Relationships Talk

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Dalal Alshohaib was 14 years old the first time she wore the hijab. She was living in the United States at the time and found the head scarf uncomfortable. Like most teenagers, all Alshohaib really wanted was to hang out with friends but the rules in her home were strict and spending time with foreigners was frowned upon.

“I felt I identified more with the American culture being raised there. Going back to Saudi Arabia to a more fundamentalist form of Islam was something I could not cope with.”

When she was four years old Alshohaib’s family left Saudi Arabia to spend a year in the US. They returned when she was eight years old and remained in the US until she was 15, spending time in Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama as her parents pursued third-level studies around the country.

Each summer the family would return to Saudi Arabia for the holidays. “When I got on the plane to go back I always said it was like a time machine travelling back in time. The differences between the two countries were extreme.”

When she was 18, and back living in Saudi Arabia, Alshohaib was introduced to her future husband. The following year she was forced to marry the man.

“He was 10 years older than me and it was my relatives who forced the marriage. My parents were supportive of the union and I felt abused.”

Alshohaib became deeply depressed and began taking the contraceptive pill in secret to stop herself becoming pregnant.

“It was brutal, I spent an entire year crying every single day. That man had more rights over my body than I did. It was one of the worst periods of my life. He would threaten me by saying I’m going to marry a second wife and I was like, ‘great, that means less time with me’. I won’t have to suffer being around someone I hate.”

Eventually, Alshohaib revealed her misery to her mother-in-law and asked that she try to convince her husband to agree to a divorce. “I told her there’s not a chance you’re getting a grandchild from me, I want to divorce your son. I’m lucky that she was a good woman. In Sharia law all it takes is one sentence for him to end the marriage, he just has to say ‘I divorce you’. It took him three years to do it.”

Friendship

A year after her marriage ended, Alshohaib began speaking to a Belgian man online. Erik Van der Veken had been living in Saudi Arabia since 2013 working as a pastry chef and chocolatier.

The pair started to build an online friendship and eventually Alshohaib convinced her father to allow Van der Veken to visit the family home. She had always considered her father the less conservative of her parents and told him she was eager to meet her new friend in person.

“That was the day everything blew up. My dad realised there was a romantic interest between us and that the potential for marriage was on the table. I’d never even dated someone before and he went berserk. He decided no way you’re marrying a foreigner.”

Despite her father’s opposition to the relationship, the pair continued to meet in secret. In 2014, Alshohaib began applying for master’s degrees abroad and was accepted into a course in management and marketing at University College Cork.

She arrived in Ireland to begin her studies in August 2015 and a few months later Van der Veken followed her to Europe. He moved to Dublin and found work with a food company that provides ingredients to high-end hotels.

After completing the theoretical part of her course, Alshohaib also moved to the capital to carry out the internship component of her master’s. She subsequently found a job and was hired as a digital marketer on a critical skills visa.

“I got really lucky and have the most amazing boss in the world. When I told him about my situation, and with my student visa about to expire, he took me on. It wasn’t charity but he didn’t have to do that. Kindness is something that keeps coming up in this country.”

When she first arrived in Ireland, Alshohaib’s father believed his daughter would return to Saudi Arabia once she completed her studies. He did not realise that unless he accepted his daughter’s relationship, she most likely would not come back.

“Things between us escalated quite badly after I moved here and I had to seek support from mental health professionals to figure out what was happening to me.”

When Alshohaib’s father started seriously urging his daughter to return to Saudi Arabia, she sought legal advice and went to the gardaí.

She also says she recorded one of her father’s phone calls. After presenting the audio to gardaí, Alshohaib was told her father would be restrained from seeing her if he travelled to Ireland. She has now cut ties completely with her father.

Successes

“It’s good for me. Of course I’d rather have my parents around to share with them my successes and my day-to-day life but we couldn’t reconcile. No one was willing to put up their hand and say we made mistakes.”

Alshohaib is focused on developing her career in marketing and hopes to apply for Irish citizenship. “Ireland is home now, we’ve been building roots here for nearly three years. I feel a sense of loyalty to this country. I want Irish citizenship so I can feel more secure and stable.

“I have to continue working through the lifetime of abuse I’ve suffered but obviously the main thing is I feel safe. I can go out and carry on with my life without feeling the need to look over my shoulder.”

Deepika has a marriage advice for anyone in love

2018 has been a magical year for Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone both professionally and personally.

It began with her film ‘Padmaavat’ crossing the 300-crore mark at the box office and ended in marital bliss when she tied the knot with long-time boyfriend Ranveer Singh.

The couple after taking the plunge on November 14 and 15 in two wedding ceremonies is often quoted as saying that marriage is the best thing that has happened to them.

Recently Deepika made an appearance on Facebook Live.

The 33-year-old actress again said that getting married to Ranveer is one of the best things that have happened to her and that she would recommend marriage to everyone who is in love.

Deepika also had a word of advice for everyone planning to get married.

“Being married is beautiful. Like Ranveer said I think we recommend it to every young person who is in love. But just be sure. Don’t jump into something because someone expects you to get married or there is pressure on you. Know in your heart that that’s the right person for you and you would want to spend the rest of your life with that person.”

She added, “The most important thing is that you need to find someone who respects you and who truly understands you. For any relationship to be successful, trust, friendship and mutual respect is very important.”

On the work front, the starlet is gearing up for her upcoming film ‘Chhapak’ which is based on the true story of an acid attack survivor Laxmi Aggarwal. 

‘This is going to be a wild ride’: Former MAFS bride Alycia Galbraith gives advice to new contestants… after she was brutally dumped by Matty Lockett halfway through the show

•  Do you have a story about a MAFS 2019 contestant? Email tips@dailymail.com

By

Emma Shepherd

and
Aleksandra Pavlovska For Daily Mail Australia

Published:
02:30 EST, 9 January 2019

|
Updated:
03:55 EST, 9 January 2019

Former Married At First Sight star Alycia Galbraith was left uncontrollably sobbing and heartbroken after Matty Lockett broke off their ‘marriage’ halfway through last season.

But on Wednesday, despite her devastating experience on the show, she has shared heartfelt advice to his year’s participants.

In a photo shared to Instagram, the Sydney-based star posted her wedding shot from last season, along with tips for the new cast.

‘This is going to be a wild ride’: Former MAFS bride Alycia Galbraith gives advice to new contestants… after she was brutally dumped by Matty Lockett (left) halfway through the show

‘Thought I’d get in early to wish a huge good luck to the new MAFS Season 6 participants!’ she wrote.

‘This is going to be a wild ride, so here is some advice from a sensitive soul who’s been in your shoes!

‘Before your wedding episode airs, take the time to sit quietly in your favourite spot and write a list in your phone of all the good things outside of your relationship that this experience has bought you so far.’

‘This is going to be a wild ride’: Alycia wrote, ‘Thought I’d get in early to wish a huge good luck to the new MAFS Season 6 participants’

She continued: ‘This will be a great tool as a reminder to remain positive and grateful for the amazing opportunity that has come your way if things afterwards ever become a bit crazy or heavy.

‘Whether you are featured for 2 weeks or 12, your life is about to change in ways you won’t at all expect and it’s time to wholeheartedly listen to those quality people in your life that know you best.

She went on to explain although ‘they will never be able to fully comprehend exactly what you’ve gone through, those are the people that will unconditionally love you and snap you back to true reality.’

‘Before your wedding episode airs, take the time to sit quietly in your favourite spot and write a list in your phone of all the good things outside of your relationship that this experience has bought you so far’ she wrote

The blonde beauty then told fans, she still has her list in her phone and it’s something that she ‘cherishes.’    

She finished with a few kind words: ‘See yourself through kind eyes, take one day at a time and enjoy! Lots of love, Alycia.’

Alycia rose to fame on Married At First Sight earlier this year alongside TV husband Matty Lockett. 

She continued: ‘This will be a great tool as a reminder to remain positive and grateful for the amazing opportunity that has come your way if things afterwards ever become a bit crazy or heavy

He left Alycia in floods of tears when he decided to call time on his relationship with the 28-year-old and leave the reality TV show early. 

The tradie left a ‘heartbroken’ Alycia in tears after struggling to explain why he was quitting, except to say he had ‘issues’ he needed to face alone.

‘This isn’t going the way Alycia and I planned really, she is just the nicest woman in the world and I am the dirty plumber,’ Matty told producers. ‘I’ve got my issues that I need to deal with.’

‘Whether you are featured for 2 weeks or 12, your life is about to change in ways you won’t at all expect and it’s time to wholeheartedly listen to those quality people in your life that know you best

An optimistic Alycia thought they would be working things out but was left shocked when Matty instead broke up with her.

‘I’ve certainly been making your life hell I’ve got some issues I really need to deal with and sort out,’ a stammering Matty told Alycia.

‘I don’t see the point in letting this go on, I think it is in everyone’s best interest that we leave the experiment, because my heart is just not in this at all.’

‘There is a guy out there for you there’s a million, unfortunately it’s just not me … I’m very sorry,’ Mat added as he walked away.

Heartbroken: Alycia rose to fame on Married At First Sight earlier this year alongside TV husband Matty Lockett, but he broke off their marriage early, leaving her in tears

Visibly upset and fighting back tears, Alycia told producers: ‘I’m absolutely devastated things haven’t worked out with Mat – I thought I would be here until the end with him.

Packing up her luggage and leaving the experiment she added: ‘I’m heartbroken but there is nothing more I can do … I hope that special guy is out there for me.’ 

Married At First Sight returns Monday, January 28 at 7:30pm on Channel Nine 

Coming soon! The new season of Married At First Sight will premiere on January 28