineage was superior to that of her husband’s. Fatima was imprisoned for objecting to the ruling and for refusing to go back to her parents. Mansour appealed to the Riyadh appeals court, but the court upheld the ruling separating the couple.ohs.” For Fatima The cold cell closes in/ The cold of a living tomb/ every breath a test/ every breath a labor/ every breath a prayer/ not for her, not for her life/ for her nursing baby/ her only company… The chilly prison/ more merciful/ than the icy/ hard/ hearts/ of family/ Seeking to sever her bonds of love/ to shatter her being/ to splinter her sanity/ to ravage her marriage/ seeking to annihilate her freedom of choice … A fitting tribute to the coup/ Of ancient bigotry. Yet she embraces hope strenuously/ awaits/ prays/ with chilled hands chilled heart chilled soul/ the verdict. The cold cell is no longer cold/ A deep invasive frostiness settles in. (Used with permission.

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