Saudi Arabia Considers Marriage Ban For Girls Under 18

Published by djmick on May 6th, 2009

saudi wedding

Saudi Arabia is considering a ban on marriage for girls below 18 after the case of an eight-year old girl marrying a man more than 40 years her senior drew international criticism and embarrassment the Kingdom.

Justice Minister Mohammed al-Eissa said, “Among the options that are available and excluding the issue of puberty, is to ban marriage for people under 18,”

“A girl below 18 is often not fit to take the family responsibility especially if she quickly gives birth after marriage” he said.

Under Saudi Arabia’s strict form of Sunni Islam, fathers have the right to wed their sons and daughters to whomever they deem fit.

Many of the countries leading clerics, who oversee the religious laws, feel the practice of marrying underage girls avoids spinsterhood or the temptation of engaging in relationships outside of wedlock.

Last week a 50-year old Saudi man agreed this week to divorce his eight year-old bride. One can assume the marriage was fuelled by financial benefits to the young girls family.

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