The plight of women and children in traditional Muslim areas has long been a focus of our blog. While most shock our conscience, this story reaches a new low for the sanctioned pedophilia that occurs in arranged marriages. An eight-year-old girl named Rawan died in Hardh, Kuwait after an arranged marriage with a 40-year-old man and forced sex with a husband who was five times her age. She died of internal bleeding resulting from what would be considered rape in most nations on Earth.

Public advocates have called for the arrest of the girl’s husband as well as her family.

While most Muslims are appalled by such marriages, some clerics remain adamant that such child brides are sanctioned in the Koran.Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Shaikh has defended such marriages. Mohammad was known to have married 6-year-old Aisha, which was consummated when she was 9.

Courts will sometimes order that there should be no consummation until after a girl reached puberty. Since girls can reach puberty as early as nine, this reform means that men can have sex with nine and ten year old girls under reforms guaranteed to avoid abuse.

The willingness of families to effectively sell their children to pedophiles is obviously greater in impoverished areas. What is distressing is that Kuwait is a wealthy country. Yet, this type of outrage continues. It will continue until the girl’s family as well as the husband are arrested.

Source: Gulf News