Saudi Grand Mufti Supports Marriage of Girls As Young As Ten

grand muftiAt a time of rising alarm over the marriage of girls as young as eight years old, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh has declared that such marriages are proper and moral under Sharia law. Indeed, he views such criticism as unfair to these girls despite the fact that such arrangements are viewed as per se child abuse and statutory rape in most other countries.

The Grand Mufti insists “[i]f it is said that a woman below 15 cannot be married, that is wrong. If a girl exceeds 10 or 12 then she is eligible for marriage, and whoever thinks she is too young, then he or she is wrong and has done her an injustice.”

Nevertheless, this week a court in Taif allowed an eleven-year-old to divorce her 75-year-old husband.

She is fortunate in comparison to the eight-year-old girl near Riyadh, who was denied a divorce to a 58-year-old man — at least until she reaches the age of majority.

For the full story, click here.

49 thoughts on “Saudi Grand Mufti Supports Marriage of Girls As Young As Ten”

  1. Thank you, Blouise.

    But da Vinci? Wow. I’m not sure what to say to that one. Other than I’m blushing, of course. And as ever . . .

    One lives to be of service.

  2. Bdaman
    1, August 1, 2010 at 12:51 pm
    Only thing fake is you Mr.computer repair man/lawyer/astrologist and what ever other hats you think fit you.

    ============================================================

    6 centuries ago his name would have been Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci

    3 centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin

    today he is a green Renaissance man

  3. The only thing I use you for, badtroll, is to serve as a bad example. I don’t need you for anything. Read that again and let it soak in, ‘lil Dancing Monkey.

    In case you didn’t notice, Tootie is always present as a different kind of bad example and TraderB is bucking for your position as Neocon shill in residence. Feel free to get lost. Really.

    You’re imminently replaceable.

  4. When women’s rights activist Wajiha Al-Huwaidar flew out of Saudi Arabia last week for a holiday in Italy with her family, she was hoping for a brief respite from what she describes as the ‘gender apartheid kingdom.’

    She wasn’t so lucky.

    As she left, her husband received an automated SMS text message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing him that his wife, legally considered his ‘dependant’ under Saudi Arabia’s strict gendered guardianship system, had left the country.

    Al-Huwaidar’s husband received the same text, she learned last week, when she had left Saudi Arabia on another recent trip to Germany.

    “It is sad how Saudis use technology in a way not intended to be used for,” she told The Media Line. “In Saudi Arabia, technology brings more restrictions and misery! They use it to have more control over people’s lives, especially women.”

    http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=182543

  5. Blouise it’s all good. He needs me as a chew toy.

    Arf, arf, arf, arf, arf, AWWWW isn’t the little chihuahua cute honey.

  6. What we are seeing with much of passes for legitimate discussion lately is merely an effort once again to inject wholly irrational fear into the voting public leading up to the elections this fall. It is even evident on this blog. Consider the following:

    1. Tootie has been raging against immigration, but with specific reference to Muslims (who wish to destroy our country and our laws) and Hispanics (who are a threat to our “distinct” culture and way of life). These arguments were advanced historically against the immigration of many groups, including Italians, the Irish and Jews. Those favoring Tootie’s position would probably respond with, “Yes, and we were right about those groups too.”

    2. TraderB raises the threat of pressure to make sharia law the law of the land. As has been mentioned, that would require ratification of an amendment to the Constitution. It would also be necessary for what is a distinct minority of members of the Muslim faith to become a majority of the entire population in this country. That will never happen for many reasons.

    3. TraderB has also resurrected the idea of secession, as well as annexation of part of the U.S. by Mexico. Once again, these are not issues over which I will ever lose sleep. And the legitimacy of the Mexican War is no more an issue for debate than is the legitimacy (as opposed to morality) of the conquest of Native Americans. Those are simply facts without future significance.

  7. Awwww. Did that poor ‘lil badtroll get his feelings hurt because he’s once again been made the fool? That’d be real authentic fool too, none of that imitation stuff.

    Don’t hate me because I’m a polymath.

    Then again you don’t need a rational reason to hate, do you, bdabigot?

    You just go with what your puppeteers tell you to hate.

  8. Bdaman,

    Your depreciatory references to computer repairmen (a very necessary and worthwhile segment of our population), lawyers (well … they do tell good jokes on themselves), and astrologers (Nancy Reagan would beg to differ with you) is telling.

    Fear of poly green men can be conquered by simply accepting their existence and moving on … you do not have to disparage so many within our society to lay waste your fears

    By the way, a good grasp of astrology is necessary in developing an in-depth understanding of the Enlightenment. In order to study that field, one must have a solid grasp of trig and a free flowing sense of intuition … or … a well written computer program.

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