[ad_1]
The groom: "In love for three years". The union has not received the approval of the Islamic Court, necessary since the bride does not have the legal age to marry. Islamic and civil laws allow children under 18 to marry. Each year, approximately 1,024 marriages are celebrated among minor Muslims.
Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) – The third marriage of a 41-year-old Malaysian citizen with an 11-year-old Thai girl (photo) caused deep indignation in the country. Human rights activists define the husband as a "predatory child" and call for reform to end the phenomenon of marriages with minors, a widespread phenomenon in the Islamic nation.
The wedding took place on June 18 in the south of Thailand, where more than two million Malay Muslims live (about 24% of the local population). The story has become viral on social media. The second wife of the groom filed a complaint with Gua Musang Police Station, Kelantan State.
Despite criticism, the man reiterated yesterday that he would remain married to his third wife. He promised to get a marriage certificate in five years, when the bride is 16, before going to live together; he also pointed out that he had already met the girl's parents, agreeing on a "suspended marriage". The groom reported meeting the girl at her first wife's restaurant, adding that he and his new wife had been "in love for three years".
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Minister, also head of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, said that "the union is illegal": she did not receive the 39 approval of the Islamic Court, necessary because the bride did not reach the legal age of marriage. If this is confirmed, the husband risks up to six months in prison.
In Malaysia, Islamic and civil laws allow minors to marry. According to civil law, non-Muslims can only marry at 18 years of age. Non-Muslim girls can get married at the age of 16 provided that they obtain permission from the respective Menteri Besar [il chief minister dello Stato].
For Muslims, the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys is the same as Muslims. However, exceptions may be made provided that young people obtain the consent of religious courts. The Civil Code also states that a parent or legal guardian may consent in writing to marriages between minors.
The Judicial Department of Syariah [la legge islamica in lingua malese] reveals that between 2005 and 2015, 10,240 child marriages were registered. Muslims, on average 1,024 a year. For non-Muslims, the National Registration Department reports that in total, 2104 girls were married at the age of 16 between 2011 and September 2015. This means that approximately 420 non-Muslim girls under 18 are married each year.
[ad_2]
Source link
