Sharia Law OKs 14-Year-Old Bride

[웃 910]

Malaysian girl, 14, celebrates wedding in public

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- A 14-year-old girl and 23-year-old man have celebrated their recent marriage in public in Malaysia's largest city, a report said Sunday, fueling a debate on teen weddings.

Underage marriages are allowed for Muslims with court permission and parental consent but are not common in this Muslim-majority country.

The New Straits Times reported the Muslim couple, whose union was arranged by their parents, were married in July after obtaining permission from an Islamic court.

The couple, whose photo was published on the government-linked newspaper's front page, celebrated their union at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur Saturday together with about 250 other couples. The celebration was organized by Kuala Lumpur's Islamic department.

"It has been hard trying to juggle two roles - as a student and a wife - but I am taking it in my stride," said the bride, Siti Maryam Mahmod, who studies at a religious school.

Authorities could not immediately be reached Sunday to comment.

Muslims, who make up two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, are permitted to marry after reaching puberty as long as they have consent from their parents and Islamic Shariah courts. For non-Muslim Malaysians, females must be at least 16 and males 18 to marry.

The Times quoted Jamil Khir Baharom, minister in charge of Islamic affairs, as saying that Siti Maryam was allowed to marry as long as she obtained court consent.

But Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said child marriages should be forbidden.

"It is never OK for a 14-year-old to be married," the Muslim woman politician told The Associated Press.

Ivy Josiah, executive director of local group Women's Aid Organization, called on the government to repeal laws that allowed underage marriage for Muslims.

"Cultural and religious sensitivities should not be excuses for what is clearly a human rights violation," she said.

A southern state's leader made headlines in August when he encouraged teen marriages as a way to prevent young girls from having sex out of wedlock and getting pregnant. Dozens of babies are abandoned by young unwed Muslim mothers in Malaysia each year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/04/AR2010120404626.html

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Malaysian girl, 14, celebrates wedding in public

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- A 14-year-old girl and 23-year-old man have celebrated their recent marriage in public in Malaysia's largest city, a report said Sunday, fueling a debate on teen weddings.

Underage marriages are allowed for Muslims with court permission and parental consent but are not common in this Muslim-majority country.

The New Straits Times reported the Muslim couple, whose union was arranged by their parents, were married in July after obtaining permission from an Islamic court.

The couple, whose photo was published on the government-linked newspaper's front page, celebrated their union at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur Saturday together with about 250 other couples. The celebration was organized by Kuala Lumpur's Islamic department.

"It has been hard trying to juggle two roles - as a student and a wife - but I am taking it in my stride," said the bride, Siti Maryam Mahmod, who studies at a religious school.

Authorities could not immediately be reached Sunday to comment.

Muslims, who make up two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, are permitted to marry after reaching puberty as long as they have consent from their parents and Islamic Shariah courts. For non-Muslim Malaysians, females must be at least 16 and males 18 to marry.

The Times quoted Jamil Khir Baharom, minister in charge of Islamic affairs, as saying that Siti Maryam was allowed to marry as long as she obtained court consent.

But Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said child marriages should be forbidden.

"It is never OK for a 14-year-old to be married," the Muslim woman politician told The Associated Press.

Ivy Josiah, executive director of local group Women's Aid Organization, called on the government to repeal laws that allowed underage marriage for Muslims.

"Cultural and religious sensitivities should not be excuses for what is clearly a human rights violation," she said.

A southern state's leader made headlines in August when he encouraged teen marriages as a way to prevent young girls from having sex out of wedlock and getting pregnant. Dozens of babies are abandoned by young unwed Muslim mothers in Malaysia each year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/04/AR2010120404626.html

Human rights violation?

Well if the girl wants it, her parents agree, then how are "human rights" being violated? OH I GET IT! Because you believe that she shouldn't be married, then it's not right. Gotcha... What a stupid ######.

I still love the fact that just a little over acentury ago, this would not be news........

[rlogan 2,036]

Marriages of 14 year-olds are approved in countries all over the world, including many largely Christian. Generally you need the parents' permission and possibly a judge's approval.

This opening post tells us more about the poster than it does about Islam.

[Ban Hammer 13,407]

14 years old and can marry with parental consent: alabama, arkansas, california (no set minimum age!), massachusetts is 12 for females, etc.

http://family.findlaw.com/marriage/marriage-basics/state-age-of-consent-laws.html

[mawilson 2,133]

Now I can see why people convert to Islam

[rlogan 2,036]

14 years old and can marry with parental consent: alabama, arkansas, california (no set minimum age!), massachusetts is 12 for females, etc.

http://family.findlaw.com/marriage/marriage-basics/state-age-of-consent-laws.html

Thanks for taking the time to look that up.

What I am most curious about is the integrity of Lord Infamous.

When a person reveals themselves so starkly, they can look at themselves and admit they have a problem. It makes us better people. On the other hand, one can simply ignore it and continue on the hunt for anything that makes Muslims look bad.

I built a house on the edge of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. There's a lot of conflict in the region, and a study of the history demonstrates that it has little to do with religion per se just like the conflict in Ireland. When labelled "Protestant vs. Catholic" there, it obscured rather than clarified the nature of the conflict which in both cases is all about self-determination.

It is a vexing problem where we live. The fact is the Muslims had their land taken by force. It was given free of charge to immigrants that were not just Christian, but had a system of land titles, judiciary, and executive governance completely foreign to the existing system on Mindanao.

The worst thing you can do is adopt this attitude that Muslims are all bad, Islam is a menace, yadda yadda yadda. That's a great way to promote more hatred and violence.

I do not agree with the bombing of the bridge near our house, the power lines, the store we shop at, etc. But I understand the history behind it and recognize that a negotiated settlement is the only peaceful solution. More than 120,000 people have been killed on Mindanao in this war since the 1970's. Hatred and violence is not the answer.

I've had people tell me that of all people we should "get it" - how Muslims are evil and need to be wiped off the face of the earth. I couldn't disagree more. They are our neighbors, our friends, school mates, and fellow citizens. The initial wrong was land theft, but now a new "Christian" generation has grown up on this land and this new generation did nothing wrong against the pre-existing inhabitants. They feel their rights are vested and that too is understandable.

It is a lot easier of course to just adopt these bigoted/racist positions because that "justifies" human rights violations by the racist/bigot.

It is always covered of course with the pretense that the people you are annihilating are the ones without humanity.

[scandal 951]

What I am most curious about is the integrity of Lord Infamous.

It seems to me that all LI did was to post the original article. He didn't editorialize on it one whit.

LI hasn't stated an opinion on Islam, Sharia Law, the marriages of 14 year olds, or anything else.

Yet, he's already been called "a stupid ######" by someone who has put words into his mouth he clearly hasn't uttered,

and he's had you question his integrity.

You then go on and on about Mindanao when none of what you write has the slightest bearing on the topic of the OP. You believe Muslims and non-Muslims should live together peacefully. Fine, so do I. How do you know LI doesn't? What does your post have to do with arranged marriages of young girls in Malaysia anyway?

Look - I have a reasonably good idea of LI's views, he posts on here often enough. He's no fan of any organized religion, Islam or otherwise. He has a right to his views, same as anyone else. He doesn't need to be called stupid or lacking integrity just for expressing them, provided he's civil and respectful.

In this particular thread he's done no harm to anyone and look at the reaction he's gotten. This place is really insufferable.

Edited December 7, 2010 by scandal

[rlogan 2,036]

It seems to me that all LI did was to post the original article. He didn't editorialize on it one whit. LI hasn't stated an opinion on Islam, Sharia Law, the marriages of 14 year olds, or anything else.

*yawn*. He might even have done it by accident! It could even have been someone sneaking into his house and posting it - like a martian maybe. There are a thousand possibilities, and apparently you insist we should believe all are equally likely. But you contradicted yourself below. It is ludicrous to pretend that this post might actually be pro-Islam.

I don't think you are that stupid. Just disengenuous, and thinking we are so stupid as to fall for such a vacuous argument. So I shall be putting you on ignore.

Yet, he's already been called "a stupid ######" by someone who has put words into his mouth he clearly hasn't uttered,

and he's had you question his integrity.

Why not look in the mirror instead of posting hypocritical things like this. I said nothing of the sort.

You then go on and on about Mindanao when none of what you write has the slightest bearing on the topic of the OP. You believe Muslims and non-Muslims should live together peacefully. Fine, so do I. How do you know LI doesn't? What does your post have to do with arranged marriages of young girls in Malaysia anyway?

Sure it does. Malaysia, my friend, is the source of Islam in Mindanao. Perhaps you have heard of this thing called "map"? Their practices at the border region are the same. Malaysia is where the peace talks have occurred between the MILF and the Philippine government, precisely because of this history. To someone who spends a lot of time in the region and who is familiar with the history, the relationship between Malaysia and the ARMM on Mindanao is second-nature. Knowing one gives a lot of insight into the other.

But even were that not true, generally speaking religion is a bad proxy for understanding conflicts because it obfuscates the underlying issues. Here the OP has fingered a religion as the cause of 14 Y.O. marriages being permissible and that is clearly not true.

Look - I have a reasonably good idea of LI's views, he posts on here often enough. He's no fan of any organized religion, Islam or otherwise. He has a right to his views, same as anyone else. He doesn't need to be called stupid or lacking integrity just for expressing them, provided he's civil and respectful.

Again, hypocrisy. I didn't say he had none, now did I. I was pretty clear that I was curious, and that he has the opportunity to come forth and recognize that permitting 14 y.o. marriages has nothing to do with Shariah law vs. Christian vs. Secular.

But you accused me unjustifiably here and got your panties all in a wad about people "unjustifiably" accusing others (because golly geez batman the OP might actually be high praise of Islam). Perhaps now you would care to correct yourself?

In this particular thread he's done no harm to anyone and look at the reaction he's gotten. This place is really insufferable.

Another opportunity to look in the mirror, and the door if you can't get your panties undone.

[SuperDuper! 230]

rlogan is working really hard here, but i'm not sure why....

just wondering, have you tried decaff my friend?

Edited December 7, 2010 by Boing!

[scandal 951]

*yawn*. I shall be putting you on ignore.

That's good. In which case you won't be reading or responding to this.

Yet, he's already been called "a stupid ######" by someone who has put words into his mouth he clearly hasn't uttered,

and he's had you question his integrity.

Why not look in the mirror instead of posting hypocritical things like this. I said nothing of the sort.

I stand by everything I said, and retract nothing. I offer only one clarification to an apparently honest point of confusion.

The person who called him "a stupid ######" was not you, and I did not mean to imply it was you. It was said however by someone else in this thread, scroll up you'll find it with ease. You, however, did question LI's integrity. That's the sum total of my clarification.

Sure it does. Malaysia, my friend, is the source of Islam in Mindanao.

I'm not your friend, and you are not mine.

[rlogan 2,036]

rlogan is working really hard here, but i'm not sure why....

just wondering, have you tried decaff my friend?

Just having fun with him, and I did have a great deal of it. It's twenty five below zero and I have a broken leg. Ordinarily I'd be outside.

I thought about putting a note in there not to take it too seriously, (I don't like these little emoticons) but clearly he is not the kind of person it would matter with. It's tedious to deal with that kind of poster.

But there are others here and many of them are decent people. So to them - don't take it too seriously.

Ha ha! He responded by saying he wouldn't respond - oops! I guess that means he has no response to pointing out his hypocrisy and ignorance of the history/geography of the area.

Otherwise, he responds.

It is unbecoming to get into the mud with such posters so yeah - ignore is the way to go with this.

[Captain Oates 911]

My Sergeant used to say "Old enough to bleed, old enough to butcher", but his values were in flux because of personal issues

What can anyone do with a 14 year old anyway ? can't even take em to the pub and they can't drive me home when I have had a few drinks

Probably doesn't apply in Jeddah

Gimme a drink soddened 35 year old any day

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Human rights violation?

Well if the girl wants it, her parents agree, then how are "human rights" being violated? OH I GET IT! Because you believe that she shouldn't be married, then it's not right. Gotcha... What a stupid ######.

I still love the fact that just a little over acentury ago, this would not be news........

I'm sure you'll be supportive of your 14 year old daughter when she wants to marry a 23 year old.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Paul likes em young and impressionable, putty in his hands.

[luckytxn 2,264]

Well their founder did marry and have sex with a 9 year old girl so this girl was maybe old to him.