8 Year Old Girl in Yemen Granted Divorce After Forced Marriage

An eight-year-old Yemeni was granted a divorce after her father forced her into an arranged marriage:

"I am happy that I am divorced now. I will be able to go back to school," Nojud Mohammed Ali said, after a public hearing in Sanaa's court of first instance.

Her former husband, 28-year-old Faez Ali Thameur, said he married the child "with her consent and that of her parents" but that he did not object to her divorce petition.

In response to a question from Judge Mohammed al-Qadhi, he acknowledged that the "marriage was consummated, but I did not beat her."

Yemen, one of the world's poorest countries, has no law governing the minimum age of marriage.

http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2008/04/15/yemeni_girl_8_gets_divorce_after_forced_marriage/afp/ (Photo: AFP Khaled Fazaa) - via Arbroath


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I am a military mom and my son told me that training included the facts and statistics regarding female abuse in the Middle East to help the men realize their mission to overthrow an evil government. This is just one very sad example. For us to just sit her and chat about how sad it is for the innocent female child to suffer under the evil governments leaves guilt on our hands. AS far as I am concerned, Yemen government should watch out. There is righteous people around the world that will turn against it and overthrow it if they do not repent, that is change their ways of treating children and women. And those people who know this is wrong should get off their materialistics heads in the sands of entertainment and sports and look at what really matters. We are like one world now, we hear the cries of the innocent. What can we do about it!
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so with all the discussion here... what action will be taken? We cannot simply bring the 8-yr-old over to the states because doubtlessly, she is not the only child to have been (or will be in future) forced into marriage. To the people who are against the cultural traditions and beliefs in Yemen, what is being done to change it? How much can it be changed? The people there can just argue that you'd be attempting to take over their culture when really, they're 'fine' on their own....or are we just going to post comments about it over the net?
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I don't think cultural standards should be used as an excuse to child abuse. Ethics and morals are not bendable reeds that can be made to twine into any shape you choose. We should all live by the same oath that doctors take -- first, do no harm. No matter what culture. As for defining harm, if it hurts a child, it's harm.
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This is because of Muhammed's example of marrying Aisha at 6 and 'consumating' the marriage when she was 9. He was in his 50's btw, and Aisha was his best buddies daughter.
Most of her hair fell out when she knew she was supposed to 'go to' him and consumate the so-called marriage. (People can have their hair fall out under very serious stress)
If you want to argue with me, please dont, just go look it up in Islamic approved sources. It's all there. I didnt make this up.
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UGH.... how any man could look at an 8yr old girl sexually is beyond disgusting in ANY culture.
That is just WRONG. There is no telling what kind of damage he could've done to her physically and mentally.
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