Outcry As Malaysia Allows Child Marriages

[webfact]

Outcry as Malaysia Allows Child Marriages

A Malaysian state's decision to allow child marriages caused an outcry Wednesday, with rights groups condemning new rules that allow Muslim girls below 16 years to wed.

The decision by the Islamic religious council in southern Malacca state has been billed as an attempt to curb premarital sex and baby dumping, after a string of cases of newborns being abandoned.

"Child marriage amounts to paedophilia. We should not condone child marriages," said Ivy Josiah, executive director of leading activist group Women's Aid Organisation.

Malacca chief minister Mohamad Ali Rustam reportedly said that marriages for Muslims below the current minimum age of 16 years for females and 18 for males would be allowed with the permission of parents and religious courts.

Ali Rustam, who is the chairman of the influential state Islamic council, said the plan would reduce the number of cases of babies born out of wedlock and cut incidents of adultery.

"It is a practical move in preventing cases of unwed teenage mothers and other social problems," he was was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper Wednesday.

The report said that in the first six months of the year 174 Muslim women gave birth outside wedlock in the state. All were below 20 years old.

In Malaysia, Muslims make up about 60 per cent of the 28 million population and are subject to religious Sharia law which operates in parallel with the civil legal system.

Josiah said that Malaysia recognises those aged under 18 years as children, and that allowing them to marry early would deprive them of an education and the right to choose a partner.

"It is a knee-jerk reaction. It is really a regressive move. It is turning back the clock. This man (the chief minister) should resign," she said. Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the minister for women, family and community development, said that underage marriage was "morally and socially unacceptable".

"Placing the heavy burden and responsibility of parenthood on children can deprive them of their rights to a full and harmonious development," she said.

Source: scandasia.com

--SCANDASIA

2010-08-05

[wolf5370]

OK so how does getting married earlier cut down on adultery - surely more likely the longer one is married? Also, how many of those unwed mothers were below 16 - below 20 is irrelevent as 16 upwards could already get married. Here's an idea, how about the rules that mean that the parents and the religious court have to agree on marriages are scrapped so that people that love eachother CAN get married, then there is less liklihood of adultery and unwed mothers (and probably suicide too). Make religious and politial statements (i.e. education) to take unwed mothers and their babies into the arms of society instead of making them outcasts and abhorent, then less babies will be abandoned too.

Give a zelot a problem and watch them ome up with the most non-sensical solution.

Having said that, it is interesting that a country can not set its own legal boundaries as to age of concent and marriage without an outcry - especially when many countries still allow under 16s to marry already. The notions of when someone is ready is very vague and subjetive, and no one knows a people like the people themselves. It was not so long ago 12 year old children (usually girls) married (usually 17 plus y/o males) in Europe too - and didn't Jerry Lee Lewis marry his 13 year old cousin (3rd cousin twice removed) in the USA? In Europe we rebelled against this and pushed the age up (although down for same sex age of consent - though to bring them inline) - this was our morals - what right do we have to impose them on others?

Edited August 5, 2010 by wolf5370

[virtualtraveller]

And this in a country where the main opposition leader is on trial for 'sodomy' - which in fact is the 'Muslim' word for gay sex. What a joke!

[Peterbigeyes]

There really isn't a word in my vocab to express how down syndrom-ic this is

[trogers]

Don't hold your breath. This same State will be announcing permission rules for gay marriages next...

[soihok]

What a bunch of ****.

I suppose its their country but the rules are made by ,,, let me guess,, old men?

Girls under 16 won't get much of a say on the matter.

Totally ridiculous.

[soihok]

Any country that has a "Religious Police" in effect that wields as much control as the Civil Police ( or perhaps more ) is still in the dark ages.

Just be glad you're not Malay.

[buddy]

Any country that has a "Religious Police" in effect that wields as much control as the Civil Police ( or perhaps more ) is still in the dark ages.

Just be glad you're not Malay.

Lets just clear something up here.....lets be glad you are not from the heavily discriminated Chinese or Indian Malaysian population that ARE dicriminated by the Muslim Malays who hold all the power.

FYI, the Muslim Malays were immigrants as well as the Chinese and Indians, the Malays are not an indigenous race.

[buddy]

They are only following in the footsteps of the Prophet of the desert who married a nine year old girl called Aisha (and it was consumated) when he was fifty years old.

Something the followers of the religion try to keep secret.

Google it if you dont believe me.

Nowadays we call them Paedophiles.

[soihok]

Glad you pointed that out and not me.

I know ethnic India and Chinese people get a rough ride in Malaysia. In Singapore ethnic Chinese rule the roost,,,,well one family does actually.

[NanLaew]

They are only following in the footsteps of the Prophet of the desert who married a nine year old girl called Aisha (and it was consumated) when he was fifty years old.

Something the followers of the religion try to keep secret.

Google it if you dont believe me.

Nowadays we call them Paedophiles.

But he didn't need Viagra or other dick-hardeners way back then did he?

Way to go Prophet, way to go!!!!

YOU call them that buddy. Don't start this 'we' bullsh!t.

[happy4ever]

Well, i'm from malaysia

Just to note, this only applies to the state of Melaka, and the gist of this ruling is for prevention of undwed teenagers and other social problems, such as running away from home and/or abortion.

Teenage sex is very much prevalent in this country, and many times, mostly malay muslims, dump their babies because of the fear of punishment and social stigma from their religious groups.

Pretty much I would say that over zealousness in religion causes this (similar to how the dark ages of Christianity in the past)

We can try as much as possible to prevent teenage sex, but when it does occur and pregnancy sets in, it only serves to help them legalize the relationship, and more so for the child.

And the thing is, if those teens wanna bonk each other, they should very well be ready for a whole load of responsibilities on their shoulders

[NanLaew]

^ If you take the story and remove mention of the country and prevailing religion, it reads as a typical teen pregnancy story from just about anywhere. Youngsters + hormones + peer pressure = sex. Maybe western cultures should consider adding this uniquely Asian 'if you gonna <deleted> her, you gonna havta marry her' shotgun in it's arsenal against teen pregnancies.

[buddy]

They are only following in the footsteps of the Prophet of the desert who married a nine year old girl called Aisha (and it was consumated) when he was fifty years old.

Something the followers of the religion try to keep secret.

Google it if you dont believe me.

Nowadays we call them Paedophiles.

But he didn't need Viagra or other dick-hardeners way back then did he?

Way to go Prophet, way to go!!!!

YOU call them that buddy. Don't start this 'we' bullsh!t.

So what do YOU call a fifty year old man who f*cks a 9 year old girl.....Holy?

[ramzanepi]

They are only following in the footsteps of the Prophet of the desert who married a nine year old girl called Aisha (and it was consumated) when he was fifty years old.

Something the followers of the religion try to keep secret.

Google it if you dont believe me.

Nowadays we call them Paedophiles.

But he didn't need Viagra or other dick-hardeners way back then did he?

Way to go Prophet, way to go!!!!

YOU call them that buddy. Don't start this 'we' bullsh!t.

So what do YOU call a fifty year old man who f*cks a 9 year old girl.....Holy?

He is called the prophet - I am a Malay homosexual Muslim who works and lives in Miri, Sarawak but have to go out of the country to satisfy myself - the Holy Prophet was entitled to do that back then

Edited August 15, 2010 by ramzanepi

[buddy]

They are only following in the footsteps of the Prophet of the desert who married a nine year old girl called Aisha (and it was consumated) when he was fifty years old.

Something the followers of the religion try to keep secret.

Google it if you dont believe me.

Nowadays we call them Paedophiles.

But he didn't need Viagra or other dick-hardeners way back then did he?

Way to go Prophet, way to go!!!!

YOU call them that buddy. Don't start this 'we' bullsh!t.

So what do YOU call a fifty year old man who f*cks a 9 year old girl.....Holy?

He is called the prophet - I am a Malay homosexual Muslim who works and lives in Miri, Sarawak but have to go out of the country to satisfy myself - the Holy Prophet was entitled to do that back then

I have to be carefull what I say here, lest the mods jump on me.

Dear Ramzanepi,

Oh Boy, if its true and your post is not a wind up, I dont envy you.

I have absolutely no problems with homosexuals, but how do you marry up the fact that you are homosexual with the oppressing dogma of the Prophet of the desert that despises you?

Seems very odd for you to support a Muslim Malaysian Government that actively persecutes homosexuals and can punish you with a 20 year long prison sentence, public whipping and fines just for being homosexual.

And thanks as a Muslim for confirming that your holy man did <deleted> a nine year old child called Aisha even before she had reached puberty...sort of gives you an insight into the mentality and real character of the man, no matter what era the man lived in.

It must be terrible to be homosexual and live a secret life in a Muslim Country...you have my sympathy.

Take care!

[buddy]

I have to be carefull what I say here, lest the mods jump on me.

Dear Ramzanepi,

Oh Boy, if its true and your post is not a wind up, I dont envy you.

I have absolutely no problems with homosexuals, but how do you marry up the fact that you are homosexual with the oppressing dogma of the Prophet of the desert that despises you?

Seems very odd for you to support a Muslim Malaysian Government that actively persecutes homosexuals and can punish you with a 20 year long prison sentence, public whipping and fines just for being homosexual.

And thanks as a Muslim for confirming that your holy man did <deleted> a nine year old child called Aisha even before she had reached puberty...sort of gives you an insight into the mentality and real character of the man, no matter what era the man lived in.

It must be terrible to be homosexual and live a secret life in a Muslim Country...you have my sympathy.

Take care!

Dear Ramzanepi,

I was hoping you would reply......Oh well!