Child of 8 years old wins a divorce after 'consummated' marriage

A disturbing story from Yemen, via AFP reports, but by no means a unique case.  A court has granted a divorce to Nojud Ali,  a girl of eight.  Her unemployed father forced her into an arranged marriage because his elder daughter had been abducted.  28 year old Faez Ali Thameur was the husband, and says he married her 'with her consent and her parents'', and she signed a marriage contract saying - as is customary - that she would remain in her father's house until she was eighteen.  But she was taken to his house a week later; and in response to a question from Judge Mohammed al-Qadhi, Thameur acknowledged that the "marriage was consummated, but I did not beat her."
    Yemen, one of the world's poorest countries, has no law governing the minimum age of marriage. Campaigners are working towards setting one up.  Meanwhile the child says she is glad to be divorced, because now she can go back to school.
     Quite apart from the sexual exploitation Unicef condemns Child marriage as " a violation of human rights, compromising the development of girls and often resulting in early pregnancy and social isolation."

Comments

[Jess H]

That is just sickening. Having sex with an eight year old. That man should be shot, as well as her father.

[Rick Beekman]

In Our culture the "Father" and the man she married would be arrested as Pedophiles.

When they entered the Prison system here in the U.S. The both of them would'nt probably last long in the general prison population. Convicts hate child Molesters.

Footnote; Mohammed had a 12 year old Bride.

[P.R]

Rick Beekman;
You stated:'Footnote; Mohammed had a 12 year old Bride.'

She was actually fifteen and they never consummated the marriage she was the only wife of his that was a virgin...just wanted to correct you there.

[John]

Rick, you're not entirely accurate there. His bride, Aisha was actually 9.

[Babbling Brook]

Sahih Bukhari Vol 7, Bk 62, No 88:

"According to Ursa ibn al-Zubayr:
The Prophet wrote (the marriage contract) with Aisha while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years" (i.e., till his death)

Tabari, 7:7

According to Abd al-Hamid b. Bayan al-Sukkari:
"...the Messenger of God married me when I was seven; my marriage was consummated when I was nine; he married me when I was a virgin..."

Sahih Bukhari Vol 5, Bk 58, No 236

"According to Urwah abn al-Zubayr:
Khadija died three years before the Prophet departed to Medina. He stayed there for two years or so and then he married Aisha when she was a girl of six years of age, and he consummated that marriage when she was nine years old."

Sahih Muslim 8:3311

"According to Aisha:
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and she was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old."

Tabari 9:131

"According to Aisha:
My mother came to me while I was being swung on a swing between two branches and got me down. My nurse took over and wiped my face with some water and started leading me. When I was at the door she stopped so I could catch my breath. I was brought in while Muhammad was sitting on a bed in our house. My mother made me sit on his lap. The other men and women got up and left. The Prophet consummated his marriage with me in my house when I was nine years old. Neither a camel nor a sheep was slaughtered on behalf of me"...

[maggie millington]

PR
What an ignorant statement " the marriage was never consummated" ! it most certainly was & it's the one overriding fact that disgusts the non muslim & a well known one. The 'prophet' [?] was in his 40's.
Islam is in a mess it does not fit in with modern day life.
Trying to live in the 21st century as the 7th century men did is utter madness & an impossible goal.

[R.B]

The marriage was consummated but I have read that it was consummated when she was around 14-15. This is still young in my eyes but if you think about it in those times girls got married really early. Saying that, this blog on an 8 year old is over the top...being in this modern time the least the father could have done is ask for the child's consent. However, I disagree with the way people refer to the Prophet as a paedophile as in the end from what i've read she was a teenager and seemed to be happy with the marriage(she being Aishah the Prohet's wife).