The following article which appeared a few weeks ago in Arab News continues to illustrate the serious social problems which continue to exist in Saudi Arabia pertaining to marriage. If you can imagine, due to a wager (which I believe is also viewed as unislamic) a 64 year old man gained a child bride. And gee, he is so compassionate that he will wait until she is 15 and he is 69 before consummating the marriage. That is so very kind and thoughtful of him…
What about the father? How can he think it is okay to commit his daughter to man old enough not only to be her father but to be her grandfather? And how can the Kingdom and its laws view this as appropriate or okay?
For those of you who are parents or those of you not yet married, can you really imagine yourself in such a position? If the groom had so much money that he could lay it down to a wager, how about show compassion and humanity and just give it as a charitable gift for the young woman to have at the time when she is of a reasonable marriageable age to someone more compatible as well.
http://arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=111969&d=20&m=7&y=2008
Man says will wait to consummate marriage with 10-year-old Hail girl
Arab News
HAIL: In the latest twist to a high-profile marriage in this central Saudi city, a 64-year-old man has announced that he would wait five years to consummate his marriage with his 10-year-old bride.
According to local newspapers yesterday, the man — who has already paid a SR100,000 dowry to the father of the girl and signed the marriage contract — now says he would wait until the girl is 15 to complete the marriage.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the marriage, the man’s son said his father never had a second wife. He said the girl’s father taunted his father saying he was willing to marry his daughter to him if he paid SR100,000 in dowry. “My father accepted the challenge, paid the money and became the husband of the young woman,” the son was quoted as saying.
Following reports of child marriages in the local media, religious scholars and human rights activists in the Kingdom have demanded legislation to set a statutory minimum age for marriage.
According to the Shariah, maturity is associated with puberty, which could start at the age of nine for girls and at the age of 11 for boys.
Filed under: relationships, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Women Issues | 34 Comments »
