Manama: A deep split over marriages without parental consent has been highlighted online as Saudis debate the legal case of a Saudi father who was deported from Canada after he violently objected to his daughter taking a local husband.

The Saudi father, 56, was sentenced in St. John’s last week to six days’ time served and a year’s probation after he had pleaded guilty to assaulting his 30-year-old daughter and threatening to kill her. Under the conditions of his sentence on Tuesday, he had to leave Canada for his home country. He was also barred from communicating with his daughter or her husband both directly and indirectly, Canadian daily the Labradorian reported.

The father, who had lived in Canada for three years, left two hours after the judge announced the sentence. According to the case papers reported by the daily, the father was arrested after a violent outburst when his daughter asked him for approval to marry a Canadian.

The father, who was sitting with his daughter and the man at a restaurant, became angry and left. He was not aware that his daughter had secretly married the man three days before that meeting, she was too afraid of her father to inform him.

Shortly after the blow-up, the family gathered at the house where they were staying. The father attacked his daughter three times, wrapping his hands around her neck. He said believed his daughter, who had always been quiet and shy, was being disobedient.

The daughter was left with marks on her neck and feared her father would kill her. She texted her husband, asking him to call the police, and her father was taken into custody, the daily reported.

When he testified, the father told the judge he meant no harm, but was trying to prevent his daughter from making a mistake and shaming the family by marrying without their consent.

He said if he had known his daughter was already married, he would not have reacted the way he did. He said his actions were an attempt to prevent her from making a mistake.

Reacting to the report, Saudis were sharply divided over the issue.

Several said that the father had no right to oppose his daughter’s marriage and that Islam allowed her to choose her husband.

“She married a Muslim man and there is nothing with him not being Saudi,” a commenter writing under the moniker of Bint Al Khaleej (Daughter of the Gulf), wrote.

“The problem is that many Saudis are deeply influenced by tribal affiliation and would condone a marriage only when it is between people from specific tribes,” she said.

Another commenter said that the woman was mature enough to select her own husband and decide on the future of her life.

“She is looking for a life where she can be truly, so the father should not object just because of some traditions back home.”

However, several other comments insisted the father was right in opposing his daughter getting married with his consent.

“A daughter should never stand up to her father because that would be a huge act of disobedience,” Saif wrote.

“Socially and traditionally, it is not acceptable and it will eventually end in the break-up of the family,” he said.

Another commenter said that the daughter had betrayed her father.

“Moving ahead with a decision despite the father’s objection amounts to a straight betrayal of the family and of the parents,” the commenter said.