Morocco's latest fad: Celebrating divorce

Where wedding parties were once the norm, Arab women are now also celebrating divorces Celebrating weddings is usually the normal thing to do in Morocco. But a new trend has recently seen the light: celebrating divorce. The fashion, which became popular in the Western world a few years ago, has recently emerged in the Arab world. Moroccan women, who in the past would be ashamed of getting divorced, now celebrate their separation as a new beginning.
What is going on with women in the Arab world? Is this phenomenon limited to certain social classes, or is it widespread?
A Moroccan artist, who wished to remain anonymous, said to Arabstoday that getting divorced gave her a second chance in life: “Celebrating divorces has become a habit. I know many women who have done it.”
A woman who recently got divorced said that she organised a divorce party to celebrate the end of a miserable life with an unsympathetic husband: “It was hard to divorce him, but it was a new start in life. Every year I celebrate our divorce anniversary.”
Fatima, 39 years-old, believed that Arab women are just copying western fashions without considering how damaging a divorce can be for the family.
Abdullah, 25 years-old, agrees with Fatima: “Women who celebrate their divorce don’t appreciate the value of marriage. Such habits would send the wrong message to young girls who aspire to getting married.
In Morocco, a woman spent 200,000 Dirhams [$23000] to celebrate her divorce in style.  
Amal threw a classy party in a hotel to celebrate her new life as a single woman. She said she had nothing to regret but her wedding, which was a black chapter in her life.   
In Saudi Arabia, a girl in her twenties set up a ceremony in a luxurious hall in the province of Eniza. She invited all of her friends to break the news of her divorce to them, only two years after she got married.
Celebrating divorce seems to be a fashion that spread in the Arab world after being invented by some Western artists.
Actress Shanna Muklier was the first to organize such a celebration. She was soon copied by her colleague Scarlett Johansson. Arab artists then started to imitate the Hollywood stars.
Hala Sidqi, the Egyptian actress, was the first to have a lavish party celebrating her divorce from ex-husband Magdy William.
It seems that the only difference between a wedding and a divorce party is that the latter does not require a groom. The rest is the same: “save the day” cards, cakes, bands etc.
Sociologists indicate that divorce ceremonies are a new phenomenon resulting from women suffering with their husbands. A divorce is a victory for a woman who struggled for years against a tormenting husband.
This sort of party is also useful to defuse the situation: women need to prove they can cope on their own and that depression will not be the next stop.
Dr Aliia Maa el-Ainin, a researcher in cultural and social studies, said that celebrating divorce is a well-known habit in the desert community.
“When a woman gets divorced, she will organise a celebration after the required “marriage-mourning” period.
According to Dr. Aliia this stresses a strong family bond. The family or tribe is happy to have their daughter back. The divorced gets her former status back, and she even keeps a good relationship with her ex-husband.
Being divorced represents another chance to get a new husband. The divorced woman in desert communities has a better chance to remarry than a single girl, said the specialist.