The Sad Reality of Child Brides
Comments (14)
April 15th, 2010
Over the past week, we have heard about two extremely tragic incidents from Yemen regarding child brides. Last week a 13-year-old bride bled to death after she was married. Her husband forced her to have sex and eventually raped her to death. A few days ago, a second story surfaced of an 11-year-old girl who was hospitalized with genital injuries. In this case her husband said that he would wait until she reached puberty to consummate the marriage, but unsurprisingly he did not. In February of 2009 a law was introduced in Yemen stating that girls could not marry until the age of 17, but the law was repealed because some lawmakers viewed it as “un-Islamic.” This statement reinforces the notion of child brides is in fact supported by Islam. We often hear about these stories from human rights organizations, such as UNICEF and Oxfam, but they claim to treat these situations carefully for fear of an explosive political issue. However, we must ask: if this issue is not worth fighting against what is? Read more about these stories here and here and then make a difference. Send 5 “Did You Know” statements to your family and friends and help raise awareness about the reality of child brides. Use the space below to have a discussion and brainstorm about how we as individuals can help put an end to this horrific reality.
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This is a rotten side to Islam as this issue does not only in Yemen that you have gory story's like this predominant. In Nigeria, radical Islam is also pushing with so much venom. An example of Nigeria towing this dangerous line is this website story http://www.saharareporters.com/articles/external-contrib/5867-senator-ah...
Correction - I misspelled Muhammed in first sentence
I don't understand why anyone would want to follow the teachings of Mahamad, who instructs his followers to outright kill others, and whom encourages the men of his religion to marry and molest/rape female children, further harming them not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well, which results in mental illness and depression, which further results in ineffective, poor mothering when they do bear children, which results in a damaged society - the generations that come from the psychologically damaged females are affected, thus resulting in a community of aberrent behavior and/or emotionally and intellectually stunted growth of its members. A religion that defies God in this way can not be right. God is kind, gentle, loving, life-affirming, positive, creative, healing, and constructive; not destructive and tormenting. We were created to love and live with joy in reality (it is natural to love one's offspring and family, friends, and community - the world is our community, as well). God loves all His creations, not just a few. Humans are made in His image, in that we have a conscience and free will (choices). To choose to be more like our heavenly Father (with love for all humankind and to respect life - including the lives of others who/that are not the same as us) is to please not only God, but also ourselves, in that we live our ultimate best for the ultimate best survival of life on earth; to care for the welfare of not only ourselves but for others too directly affects our own survival because we are all interdependent on each other on this planet, and will always be. That's the way God created this world. If that reality is ignored, then one can forget about there being a future to our God-given, beautiful life here as a species.
I have read your comment on how you were unsure why anyone would follow Mohammad and Islam. Well, this arcticle has nothing to do with the religion Islam. In fact, this would be a total sin. None of these forced marriages or child bride stories are mentioned or stated in the Quaran. God never told us Muslims to kill anyone who's not our religion, the Quaran actually states NOT to hurt or kill anyone unless your endanger and have to defend yourself. Prophet Mohammad NEVER told anyone to rape or hurt a women or anyone in general. Please reconsider your thoughts on Islam and it's teachings, and remember that some of these stories are cultural and not religious and are truly evil.
Someone please tell me how we can protect these children?
Why is the world sleeping about and issue that is so horrific?
What kind of parents would want their children to endure such misery?
Please enlighten me.
Anyone who rapes a child should be put to death married or not.
these people are worse than animals. Everybody must be knowing that prophet Muhammed's favourite and yougest wife was of nine year old kid "Ayesh Bint".
Then what do you expect from the followers.
God of Isreal , Please help these little girls . Have mercy on these men. Overwhelmed about what I read .
It is shocking.
I totally agree with the comment by John Steinrich about modern liberalism and political correctness.
Even some of the womens rights organisations sweep it under the carpet.
I agree with everthing you say and so much more but the biggest thing is these men young and old have to fully educated so they understand this is crime but the crime should not be rape it should be MANSLAUGHTER.
The reason why I say this is because once a woman or a man is raped the person they were to become is gone never to be retuned. You become a totally different person you no longer trust. This happened to me for nine (9) years from the age of twelve (12) through the age of twenty-one (21). I was a loving child and turned into this animal that you dared not come to close because I would tell you in uncertain terms to stay away from me. I lost many many good jobs, I couldn't sleep well at all meaning I woke up seven (7) to ten (10) times a night screaming to the top of lungs or I would roll up in ball in my sleep screaming and so many other things.
When I finally got the help I needed after many many years and just before I was going to lose my second husband the person that was helping me he told me I was the rape and the rape was me there was no separating it.
When I finally told my family one sister told me I was lying and the one sister who brought this animal into my home she told me I messed up her life.
If you know of someone that everytime you approach them the always cross their arms or their eyes become very large or they bend backwards that means that person doesn't like the closeness step back and see if they relax.
The biggest thing I want to tell everyone is don't volunteer any information about yuor family to people you really don't know well especially people you work with because you never know who they really are.
This tragic and sick to think what is happening to these innocent children but this is what happens to so many young girls married or not this is why RAPE is no longer a good word the crime should be MANSLAUGHTER because it would carry a much stronger sentence with more time prison but I need a lot of help for this to happen.
If this doesn't happen SOON this will continue and continue. The fact of the matter in some contries girls and women are looked at as though they are a lower class human and can be used and abused that has to stop and the only way that will happen is through EDUCATION.
Child bridehood is an abomination. Shame on Muhammad for giving this practice religious endorsement. Shame on modern liberalism for cowtowing to political correctness and treating this phenomenon with blinders on instead of confronting this awful human rights abuse.
It's OK because it is not Jews or Christians who are committing these human rights abuses against small Arab children.
The world will forget about this story within a few days if not hours...
How very tragic and sick! My spirit is so grieved. I don't know how to respond to this article. I do not understand a culture as this. The depravity appears to know no bounds. God, in heaven! Please help these little girls.