follow Muhammed, marry girls in elementary school

And yet another story of a small girl, 8 year old from Saudi Arabia, married to a 47 years old (another source says 58 years old) man in Saudi Arabia. Typical scenario: parents are seperated, father gets in debt, sells off his daughter for 30,000 SAR = $8, 010 (which is called: gives her to be married) to a guy 5 times her age. That’s it.

The girl will attend 4th grade at the time of her marriage, but apparently she was not yet informed about the events. Mother protested in the court, wanting a divorce for her daughter, but the judge said that she is not a legal guardian (she is separated from the girl’s father), and only the girl can file a divorce petition, after she reaches her puberty. What a system…wow.

The old husband promised that he will not consummate the marriage until the girl is 18. I don’t believe him at all. Once this story quiets down, he can do whatever he wants. Why would he marry a girl anyway, in his age, to wait 10 more years? He will surely follow Muhammed’s advice and example.

I wrote this few months ago, commenting about another girl in Yemen, who was married against her will:

Muslims are to follow Muhammed’s example. After Muhammed’s first wife died, he married his best friend’s daughter, Aisha. She was six at that time, so he had to wait to consummate the marriage until she was about nine. (There are controversies about Aisha’s age, some Muslim scholars are trying to convince the masses, that she was bit older than that).

Muhammed followed the cultural norm established in his land: marrying young girls and starting sexual interactions with them after their first menses was a norm at that time in the Arabic Peninsula (Jewish custom said the girl must be at least 12.5, the boy at least 13). Therefore Muhammed established this practice for his followers to come for the next centuries. Islam authoritatively and consequently follows His Prophet’s example till today.

To make things easier for the men, there is a Fatwa (ruling on Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar) explaining Muhammed’s sexual relationship with Aisha, which they can follow, if needed.

(…) answering the question about “thighing” of Aisha, (…)

After the committee studied the issue, they gave the following reply:
It has not been the practice of the Muslims throughout the centuries to resort to this unlawful practice that has come to our countries from pornographic movies that the kufar (infidels) and enemies of Islam send. As for the prophet, peace and prayer of Allah be upon him, thighing his fiancée Aisha. She was six years of age and he could not have intercourse with her due to her small age. That is why [the prophet] peace and prayer of Allah be upon him placed HIS [MALE] MEMBER BETWEEN HER THIGHS AND MASSAGED IT SOFTLY, as the apostle of Allah had control of his [male] member not like other believers.. (from here )

Links:

CNN

Arab News

The Muslim News

10 year old divorced, now on CNN

I’ve written before about the story of a 10 year old (she was believed then to be 8 year old) Somali girl, Noyoud, who demanded divorce, after being raped and beaten by her 3 times older husband.

You can watch the report now on CNN News

1 year old can marry, according to Muhammed

Below is a transcript of this video , from Middle East Media Research Institute, and this statement leaves me speechless. And this is all allowed because Muhammed practiced it. Read it for yourself, and then read more here to learn what kind of sexual activities are allowed with girls younger then 10, according to Muhammed example.

June 19, 2008	Clip No. 1798
Dr. Ahmad Al-Mub’i, a Saudi Marriage Officiant: It Is Allowed to Marry a Girl at the Age of One, If Sex Is Postponed. The Prophet Muhammad, Whose Model We Follow, Married ‘Aisha When She Was Six and Had Sex with Her When She Was Nine
Following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu’bi, a Saudi marriage officiant, which aired on LBC TV on June 19, 2008: Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu’bi: Marriage is actually two things: First we are talking about the marriage contract itself. This is one thing, while consummating the marriage – having sex with the wife for the first time – is another thing. There is no minimal age for entering marriage. You can have a marriage contract even with a one-year-old girl, not to mention a girl of nine, seven, or eight. This is merely a contract [indicating] consent. The guardian in such a case must be the father, because the father’s opinion is obligatory. Thus, the girl becomes a wife… But is the girl ready for sex or not? What is the appropriate age for having sex for the first time? This varies according to environment and traditions. In Yemen, girls are married off at nine, ten, eleven, eight, or thirteen, while in other countries, they are married off at 16. Some countries have legislated laws forbidding having sex before the girl is eighteen. […] The Prophet Muhammad is the model we follow. He took ‘Aisha to be his wife when she was six, but he had sex with her only when she was nine. Interviewer: When she was six… Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu’bi: He married her at the age of six, and he consummated the marriage, by having sex with her for the first time, when she was nine. We consider the Prophet Muhammad to be our model. Interviewer: My question to you is whether the marriage of a 12-year-old boy with an 11-year-old girl is a logical marriage, which is permitted by Islamic law. Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu’bi: If the guardian is the father… There are two different types of guardianship. If the guardian is the father, and he marries his daughter off to a man of appropriate standing, the marriage is obviously valid. […] People find themselves in all kinds of circumstances. Take, for example, a man who has two, three, or four daughters. He does not have any wives, but he needs to go on a trip. Isn’t it better to marry his daughter to a man, who will protect and sustain her, and when she reaches the proper age, he will have sex with her? Who says all men are ferocious wolves?

Lifting the veil of polygamy

click on the picture to watch the film (80 minutes, free online)

This is quite informative if you:

• want to hear testimonies of men and women who were born into and lived in polygamy
• want to understand the difference between main stream Mormon and fundamental Mormon groups
• want to see why Mormons are not really Christians

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Shattered dreams

I finished “Shattered dreams. My life as a polygamist’s wife” by Irene Spencer.

Former Fundamentalist Mormon speaks out about her life as a second wife in a polygamous marriage. She was married at 16, endured enormous hardships, living for years without common benefits of civilization, like water and electricity, was sharing her husband with 9 other wives, was mother to 13 children, and was mostly unhappy and depressed. She did it, because she believed in the afterlife as an exalted goddess, which could be obtained only by living “The Principle”.

Hart rending as it is, I was amazed by the strong convictions implemented during her childhood that did not leave her mind, and despite the doubts, carried her to a distant lands and a life which many have no clue about. Real brain washing works. It is sublime, perverse and totally controlling.

The best news is, that she has found God’s love at the end of it all. Currently she has 119 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.

Read more in her website IreneSpencerBooks.com and an interview with her.

Good video called “Lifting the veil of polygamy” introducing stories of people who lived through similar circumstances.

˜

Leila

Watched this last night. I think I am staying in the theme of Iran and polygamy…

The story line of this movie is evolving around young couple living in Tehran, Iran. Leila, the wife of Reza, can’t have children, and slowly sulks into her own world of self imposed rejection. Her mother-in-law runs the show, it seems, and convinces Leila to include another woman into their family, as a wife, of course.

The whole 2h of this movie, which seems like it was made in the 40ties, not in th 90ties, tries to make sense of emotional struggles of husband and wife trying to figure out what’s really the best for them, listening to the voices of their family members, customs, expectations and their own desires.

The acting is different than in Western movies. Some long shots are overloaded with Leila’s face, but overall if you are interested in a psychological mapping of a family life in modern Iran, watch this. Invaluable.

you can buy a bride in Egypt for $ 8,000

According to BBC NEWS, a 92 old man did not receive permission to marry 17 year old girl, because the gap between the spouses must be no bigger than 25 years. Like always, there is a loophole. If you are foreigner, and want to marry someone who is more then 25 years younger then you, just pay $8,000, on her account in the bank, and she is yours. Last year there was 173 happy Egyptian, young and rich brides taken to God knows where…

If this is not legalizing human trafficking, what is it? It is a fact, that poor rural families will “sell” their young daughters to whoever wants to pay. And with the Muslim societies obsessed with virginity, men will pay a lot of money… unfortunately.

polygamy in the USA

I’ve just finished the book “Escape” by Carolyn Jessop, former Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) member, who escaped with her 8 children, after many years of terrifying life with a man, who was one of the leaders in the FLDS.

She grew up in a polygamous household, and had to marry 50 year old man, being only 18 years old herself and becoming the forth wife. She was abused sexually, physically and emotionally throughout the marriage, not only by her husband, but by her sister-wives also.

Carolyn is the first top on the left, here with her husband and sister wives

The whole system of FLDS keeps the women as a subject to the men-powered world, which existence is based on perversity and control. They are degrading women’s lives, by diminishing them to working slaves, playing with their minds constantly to keep them vulnerable and subjected to the men’s wishes. Brain washed by the group’s leader’s, constantly abused, kept without educational opportunities, mentally tricked and emotionally drained, sooner or later, they become mentally unstable, depressed and mostly give up.

Carolyn found her strength by caring for her children, and was granted a full custody of her children after her escape from the brutality of the system, which promised heaven, but delivered hell on earth.

Very disturbing recollections of a young woman’s journey from a total believer in the cult’s religious teachings, to the world of freedom and reason.

The belief of FLDS: you can become a goddess in the afterlife if you will please your husband and live in total harmony with him (non-questionable obedience), he is destined to become god. On this picture, Carolyn is first on the right.

Carolyn’s position on the Texas court ruling (children returned to FLDS)

Read an interview with Carolyn in “Time”

Excerpt from the book

Video interview with Carolyn

prostitution behind the veil

Again Iran, again women, again hopeless. It’s a story about 2 young mothers, heroin drug addicts, trying to survive in a male dominant, Allah prescribed society. The world is full of stories of prostitutes who can’t come out of the circle of addiction, and are trapped in the hell of prostitution. What’s the difference here then? Well, neither the government, neither Allah is opposing what’s happening to the young girls, being exploited beyond belief.

Iranian revolution started as a dream for the society, but became another dictatorship system, operating under religious laws.

The reality of a “temporary marriage” (sighe), blessed by Allah, which can last from 10 minutes to 99 years is shown in this documentary in a very disturbing way. Perfectly legal contract, where a man owns a woman for a certain time, and pays her money. Legalized prostitution, I call it. The girls are treated by the law as grown women in Iran, since they are 9 years old, and they can be married, permanently or temporarily, at this age. They are often abused physically, raped, beaten and after the legal time of marriage is over, left alone in a society, where a woman can’t survive.

This documentary was made by an Iranian woman, Nahid Persson,who escaped right after the revolution begun and lives now in Sweden. She came back 17 tears later to witness the changes in her country and was shocked of what she has found so far.

Watch it here. You will see incredible footage, nothing you can expect in an “official” documentary.

if you hate Jews or Muslims

…watch the movie called “Arranged”, about two teachers from 2 different worlds, one Muslim, the other Jewish Orthodox.

picture linked to the web site

Both of them come from families with traditional, deeply rooted in faith and customs, families. Both are young teachers. Both don’t fit the modern Brooklyn’s chick-girl’s scheme. Both should get married soon, trusting that their traditional ways of finding spouses must work for them, as it worked for their parents. Both want their opinions and choices to be recognized, valued and respected. Both are surprised over and over, how the outside world boxed them out, without even asking a question. Both are intelligent, beautiful and committed. Both are challenging people around them to reconsider the status quo thinking patterns.

What a breath of fresh air. Someone from the Oscar’s crowd should pay more attention to films like that. It is witty, funny, involving, eyes opening and just plainly great.

Watch it on Netflix instant.