According to a fascinating, well-written article by Lynn Welchman in the new 2010 International Survey of Family Law, Quatar, Bahrain and the UAE have recently codified their shari'a-based family laws, incorporating major improvements in how women and children are treated in divorce. Husbands' unilateral talaqs can be slowed down and modified, and women have rights to initiate divorce on various grounds. Courts are now to consider the best interests of children when making custody decisions, and can extend mothers' physical custody almost until the children are grown. However, these improvements in the child custody field mostly do not apply if the mother is not a Muslim.