More insanity from the ME

[Platapus]

There are some things that are just plain wrong.

Some history:
Prior to the 1990's, the minimum age for marriage was 15 in Yemen. This was overturned by the Yemen legislation and it was decided that the parents are the ones to make the decision concerning marriage of their children. This is an old and established Arab custom.

In Feb 2009, Yemen passed a law establishing a minimum age for marriage to be 17 for both men and women. This law was overturned by the Yeman Islamic Sharia Codification Committee.

Under the Yemen instantiation of Sharia (each country has its own interpretation of Sharia), a woman can get married at age 9 but the husband can not consummate the marriage until the woman is 15. In Islam as in several other cultures, there is a recognized difference between marriage and sex.

The problem, of course, is in the enforcement... which there ain't none. The added kicker is that under the Yeman Sharia, a woman can not request a divorce until she is 15. So from 9 to 15, she is truly the property of her husband/parents.

Yemen is a signatory to the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. While that convention establishes that a woman can only marry with her full consent, the convention only tasks the signatories with

"The betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect, and all necessary action, including legislation, shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage and to make the registration of marriages in an official registry compulsory."

So if Yemen decides that a woman 9 years old can get married, unfortunately, that's the way it is.

But somethings are just simply wrong.

[eddie]

I cannot in any way, picture being romantically involved with someone so young.

Could you imagine going to a family get together, visiting relatives you haven't seen in years, and you walk in holding hands with a 9 year old girl.
They would ask you "Is this your daughter?"

And you would answer,"No, this is my wife."

The whole idea is so ignorant, even if it is a tradition over there.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by eddie

I cannot in any way, picture being romantically involved with someone so young.

Could you imagine going to a family get together, visiting relatives you haven't seen in years, and you walk in holding hands with a 9 year old girl.
They would ask you "Is this your daughter?"

And you would answer,"No, this is my wife."

The whole idea is so ignorant, even if it is a tradition over there.

Can't argue with that assessment/scenario

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by eddie

I cannot in any way, picture being romantically involved with someone so young.

Could you imagine going to a family get together, visiting relatives you haven't seen in years, and you walk in holding hands with a 9 year old girl.
They would ask you "Is this your daughter?"

And you would answer,"No, this is my wife."

I once had a troop with the other extreme issue. He married his former step-mother. hmmmm

When he showed pictures, we all automatically assumed that it was a picture of him and his mother. Nope, his wife. hmmmm

Way way better than the Yemen issue. But still.

Legally there is nothing wrong with marrying your former Step-mother, but if she was your step-mother when you were young, there is a oogy factor there.

That would be like me marrying one of The Frau's daughters. Legal but ewwwww.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by eddie

I cannot in any way, picture being romantically involved with someone so young.

Putting aside the age issue (which I think we all agree is abhorrent), it should be recognized that in Arab and other cultures marriage is not necessarily linked with romance or love. Marriage can culturally be a obligation or a duty disassociated with whether either party loves the other.

In our culture, marriage is linked to love.... at least at first.

But I am sure that even in the US, we can find instances of marriage based more on necessity or convenience absent of romance/love.

I know about a few of them when I was in the military.