Usually, nothing coming out of Saudi Arabia surprises me. Yet, this story shocked me to the core. According to a report by CNN, a Saudi judge recently refused to annul the marriage of an “eight-year-old girl to a 47-year-old man.” The annulment petition was brought by the girl’s mother, and the judge dismissed it because, she “is not the legal guardian of the girl,” according to the mother’s lawyer Abdullah al-Jutaili.
The girl’s father arranged the marriage in order to settle his debts with the man. Bu–let us all breathe a sigh of relief here–the judge asked for a pledge from the husband that he would not consummate the marriage until after she reached puberty. After she reaches puberty, the judge ruled, the girl will have the right to request a divorce. But until then, it seems, she
is property of a man almost six times her age.
As a father of an eight-year-old daughter, this story boggles the mind and shocks the conscience. There are many things that are not clear from the article: One of these is the question of whether the father was compelled to “sell” his daughter because of his debt. If so, this is perhaps the most heinous forms of “riba,” or usury, I have ever seen. The 47-year old man should have followed the Qu’ranic injunction of being kind to debtors when they can’t pay off their debts.
When I read stories like these, it makes me wonder whether female infanticide will once again rear its ugly head. Islam came to liberate us from the ugliness of human character, but, sadly it seems, old habits die hard.
posted December 30, 2008 at 4:09 pm
This is an incredibly tragic and repugnant story — a 47 year old man and an 8 year old girl married. What a peverse situation, it screams pedaphilia. We all know that girls are now reaching puberty at an early age — some as young as 8 years old. Puberty is the beginning of the maturation process, not the conclusion. Girls on the onset of their menstraul period are not meant biological to start reproducing. Underage girls having babies often leads to horrible complications because their pelvic bones are not developed in the regards to giving birth. This is sick! So when she is 13 and menstuating her 54 year old pedophile husband can have his way with her? This is has nothing to do with Islam, this has to do with the subjugation, oppresion, and treating women/girls as second class citizens. It is time to put our words into action.
posted January 9, 2009 at 3:29 am
http://www.wordpublish.org
just have test.
posted August 4, 2010 at 3:32 am
i do not think you idiots understand the culture and traditions of the middle east back then. back in medieval times in Europe girls were married when they are children.
posted September 22, 2010 at 4:07 am
I will recommend not to hold off until you get enough money to order different goods! You can get the loan or just sba loan and feel yourself fine
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