Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh is a Saudi Grand Mufti. He thinks that girls are ready for marriage at the tender age of 12, maybe 10 if she is mature. Seriously?! He is quoted as saying: "Our mothers and before them our grandmothers married when they were barely 12,” he added. “Good upbringing makes a girl ready to perform all marital duties at that age," and those who say women should not marry before 25 years are following a "bad path."
Just recently in the news, a 12 year old girl from Yemen, Fawziyah Abdullah Youssef, died during childbirth, they like 9 year old girls there. Another case where a 12 year old was married to an 80 year old man in Saudi Arabia was in the news. The girl was basically sold (dowry) by her father for $22,667, since the girl was underage the money went to her father. The mother tried to get a divorce for her but it proved to be a fruitless endeavor. The case was turned over to the countries Human Rights Commission. It is ingrained in the Muslim mind that to pattern their life after that of the Prophet, who married Aiysha at 6 but didn't consumate the marriage until she was 9, will produce a blessed life for themselves. A girl of 12 is not thinking about babies but dolls and candy. I cannot relate to this mindset and it frustrates me to think about it.
Sorry to say that has nothing to do with Islam and more to do with the culture in those Arab countries. sure the reference to Mohamed when he married Aiysha she was 6 and consummate at 9 that was in the time of 632 CE where the norm was to marry very young now times have change and most Muslim don’t live this way.
ReplyDeleteIsabelle Yasmina