RIYADH: HUDA SALIH & REEM WAFAI ARABNEWS
Proposed guidelines from the Ministry of Interior could make it tougher for girls below 16 to get married.
Fahd Al-Bakran, a spokesman for the ministry, said the strict recommendations were submitted to the Council of of Senior Islamic Scholars.
The ministry recommends that guardians of girls under 16 must apply to a judge in a special court to obtain a waiver to marry them off.
In addition, a female obstetrician/gynecologist, a psychiatrist and social worker must submit a signed medical report.
The Interior Ministry also recommends that evidence be given that the girl is mentally and physically mature. The girl also must consent to the marriage and have permission from her mother. Only the judge can grant the waiver to marry.
“There are no more than six cases (of teenage girls marriage requests),” Al-Bakran said. “The Ministry of Justice, however, believes that even with the limited number of the cases, the current situation is disturbing.”
Mona Al-Munajjed, a sociologist and an adviser on women and gender issues, supports the Ministry of Justice’s efforts to limit child marriages because it’s a healthy step that will positively affect Saudi society.
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Saudi Arabia
Before any one complains about the few child marriages in Saudi Arabia please consider:
quote:
Facts on American Teens’ Sexual and Reproductive Health
•Although only 13% of teens have had sex by age 15, most initiate sex in their later teen years. By their 19th birthday, seven in 10 female and male teens have had intercourse.
see full report here:
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html
unquote
13% of American teens have sex by age 15! This is much higher than the few child marriages in Saudi Arabia.
For a Muslim marriage is (should be?) still equal to the age of sexual activity. In the West marriage has nothing to do with the begin of sexual activity (any more).