Posted: Tue 15 Apr 2008 15:25 Post subject: 8-year-old girl asks for divorce in court
Quote:
8-year-old girl asks for divorce in court
SANA’A, April 9 - An eight-year-old girl decided last week to go the Sana’a West Court to prosecute her father, who forced her to marry a 30-year-old man.
Nojoud Muhammed Nasser arrived at court by herself on Wednesday, April 2, looking for a judge to handle her case against her father, Muhammed Nasser, who forced her two months ago to marry Faez Ali Thamer, a man 22 years her senior. The child also asked for a divorce, accusing her husband of sexual and domestic abuse.
According to Yemeni law, Nojoud cannot prosecute, as she is underage. However, court judge Muhammed Al-Qathi heard her complaint and subsequently ordered the arrests of both her father and husband.
“My father beat me and told me that I must marry this man, and if I did not, I would be raped and no law and no sheikh in this country would help me. I refused but I couldn’t stop the marriage,” Nojoud Nasser told the Yemen Times. “I asked and begged my mother, father, and aunt to help me to get divorced. They answered, ‘We can do nothing. If you want you can go to court by yourself.’ So this is what I have done,” she said.
Nasser said that she was exposed to sexual abuse and domestic violence by her husband. “He used to do bad things to me, and I had no idea as to what a marriage is. I would run from one room to another in order to escape, but in the end he would catch me and beat me and then continued to do what he wanted. I cried so much but no one listened to me. One day I ran away from him and came to the court and talked to them.”
“Whenever I wanted to play in the yard he beat me and asked me to go to the bedroom with him. This lasted for two months," added Nasser. "He was too tough with me, and whenever I asked him for mercy, he beat me and slapped me and then used me. I just want to have a respectful life and divorce him.”
Nasser’s uncle, who does not want to reveal his name, is following the case now as her guardian. According to her uncle, after Muhammed Nasser, the girl's father, lost his job as a garbage truck driver in Hajjah, he became a beggar, and soon after suffered from mental problems.
Thamer is in jail now. “Yes I was intimate with her, but I have done nothing wrong, as she is my wife and I have the right and no one can stop me," he said. "But if the judge or other people insist that I divorce her, I will do it, it’s ok.”
So far, no accusations have been made against her father, who was later released due to health problems, or Nasser's husband, who will remain in jail for further investigation.
“So far there is no case and no charges, as Nojoud arrived by herself to court asking just for a divorce,“ said Shatha Ali Nasser, a lawyer in the Supreme Court who is following Nojoud Nasser’s story.
Shatha Ali Nasser confirmed that item number 15 in Yemeni civil law reads that “no girl or boy can get married before the age of 15." However, this item was amended in 1998 so parents could make a contract of marriage between their children even if they are under the age of 15. But the husband cannot be intimate with her until she is ready or mature,” said Nasser.“This law is highly dangerous because it brings an end to a young girl’s happiness and future fruitful life. Nojoud did not get married, but she was raped by a 30-year old man.”
Nasser confirmed that Nojoud Nasser’s case is not the first of its kind in Yemen, but it is the first time that a girl went to court by herself to ask for a divorce.
“We are not planning to return Nojoud to her family. Who knows? Maybe after a few years the same thing will happen to her again," said Shatha Ali Nasser. "We are planning to put her in Dar Al-Rahama [an non-governmental organization that works with children], where she can have a better life and education. We do not want her family to pay her expenses, as they are poor.”
http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1145&p=front&a=2
The multicultist mantra of 'All cultures are equal and deserve the same respect' ........ riiight!
It is good you have seen the light that not all cultures are equal, not bad for an African American mulatto biracial. Some cultures are more modern than others, but even the old cultures have some principles that we moderns can use.
In some cultures arranged marriages is the norm. Some even arrange the marriage when the child is still a baby but performing the real edding when teh children become of age. But I don't think it is a part of anyone's "culture" to rape 8 year old girls
And as far as the notion that all cultures are not equal, I believe the inequality in cultures would be a subjective assessment. What may seem "better" to you may be considered backwards to the next person
In some cultures arranged marriages is the norm. Some even arrange the marriage when the child is still a baby but performing the real edding when teh children become of age. But I don't think it is a part of anyone's "culture" to rape 8 year old girls
There is a difference between people saying - my 4 year old daughter will grow up to marry your 6 year old son and MARRYING AN EIGHT YEAR OLD TO A TWENTY EIGHT YEAR OLD MAN!!!
anonymouse, do you really think it is typically considered "rape" when a man has sex with his wife in their culture? Keep in mind that if he had been NICE to her then she would have remained his wife. The thought of a 28 year old man having sex with an 8 year old girl SICKENS me.
In some cultures arranged marriages is the norm. Some even arrange the marriage when the child is still a baby but performing the real wedding when the children become of age. But I don't think it is a part of anyone's "culture" to rape 8 year old girls
There is a difference between people saying - my 4 year old daughter will grow up to marry your 6 year old son and MARRYING AN EIGHT YEAR OLD TO A TWENTY EIGHT YEAR OLD MAN!!!
I know I know I know. I too find it revolting and I wish it were an isolated incident but it probably isn't. But I wouldn't go as far to say that violating a small child is a basic tenet of Arab or Muslim (not the two are not identical) culture.
OTHER wrote:
anonymouse, do you really think it is typically considered "rape" when a man has sex with his wife in their culture?
I know better than to answer that question but in my mind that is exactly what it is. IMO it is sick sick sick
OTHER wrote:
Keep in mind that if he had been NICE to her then she would have remained his wife. The thought of a 28 year old man having sex with an 8 year old girl SICKENS me.
Joined: 05 Jul 2009 {Posts: 17 } Location: London, UK
Posted: Sat 08 Aug 2009 13:10 Post subject:
anonymouse wrote:
But I wouldn't go as far to say that violating a small child is a basic tenet of Arab or Muslim (not the two are not identical) culture.
Thank God for that. It would be a total ignorance about Arabs and Muslims.
Some people in the "Third World" think that a lot of Americains and Europeans white males are "pedophiles". Why? because they see a lot of these crime stories in their newspapers, news websites. Since they are not in the US or Europe, they think that the incidence of these cimes are extremely high and most whites males are "dangerous rapists of children".
Apparenlty this kind of logic works both ways.
In the Arab World, there are two issues. First of all, a socio-economic one: a lot of poor people, undeducated, political corruption, non-respect of the Law. The second issue is that like most countries in the Third World, women are children's rights are not protected. They are seen as properties by men in their family. Women have few rights. These 2 issues are not unique to Muslim, Arabs countries (see India, the so-called biggest democracy in the World).
So, obviously, the stories of kids being married to older guys come up. However these stories also happen in rural Africa or India.
'
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in
“
This lasted for two months," added Nasser. "He was too tough with me, and whenever I asked him for mercy, he beat me and slapped me and then used me. I just want to have a respectful life and divorce him.”
