Letter to BBC WorldService, World Have Your Say:
Summary comment:
Summary comment:
Claudia Hammond's Health Check report of 20 July on Ethiopian child brides and the shocking health effects they suffer was interesting and disturbing.
But I wonder why, amongst the reasons she explores as to why this practice persists in Ethiopia, she does not even touch on the single most important reason: Orthodox Islam.
Marriage of pre- and pubescent children, especially girls, is countenanced, even encouraged, in orthodox Islam. It is for that reason that the practice is, to use Ms Hammond's words so "deeply rooted in culture and society" in Ethiopia, and indeed other orthodox Islamic countries. The practice is "deeply rooted" in Islamic doctrine, confirmed by Islamic religious and political authorities.
Umdat al-Salik. (The classic manual of Islamic jurisprudence, authorised by the Al-Azhar university, Cairo, 1991).
M3.13 (2): “Whenever a bride is a virgin, the father or the father’s father may marry her to someone without her permission, though it is recommended to ask her permission if she has reached puberty. A virgin’s silence is considered as her permission.” [My emphasis. In other words, prepubescent is fine; perhaps to be preferred, for her permission is not then required to marry her off]
M4.4: “When the father or father’s father see that the best advantage is to be served by marrying a young boy (or girl) to someone, they may do so, though they are not entitled to marry the child to someone with a physical defect that legally permits the annulment of marriage”.
M8.2: “A guardian may not marry his prepubescent daughter to someone for less than the amount typically received as marriage payment by similar brides…”
The Umdat al-Salik "… conforms to the practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni Community". Al-Azhar University, General Department for Research, Writing and Translation. Cairo, February 1991. The Umdat is also approved by the Institute of Islamic Thought and the Fiqh Council of North America (1990).
Child marriage according to Islamic Authorities:
There are innumerable imams and other religious Islamic authority figures who confirm the legitimacy of child marriage in Islam. Below are two politicians who have recently done the same, including one from the moderately Muslim Malaysia:
Dr. Abd Al-Hamid Al-'Ubeidi, an Iraqi expert on Islamic law, in an interview which aired on Al-Rafidein TV on March 14, 2008:
"There is no minimum marriage age for either men or women in Islamic law. The law in many countries permits girls to marry only from the age of 18. This is arbitrary legislation, not Islamic law."
Child marriage in Islamic doctrine:
Hadith: Muhammad himself married Aisha when she was just six and consummated the marriage when she turned nine [source: Hadith of Bukhari, V7B27no:1-2]. It is argued whether Aisha was pre- or pubescent at the time, but her age is not in dispute.
Muhammad is the “supreme and perfect example” for all Muslims. Whatever he does is to be emulated by all Muslims, even today. To suggest that "that was then, this is now" would be to imply that Muhammad was wrong; that in turn would amount to "disrespect for the Prophet" which is blasphemy. We know what happens to blasphemers in Islam..
Umdat al-Salik. (The classic manual of Islamic jurisprudence, authorised by the Al-Azhar university, Cairo, 1991).
M3.13 (2): “Whenever a bride is a virgin, the father or the father’s father may marry her to someone without her permission, though it is recommended to ask her permission if she has reached puberty. A virgin’s silence is considered as her permission.” [My emphasis. In other words, prepubescent is fine; perhaps to be preferred, for her permission is not then required to marry her off]
M4.4: “When the father or father’s father see that the best advantage is to be served by marrying a young boy (or girl) to someone, they may do so, though they are not entitled to marry the child to someone with a physical defect that legally permits the annulment of marriage”.
M8.2: “A guardian may not marry his prepubescent daughter to someone for less than the amount typically received as marriage payment by similar brides…”
The Umdat al-Salik "… conforms to the practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni Community". Al-Azhar University, General Department for Research, Writing and Translation. Cairo, February 1991. The Umdat is also approved by the Institute of Islamic Thought and the Fiqh Council of North America (1990).
Child marriage according to Islamic Authorities:
There are innumerable imams and other religious Islamic authority figures who confirm the legitimacy of child marriage in Islam. Below are two politicians who have recently done the same, including one from the moderately Muslim Malaysia:
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz Minister of Legal Affairs, Malaysia, said the Government has no plan to review laws allowing for underage marriages because the practice is permitted under Islam.
"If the religion allows it, then we can't legislate against it," he told a press conference.
"Islam allows it as long as the girl is considered to have reached her pubescent stage, once she has her menstruation."
"If the religion allows it, then we can't legislate against it," he told a press conference.
"Islam allows it as long as the girl is considered to have reached her pubescent stage, once she has her menstruation."
[Source: AFP, Dec 10’10]
Dr. Abd Al-Hamid Al-'Ubeidi, an Iraqi expert on Islamic law, in an interview which aired on Al-Rafidein TV on March 14, 2008:
"There is no minimum marriage age for either men or women in Islamic law. The law in many countries permits girls to marry only from the age of 18. This is arbitrary legislation, not Islamic law."
Other BBC reports on child marriage in Islamic countries that don't mention Islam:
Forced marriage on the increase. BBC, 17 May 2011. Keith Vaz, Chair of Home Affairs Select Committee
Archbishop Tutu fights against child marriage in Ethiopia, BBC 7 June, 2011 (Tutu, the cackling anti-semite).
Tutu’s battle to end child marriage. …. the practice “deeply routed [sic] tradition”, which is often caused by a fear of “abdution”. BBC, 7 June 2011.
Archbishop Tutu fights against child marriage in Ethiopia, BBC 7 June, 2011 (Tutu, the cackling anti-semite).
Tutu’s battle to end child marriage. …. the practice “deeply routed [sic] tradition”, which is often caused by a fear of “abdution”. BBC, 7 June 2011.
I don't know why the BBC does not mention this clear and present reason for child marriage in Ethiopia (and in the UK, per Vaz report above). Perhaps for fear of giving offence to your Muslim audience. But facts are facts and ignoring them is an even greater offence to the truth.
Yours truly,
PF
Hong Kong
