Dealing with a Father Who Doesn't Fulfill His Responsibilities
Assalamu alaikum, everyone. After my parents' recent divorce-it happened pretty suddenly when my dad just left one day-things have been really tough. Since then, he hasn't contributed any financial support to my mom or us kids. We all live with my mom full-time because he hasn't sorted out a proper home where we could stay with him. He hasn't even paid my mom the mahr or support he should have after the divorce, as is required in Islam. Whenever we bring it up, he gets upset and says we're being ungrateful, reminding us that he left everything behind to move us from the conflict in Syria to safety in Sweden. He claims we 'won't let him have peace' now because he thinks we're trying to push him back to my mom. On top of that, he rarely pays for anything-he might throw in a little here and there, but my mom covers about 98% of all our expenses. Last Eid, he gave money to my younger siblings but nothing to me or my older sister. And the last time we went out together, I had to pay for my own meal while he paid for his. It's getting harder and harder to see him as a father figure and even to want to talk to him. What should I do in this situation?