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Saudis to Crack Down After Man Weds 8-Year-Old

Child marriages will be 'regulated'; no evidence they'll be barred

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 15, 2009 8:54 AM CDT

(Newser) – Amid an uproar over an adult man’s marriage to an 8-year-old girl, Saudi Arabia will begin regulating child marriage, the BBC reports. The country’s justice minister wants to end the “arbitrary” process, he said, though he didn’t say such matches would be banned. A court upheld the marriage provided the husband—whose age has been reported as 47 and 60—doesn’t have sex with the girl until after she reaches puberty.

Sunni law practiced in Saudi Arabia lets fathers marry their kids off to anyone they choose. Poverty motivates many, say human-rights activists; families have been accused of essentially selling their daughters into marriage. The 8-year-old’s father apparently wanted the dowry in order to repay debts, observers say. She isn’t living with the man and, and she can seek a divorce after reaching puberty, a judge said.

A Saudi man, right, buys a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.
A Saudi man, right, buys a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.   (AP Photo)
A Saudi woman is seen outside a mosque in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009.
A Saudi woman is seen outside a mosque in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009.   (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A Saudi couple buy a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.
A Saudi couple buy a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
nawalzahra
Apr 7, 2010 7:23 PM CDT
Didnt the holy prophet Muhammed PBUH marry a girl younger then her teens? she was 6 i believe. and he did make love to her the wedding night. So, in a country run on the religion "Islam" how can this b stopped?? young kids getting married in the childhood is DISGUSTING and something needs to be done about it!! SOON!
orchide87
Aug 10, 2009 12:16 PM CDT
of course how are they gona get 34 kids if they didn't marry off the kids at the age of 8! this is repulsive!
riffran
Apr 16, 2009 11:08 AM CDT
I can't decide who is the sickest here the dad who sold his daughter, or the pedophile who bought her..."marriage"...yeah right...

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