Saudi court set to hear child bride divorce case

CHILD BRIDGES: Controversy surrounds two divorce cases due to be heard in Saudi court.

A controversial divorce case involving the marriage of two girls to men aged in their 70s will be heard by a Saudi court on Saturday.

The mothers of the two girls, Shaikha, 16, and Abeer, 11, have filed for divorce on the grounds that the minors were forced into illegal wedlock and were victims of domestic violence.

The case has sparked widespread debate in Saudi society with religious scholars and human rights campaigners speaking out, reported the Saudi Gazette on Friday.

Saudi Human Rights Association chairman Turki Al-Sudeiri said minors marrying is a violation of international agreements on children’s rights, and called on the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia to end them.

And renowned Saudi scholar Sheikh Abudlmohsin Al-Obaikan has been quoted in the media that the girls should be granted divorce and the two men severely punished.

But the marriage contractor has refuted the charge that the girls were illegally married off, saying the deal was "perfectly legitimate”.

"The two guardians received SR50,000 and SR45,000,” as dowry, he said.

In Islam, a marriage is valid only if both the bride and her guardian fully accept it.

The paper reported that after signing the marriage contract, the two couples went to Taif for the honeymoon.

There, Shaikha tried to commit suicide to escape marriage to a 75-year-old man and was admitted to King Faisal Hospital in the city.

She was subsequently taken to a social care house as the authorities started to investigate the case.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Outlaw child marriages
Posted by Amal Mounir, Dubai, UAE on Sunday 31 August 2008 at 16:36 UAE time

How on earth they can say this marriage is "perfectly legitimate" if the poor child tried to kill herself!!! How a child of her age agrees to marry a 75 old man? This has nothing to do with religion, it is the greedy guardians and the shamless old man who agreed to rape this girl in the name of marriage!!! Shame Shame on them they deserve a severe punishment to be an example to the others.

saudi marriages
Posted by share, london, u.k on Sunday 31 August 2008 at 14:36 UAE time

Disgusting . These sick old men should be locked up.

Outlaw Child Marriages NOW
Posted by Aadil, Johannesburg, South Africa on Friday 29 August 2008 at 14:30 UAE time

Isn't it about time that these primitive customs are outlawed?

75 year old man marries 11 year old girl. In any civilised part of the world the man would be clearly identified as a paedophile. But in Saudi Arabia, he gets protection because he can pay a dowry to greedy parents.

STOP THIS NOW !!!

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