Emirati writer recounts his life ‘between two wives’
dubai — The phenomenon of having more than one wife might be a popular topic in soap operas, but you rarely hear about such people in real life.
Hussain Lootah, an Emirati lawyer, author and poet, defied all odds when he chose to publish his semiautobiographical book Between Two Wives that tells about his experience with polygamy.
Lootah married his first Emirati wife 33 years ago. Three years later, he married his second wife, an Ecuadorian woman, an unusual decision at the time. However, he attributed the match to destiny.
“It took me about four years to pen down because I wasn’t only writing about myself, but also explaining the reality around me,” Lootah told Khaleej Times, on the sidelines of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, where he was reciting his latest poems.
His book, translated into English and Spanish among other languages, sheds light on his story through the character Yusuf, who struggles to come to terms with his decision to marry two women, Aliyaa and Maria. Through a poetic narrative, 57-year-old Lootah depicts his inner conflict and difficulties he faces as a spouse of two, and explores the role of destiny in shaping one’s life. He said he wanted to send a message to his six children and seven grandchildren, and share his mistakes and learnings with them.
Lootah is now working on a new book and a poetry collection about life in his fifties. By profession, he is a highly reputed lawyer and worked as a legal consultant with the UAE government for 12 years, before establishing Hussain Lootah & Associates in 1997.
While the concept of multiple wives is a common cultural and religious practice here, Lootah said the book drew mixed receptions as the concept is foreign to Western cultures. He wrote it in English to give more readers a peek into the little known reality of polygamy.
“Whoever reads the book will have the impression that I’m against polygamy, but I’m not. To some extent, I am actually for polygamy but it’s not for everyone,” he said.
“Marriage in itself is based on commitment, compassion and mercy. You have to choose maturely and be able to take care of everyone financially.”
He urged readers to view the book with an open mind and embrace “our similarities and differences”. Lootah also encourages young Emiratis to have multiple wives only if they can fulfill their duties capably. His advice to youth is this quote in his novel: “You owe a duty to yourself.”
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com